Wales
Beacon Hill
306M
1004FT
About Beacon Hill
Rising above the Wye Valley near the hamlet of Maryland, this wood-fringed summit is the high point of the Trellech Ridge. Reaching just over the 1,000ft mark, the heathland plateau provides a quiet vantage point with a characteristically secluded feel, capped by a lonely trig pillar amidst the trees.
Key Statistics
Rank
370th Highest in Wales
Parent Range
Brecon Beacons
Prominence
?
104m
Nearest Town
Maryland
Geology
You are walking across layers of shimmering sandstone and hardened beds of pebbles. These sturdy sediments form the rugged foundation of Beacon Hill.
Nearby Fells
Pen Cwm-bychan
Pen Cwm-bychan
Parkhouse Rocks
Parkhouse Rocks
Hart Hill
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SO512053
Latitude
51.7450°N
Longitude
2.7080°W
Did You Know?
- •The name originates from its historical role as a signaling station; it formed a vital link in a chain of fire beacons used to spread warnings across the Welsh Marches and down towards the Severn Estuary.
- •From the summit area, the distinctive profile of the Sugar Loaf near Abergavenny is visible to the west, while southward views extend across the Forest of Dean towards the silver curve of the Severn Bridges.
- •The hill serves as a significant milestone for hikers on the Wye Valley Walk, providing one of the few points on the route where the terrain breaks 300 metres in altitude.
- •While the summit is technically a 'Hump' due to its hundred-metre prominence, the actual climb from the village of Maryland is so gentle that one might reach the trig pillar before realizing the ascent has truly begun.