Preseli Hills

The Preseli Hills rise in western Pembrokeshire within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. The range stretches about 21 kilometres from Newport in the west to Crymych in the east. Foel Cwmcerwyn, the highest point, reaches 536 metres above sea level. An ancient track called the Golden Road runs along the ridge for 13 kilometres. The hills contain sites of special scientific interest and have Special Area of Conservation status. The Preselis attract walkers, geologists and archaeologists to their upland moorland and lower farmland slopes. Three sites of special scientific interest protect rare plants and insects such as the Southern damselfly. The hills were once quarried for slate and still yield igneous rock. Prehistoric remains dot the landscape, revealed more clearly after the 2018 heatwave. An Iron Age settlement at Castell Henllys shows how people once lived here. Visitors find open moorland, low-grade grazing and boggy patches across the main massif. Earth banks topped with gorse mark field boundaries around the hills. Two reservoirs, Rosebush and Llys y Fran, lie on the southern slopes and hold brown trout. The Flemings’ Way bridleway follows the ridge from east to west, offering long views. Minor roads and lanes cross the range, providing scenic routes for driving, cycling and walking.