Hay Bluff and Twmpa sit either side of the Gospel Pass, the high mountain road between Hay-on-Wye and the Vale of Ewyas. Hay Bluff marks the northern tip of the Black Mountains, and Twmpa, also called Lord Hereford’s Knob, lies to the west. Starting from the pass lets you reach both tops by two short there-and-back climbs, rather than the long haul up from the valleys.
Where it starts
There is roadside parking just below the top of the pass. The road up from Llanfihangel Crucorney or Hay is mostly single track with passing places, and it can be slow on summer weekends. From the pass, one path climbs north-east along the escarpment edge to the trig point on Hay Bluff, where the Offa’s Dyke Path arrives along the main ridge. The other heads west up to the small cairn on Twmpa.
Underfoot
The paths are clear but steep in places, mostly on grass, and boggy in places along the ridge. Good footwear is essential.
When to take care
- The tops are open and exposed; check the mountain forecast before you set out.
- The escarpment below Hay Bluff is steep, so keep well back from the edge in cloud or wind.
- In winter the pass road can be snowbound and impassable for several days.
Distance: about 6 km (4 miles), there and back to each top, 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 Hay-on-Wye centre-based walking holiday includes a day up Hay Bluff on the Offa’s Dyke Path. We book your accommodation, move your luggage each day and provide route notes.
Photo: CeffylCelyn, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.