Long Mountain

About Long Mountain

Straddling the border between Powys and Shropshire, this expansive Silurian ridge offers a gentler alternative to the rugged peaks further west. Dominated by the Iron Age earthworks of Beacon Ring at its highest point, the summit provides clear, sweeping views across the Severn Valley toward the Breidden Hills and Stiperstones.

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Did You Know?

• •The hill is known in Welsh as Cefn Digoll, which translates to the 'unbroken ridge.' This refers to its long, continuous profile that stretches for several miles, forming a natural rampart between the Welsh mountains and the Shropshire plains.
• •The summit is home to Beacon Ring, a substantial Iron Age hillfort. In 1953, the interior of the fort was planted with trees to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, a feature that created a distinctive circular woodland visible from the valley below.
• •In 632 AD, the ridge was the site of the Battle of Digoll. Cadwallon ap Cadfan, King of Gwynedd, fought a major engagement here against Northumbrian forces, an event recorded in the Welsh Triads as one of the 'three battles fought on the banks of the Severn.'
• •From the highest point, the skyline is dominated by the nearby Breidden Hills and the obelisk of Rodney’s Pillar to the north, while the distinctive quartzite ridge of the Stiperstones is clearly visible across the Rea Valley to the southeast.
• •Because the ridge is crossed by several minor roads and gentle farm tracks, the summit is one of the few places where you might find your hard-earned Marilyn status shared with a local delivery van.