Y Garth

Rising to a modest 433m, Y Garth is the sort of hill that doesn’t demand your respect but expects a polite nod. Tucked away near Llanafan Fawr, it’s a geological treasure trove where the rocks are significantly more interesting than your average gravel driveway.

• •The area is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest primarily for its exceptional Silurian fossils. It serves as a prehistoric time capsule, preserving trilobites that have been waiting for a visitor for several hundred million years.
• •Nearby Llanafan Fawr is named after Saint Afan, a 6th-century bishop who was reportedly martyred by Irish raiders. His ancient tombstone still rests in the local churchyard, providing a rather somber motivation to keep moving while you are on the slopes.
• •The hill sits upon the Garth Bank Formation, a geological layer that is essential for understanding the ancient marine environments of prehistoric Wales. It is an ideal spot for rock-hounding, provided you enjoy looking at grey stones that look remarkably like other grey stones.
• •From the top, you can survey the rolling landscape of the Irfon Valley and the wider Powys hills. It is a fantastic vantage point for spotting exactly where you missed the turn-off, which looked much more obvious on the map than it did in reality.
• •The resident sheep have mastered a particular brand of psychological warfare involving silent, unblinking judgment. They will watch you struggle with a thermos for ten minutes, seemingly unimpressed by the fact that you have conquered a hill that they walk up for breakfast.