New Radnor: Medieval History, Castle Remains and Paths in Radnor Forest

New Radnor combines a remarkable medieval past with paths and landscapes in the surrounding area. Anyone planning a trip combining culture, local history and experiences in nature will find a variety of options for planning their days here. When looking for a holiday apartment or holiday house, it helps to first decide whether the historical traces in the town or the paths through the surrounding landscape should be the main focus.

Medieval Traces in New Radnor

The town’s history can be seen in several surviving structures. The Scheduled Monument New Radnor Medieval Town: South West Quadrant comprises well-preserved remains of the medieval town. In addition, the monument Town Bank and Ditch consists of six listed sections. The best-preserved parts lie on the western, southern and eastern sides of New Radnor. There, the town defences reach around 2.7 metres in height, while the ditch lies approximately 0.7 metres below the present ground surface.

New Radnor Castle also illustrates the former importance of the town. The site consists of a motte carved out of a natural ridge. Little remains of the castle, but the site is among the most significant surviving remains of the fortifications on the outskirts of New Radnor. Another historical trace is Swan House: the Grade II listed building dates back to the 15th century; its surviving remains belong to a high-quality late-medieval cruck-built house.

Historically, New Radnor was a market town, a borough and a county town. In March 1188, the town was also the first stop for a group of Christian leaders travelling through Wales to recruit men for the Third Crusade. The group included Baldwin, Archbishop of Canterbury. The local history also includes Brookside Farm, whose origins date to the 16th or 17th century, and The Cross Inn, which was built in the 17th century. The present church of St Mary was built between 1843 and 1845. St Mary’s Church stands at the end of a lane on the northern side of New Radnor and is terraced into a steep slope below the castle earthworks.

Woodland, Paths and the Regional Landscape

Warren Wood lies close to New Radnor. In the wider regional area, Radnor Forest extends across livestock-farming areas on the slopes, extensive moorland, steep narrow valleys and hills. The area reaches as far as Black Mixen, the highest point in Radnorshire at 650 metres. The Water-Break-its-Neck waterfall is also located in the wider regional area and has attracted tourists for more than 200 years.

For a quieter look at the town, Newgate Lane is one of the notable paths on the outskirts: it is a hollow way. Anyone planning a cycling route can use The Whimble Loop as a guide. It runs via the B4372 to New Radnor and, at the entrance to the town, via Mutton Dingle. A circular route around Radnor Forest can begin in the village of New Radnor; many paths in Radnor Forest start at Mutton Dingle in New Radnor.

Choose the Right Starting Point

New Radnor lies on the A44 between Worcester and Aberystwyth. When choosing accommodation, you can therefore use your preferred pace of travel as a guide: anyone wishing to combine historical landmarks, local history and starting points for walks should focus their search on New Radnor. Anyone also wishing to explore landscapes in the wider regional area should compare the location of the holiday apartment or holiday house with their own itinerary.

If you would like to extend your search beyond New Radnor, you can find further destinations via Llanidloes, Libanus, Hay-On-Wye, Guilsfield, Crickhowell, Berriew, Garthbrengy and Bronllys.

For the higher-level travel overview: Powys.