Pen-rhiw-Ifor

Rising above the industrial heritage of the Afon Lwyd valley, this broad, grassy moorland summit offers a quiet vantage point over the Eastern Valleys. Part of the high ground between Blaenavon and Pontypool, its plateau is defined by historic coal workings and wide-reaching views across to the Blorenge and the Usk Valley.

• •The name is Welsh for 'the head of Ifor’s slope' (Pen = head, rhiw = slope), likely referring to a historical local figure or landowner from the area’s farming past.
• •The hill is situated within the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage site; the terrain is marked by the remains of 19th-century tramroads and 'scouring' channels used to reveal iron ore.
• •The summit offers an excellent perspective on the whale-backed ridge of the Blorenge to the northeast and the distinctive peak of the Sugar Loaf near Abergavenny.
• •It is a key landmark on the Iron Mountain Trail, a waymarked route that traces the archaeology of the coal and iron industry through the rugged Gwent uplands.
• •Finding the highest point on this broad, undulating plateau often requires more faith in a GPS than the terrain itself, as several identical-looking grassy bumps compete for the title of the summit.