The Devil’s Pulpit is a limestone outcrop on the rim of the Wye gorge, looking straight down on the ruins of Tintern Abbey. It sits on the Offa’s Dyke Path on the English side of the river, in the Wye Valley National Landscape, and stretches of the dyke itself can be seen in Wogan’s Wood close by.
Where it starts
From Tintern, walk upstream from the abbey and cross the river by the old Wireworks Bridge, which reopened to walkers and cyclists in May 2023 after restoration. On the far bank you are in Gloucestershire. A fairly steep path climbs through the woods to meet the Offa’s Dyke Path, where you turn right along the trail to reach the Pulpit, then come back the same way. Parking in Tintern is limited at busy times.
Underfoot
Expect a fairly steep climb on woodland paths from the river, then the Offa’s Dyke Path along the top of the slope to the viewpoint.
When to take care
- The woodland paths are steep and can be slippery after rain, especially on the way down.
- The viewpoint is on the edge of the gorge, so keep children and dogs close.
- For a more level approach, a separate path runs about a mile from the Tidenham Chase car park on the B4228.
Distance: about 5 km (3 miles), there and back, measured along the line on the route map below.
The line is a guide to the route, not a substitute for a proper map. Carry an Ordnance Survey map, check the weather before you set off and allow plenty of time.
Walk it with us
Our Offa’s Dyke holiday walks past Tintern on its second day, from Chepstow to Monmouth. We book your accommodation, move your luggage each day and provide route notes.
Photo: Colin Park, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.