Wales
Black Mixen
650M
2133FT
About Black Mixen
Crowned by a prominent communications mast, this high point of the Radnor Forest offers a bleaker, more industrial character than its neighbours. The ascent follows broad forestry tracks onto an expansive peat-covered plateau, rewarding walkers with clear views across the Lugg Valley towards the distant Shropshire Hills and the Malverns.
Key Statistics
Rank
9th Highest in Wales
Parent Range
Central Wales
Prominence
?
45m
Nearest Town
New Radnor
Geology
You’re walking across Ludlow Rocks, which are composed of fine-grained mudstones. These layers originally formed from silt and clay settling on an ancient seabed.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SO196643
Latitude
52.2710°N
Longitude
3.1797°W
Did You Know?
- •The name derives from the Old English 'mixen', meaning a midden or dung heap, likely referring to the dark, boggy peat that covers the summit plateau or the hill's rounded shape.
- •It is the eastern anchor of the Radnor Forest plateau, connected to the higher Great Rhos by a high-level track that skirts the deep, dramatic valley of Harley Dingle.
- •The summit is dominated by a 70-metre tall radio station; while it diminishes the sense of wilderness, the mast serves as a reliable navigational 'handrail' during the thick mists common to these moors.
- •From the trig point, clear days offer views past the nearby village of New Radnor to the sharp silhouettes of the Clee Hills and the sprawling whaleback of the Long Mynd.
- •Despite its status as a Hewitt and Nuttall, the summit experience is less about alpine solitude and more about standing next to a very large piece of telecommunications equipment in a bog.