Coed Hyrddyn [Velvet Hill]

About Coed Hyrddyn [Velvet Hill]

Overlooking the evocative ruins of Valle Crucis Abbey, Velvet Hill is a modest summit that punches well above its weight for scenery. It offers the panoramic rewards of the Dee Valley without the calf-shredding verticality found on the more jagged edges of the neighboring Berwyns.

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Did You Know?

• •It sits directly north of the 13th-century Valle Crucis Abbey. Cistercian monks likely spent centuries staring up at this hill while contemplating their vows and wondering if they’d left the stove on.
• •The name 'Velvet Hill' refers to the smooth, mossy appearance of its slopes from a distance. It sounds like something from a luxury chocolate box, but don't try to eat it unless you're a particularly desperate local sheep.
• •Eliseg's Pillar, a 9th-century stone cross, sits right at its base. It was erected to commemorate a king of Powys, though these days it mostly commemorates the resilience of ancient stone against the relentless British drizzle.
• •The hill is largely composed of Silurian slates and mudstones. While that sounds like a geography teacher's favorite lullaby, it provides surprisingly good drainage for a country that is effectively a giant, vertical sponge.
• •Despite the name 'Velvet Hill,' the ascent through the lower gorse can feel considerably more like 'Wire Brush Hill.' Wear long trousers, unless you enjoy explaining to your doctor why your shins look like they’ve lost a wrestling match with a caffeinated badger.