Cilfaesty Hill

Rising within the quiet rolling uplands of Central Wales, this 528m Hump is a place of expansive grass and solitude. Its broad, often marshy plateau offers a genuine sense of isolation typical of the Radnorshire borderlands, rewarding walkers with a peaceful alternative to the more rugged peaks of the west.

• •The name Cilfaesty likely derives from the Welsh cil (nook or retreat) and maesty (field-house), suggesting its historical use as a remote seasonal dwelling or a high-altitude farmstead.
• •This hill marks a significant watershed in the borderlands; the River Teme, which eventually joins the Severn at Worcester, has its headwaters on the marshy northern slopes of the Cilfaesty plateau.
• •Walkers often approach via the Kerry Ridgeway, an ancient prehistoric trackway and drovers' route that passes just to the north, offering much firmer footing than the hill’s own peat-covered summit.
• •On a clear day, the summit provides an unimpeded view across the rolling whale-backed ridges of Mid Wales toward the Cambrian Mountains and the distinctive jagged silhouette of the Stiperstones to the northeast.
• •It is the sort of summit where you are considerably more likely to be scrutinized by a stray ewe than to encounter a fellow hillwalker.