View of Pen y Gadair Fawr

When you walk along the ridge that includes the highest point in Herefordshire (and Southern England) you have good views to the west and east. In the easterly direction is a panorama across the county of Herefordshire. To the west are some of the higher peaks of the easternmost Welsh Brecon Beacons. The notable prominence on the skyline in the photograph is Pen y Gadair Fawr, a peak of 2,625 feet (800m). The name translates as "top of the large chair". During our walk we had intermittent low clouds that   looked threatening, but as the day progressed they all but disappeared.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100

Herefordshire's highest point

We recently undertook a strenuous family walk to the highest point in Herefordshire. This lies on the border with Wales on a mountain known by two names, Black Mountain and Twyn Llech (hill of stone or crag). The summit is on a wide ridge 2,306 feet (703m) above sea level and is the highest point in Southern England (there are higher summits in Wales). This location comes as a surprise to many who do not know the area and assume that Southern England's highest point is on Dartmoor at High Willhays which is 2,037 feet (621m). The most southerly summit in the North of England that surpasses Black Mountain is Great Whernside near Kettlewell at 2,310 feet (704m).

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100