Crickhowell – Walking, history and local highlights

Crickhowell is in Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. Walks, the history of the castle and church, and local produce offer different ways to shape a stay. Nearby is Tretower Court and Castle, 5 km northwest of Crickhowell.

Walking in and around Crickhowell

Crickhowell’s Walkers are Welcome team has put together a series of walks in brochures. The grades range from easy and moderate to challenging and very challenging. When choosing a walk, you can use the stated difficulty as a guide and compare the options described.

Destinations reachable on walks from Crickhowell include Table Mountain and the Brecon and Monmouth Canal. CRiC also holds an annual walking festival, which takes place in early March. As dates may vary from year to year, check the date for the year you plan to travel.

Other activities and local information

Cycling is a popular activity in and around Crickhowell. Check route conditions before setting out on a bike ride. Canoe trips can also be booked and enjoyed locally; confirm which providers are currently available before travelling. This lets you include possible activities in your plans without assuming that route or provider conditions remain unchanged.

CRiC sells maps, guidebooks and publications to visitors. If you would like to use these resources for your planning, check the current visitor services before travelling. Local shops on Crickhowell’s High Street sell regional produce and products. Individual shops and their ranges may change.

Castle, church and historic sites

Crickhowell’s original Norman motte and bailey was fortified with stone in the late 13th to early 14th century. By the 15th century, Crickhowell Castle was no longer in use and was subsequently plundered for its stone. Evidence of a shell keep has been found on the summit of the oval motte. Together, these details give a picture of the castle’s different phases of construction and use, from its original form through its stone fortification to its later abandonment.

St Edmund’s Church was founded in 1303 and is the only church in Wales dedicated to St Edmund. The church contains memorials to Lady Sybil and her husband, Sir Grimbald. Another historic site is Crickhowell Bridge, which was rebuilt in 1706. The castle, church and bridge thus represent different aspects of the town’s history.

Tretower Court and Castle is 5 km northwest of Crickhowell and is part of the surrounding area. The site includes a castle, a court, a large barn and a reconstructed medieval garden. These features offer different historical points of interest in one place; the garden is explicitly a reconstruction.

Getting to Crickhowell

The nearest railway station with long-distance connections to Crickhowell is Abergavenny. The journey from there by car or taxi takes about 20 minutes; traffic may affect the journey time. Buses run regularly between Abergavenny, Crickhowell and Brecon. Check current routes and journey times for your travel date when planning your trip.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Llanllwchaiarn, Llandinam, Llanrhaeadr-Y-Mochnant, Hay-On-Wye, Llanafanfawr, Llangurig, Sennybridge, Mochdre.

Go to the main travel overview: Powys.