Corndon Hill - Priest Weston - Mitchell's Fold Stone Circle

Sam Roebuck

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Corndon Hill - Lan Fawr - Priest Weston - Mitchell's Fold Stone Circle

Corndon Hill dominates this part of Powis with its distinctive shape, multiple summits and wild appearance. Most of the hill (and much of its surroundings) is Access Land and though there are few paths around its four summits, the terrain is sufficiently forgiving to just wander. To reach the first (and highest) summit, our walk starts in Shropshire, near the interestingly named village of White Grit. We quickly enter Wales and skirt the base of Corndon Hill as far as the first access point.

Here, the first steep climb of the day starts, but the view over to the Stiperstones and the other Shropshire Hills will give you plenty of opportunity to draw breath and soon you will reach the top. I think you'll agree that the view makes the climb well worth the effort, taking in as it does not only the Shropshire Hills behind, but ahead as far as Snowdonia and north to the Clwydian mountains.

After a crossing to two of the three other summits, we leave the paths and descend (steeply) once more to the base of Corndon Hill. A compass may come in handy here if visibility is poor. The next hill is Corndon's smaller brother, Lan Fawr (Welsh for 'Big Hill'). It's only a short climb in comparison, but very pleasant. From here, it's a steeper drop down to the little village of Priest Weston and possibly the Miner's Arms.

The last call of the day is Mitchell's Fold Stone Circle. Erected in approximately 2000-1400BC by local Bronze Age communities, it has an excellent position beside Stapeley Hill. There is a story that one of the stones is a petrified witch (named Mitchell) who was punished for milking a magic cow through a sieve. The good people of the area then set a circle of other stones around her to prevent her from escaping. This legend has even been carved into a sandstone pillar in nearby Middleton Church. Local folklore also suggests that King Arthur drew Excalibur from one of the stones here, to become King of the Britons.

Dog owners, please note the presence of sheep and all dogs must be on a lead whilst on the Access Land.

Wales - Mid Wales - Powys - Countryside

Features

Birds, Great Views, Hills or Fells, Moor, Pub

3/31/2010 - Adrian Perkins

A really lovely walk with exceptionally clear instructions.

9/20/2009 - John Holden

I did this walk in early September with my wife. Very enjoyable too, with paragliders circling around the top of Corndon Hill. The new instructions are much improved but I'd like to add to the plea to divert around the garden/house. I may have the right to walk here but I'd rather not exercise it. Fortunately there was no-one home but I felt very bad walking inches from the front door, across the patio and between a child's toys. I wouldn't like it if it were my home. Is it worth mentioning that the small gate at 12 and the field gate at 23 are both tied shut, top & bottom, with baling twine. The bridge at 24 is hidden behind a large fallen branch. Finally, I know this is going to sound daft, but are there any standing stones to be seen at Mitchells' Fold? From the car park there are several broad paths leading in various directions. The sign nearby is vandalised to the point of total obscurity. We did this walk at the end of a long day and couldn't be bothered walking more than a couple of hundred yards in search. We wrote it off as being "the site of". If there is anything could it be incorporated into the walk please? Thanks, John

7/15/2009 - Walkingworld Admin

Thanks for your comments, Nick. The walk has been revisited, and directions brought up to date. Many thanks to Nick Freeman for doing this. Adrian (Admin) 15/7/09

7/1/2009 - Nick Norris

Did this 27/06/09 and very pleasant it was too.. Couple of problems. WM4: the stile mentioned in the 3rd sentence is no longer there. And the fence has gone too. This could confuse you (it did us) esp as the Access Land sign mentioned and pictured at WM5(when we eventually found it) has fallen over on its face and is obscured by bracken. The OS map shows a conifer plantation on the W flank of Corndon Hill; this has now gone. WM25: We were greeted by the owner of the cottage who tried to persuade us to take an alternative route. He was quite pleasant when we insisted on following the recommended path, but we noticed the OS map shows an alternative to the W of the cottage which could be used to avoid future confrontations. We visited the Miners Arms. Very pleasant and has a beer garden. Summer opening hours appear to be Weekdays 1500 - 2300 (yes I do mean 1500) Sat/Sun 1200 - 2300. The comments on WM4 and 5 also apply to walk ID4461.