8k Run Llanthony: Breathtaking Loop through Hatterall Ridge

Route Overview & Local Insights

This 7.9km loop from Llanthony Priory is a quintessential Welsh fell running experience, packing a punchy 353m of ascent into a relatively short distance. Starting from the valley floor, runners face a stiff, technical climb through lush bracken on grassy paths that will test your hill strength right out of the gate. Once you crest the Hatterall Ridge, you are rewarded with fast, rhythmic running on a well-defined gravelly path. The ridge acts as a stunning high-altitude balcony, offering expansive views of the Black Mountains before a rapid, exhilarating descent brings you back down to the historic ruins of the Priory.

Llanthony is steeped in silence and antiquity, sitting deep within the Vale of Ewyas. The route follows a portion of the famous Offa's Dyke Path, an ancient earthwork that traditionally marks the border between England and Wales. Running along the spine of Hatterall Hill, you’ll be straddling the boundary of Monmouthshire and Herefordshire, tracing a landscape that has remained largely unchanged since the Augustinian canons first established the Priory in the 12th century. It’s a hauntingly beautiful spot where the thin mountain air and medieval history create a truly unique atmosphere for a weekend trail session.