Black Hill (Cat’s Back) Circular Walk in Herefordshire, UK

Come and complete the Black Hill circular walk, a relatively easy trail providing you with the most stunning views over Herefordshire in England and the Brecon Beacons in Wales.

If you’d like to see our Black Hill via Cat’s Back circular walk then make sure to watch our YouTube video by clicking here. You can also check out our Herefordshire Playlist for more adventures.

About the Black Hill in the Black Mountains

The Black Hill is located in the Black Mountains in Herefordshire at the border between England and Wales. The Black Mountains – with an ‘s’ – are a group of hills that form the easternmost range of the Brecon Beacons. The massif also spreads across Powys and Monmouthshire in Wales and also extends into Herefordshire in England. The Black Mountains are easily accessible and filled with many ridge trails, therefore they are very popular with hikers. Black Hill actually forms the eastern edge of the range. 

Did you know? – The Black Mountains are often confused with the Black Mountain – without the ‘s’. The Black Mountain is actually the westernmost hill of the Brecon Beacons, whereas the Black Mountains comprise the easternmost hills.

Fun Fact – Black Hill is locally known as Cat’s Back. This is because it resembles a hunched, sitting cat when viewed from Herefordshire. 

How to get to Black Hill

It depends on whereabouts in Herefordshire you’re based, but let’s assume you’re coming from Hereford.

By Car – It takes about 45 minutes to an hour to reach Black Hill Car Park (Post Code: HR2 0PL) from Hereford. The best route is to follow the A465 to Pontrilas from where you take the B4347 Pontrilas Road towards Longtown. From Longtown, follow the route towards Black Hill Car Park via Llanveynoe. It’s a free, but also relatively small, car park so arrive early to get a spot.

By Public Transport – Unfortunately, public transport options to reach Black Hill are very limited. 

Good to Know Before Your Black Hill Circular Walk

Length of the Black Hill via Cat’s Back Circular Walk

This Black Hill via Cat’s Back circular walk was just under 8 km (5 miles) long. Depending on the weather, your speed or how often you stop for breaks, this route could take between 2 – 2.5 hours.

For reference, we started our hike a bit later than usual, around 10:30AM. At the end we completed the hike just after 1PM. This is because we had the most ideal weather conditions, so we spent a long time on top of the ridge taking photos and enjoying the view. We were also filming our hike, which always results in finishing a hiking trail a bit later than we might otherwise.

Level of Difficulty of the Black Hill Circular Walk

I would rate this Black Hill circular walk as easy to moderate. It really depends on your level of fitness and hiking experience. To me personally it was very easy, but I’ve been completing much harder and longer hiking trails such as Crib Goch and Ben Nevis via CMD ridge.

The trail itself is pretty easy to follow and once you’re on top of the ridge it’s pretty level. The only part that some would find slightly difficult is the ascent to the ridge. It’s steep, but you can just take your time and walk slower. After the ridge section of the trail it’s mainly downhill, with a slight uphill towards the end to the car park. 

Along the ridge you’ll be pretty exposed, however, once you’re down, you’ll be walking through a beautiful valley where you’ll be more sheltered.

Since it’s a very safe ridge to walk along it’s great for beginners who would like to gain experience in ridge hikes. 

Facilities Around Black Hill

Cafés and picnic spots: This walk is very limited in terms of facilities. The closest place for pubs is in Longtown. Therefore, I highly recommend packing your own lunch, water and hot drinks. You can stop for a picnic basically anywhere along the trail. However, if you’d like to eat your lunch with a view, I recommend stopping somewhere along the ridge if the weather is nice.

Toilet facilities: There are no public toilets along the trail so you’ll need to find a private spot somewhere along it. 

Best Time to Hike Black Hill via Cat’s Back

You are at the border of South Wales so weather conditions can vary depending on the time of the year you’re visiting. At the time of our visit in mid September, we were blessed with a little heatwave, providing us with ideal weather conditions. Therefore, I suggest planning your visit during the late spring and early autumn months. I think summer can be hit or miss but generally a lot warmer even in less ideal weather conditions.

We completed the hike on a neutral weekday outside of school holidays, so we only met a few other hikers. I think this trail in general is less popular, since it’s next to the Brecon Beacons which attracts a lot more people. However, I still suggest starting your walk a bit earlier especially on the weekends if you want to secure a parking spot. 

What to Wear and Bring With You?

I highly recommend weather appropriate clothing when going on the Black Hill circular walk. You’ll be exposed pretty much the entire way and even on a sunny day it will be windier along the ridge. Make sure to check the weather forecast before you set off and have a few layers with you. 

A good pair of supportive hiking shoes or boots should be worn too as the path can be rocky.

Whilst the route is easy to follow, make sure to have an offline map or screenshots of the route, in case you lose signal.

I suggest packing your lunch and having plenty of water with you. There are plenty of beautiful places to stop for a picnic.

Please Note! – Whatever you bring with you, make sure you either take it home with you or dispose of it responsibly. I suggest bringing a garbage bag with you where you can collect all your waste. Enjoy your time in nature but Leave No Trace!

Black Hill via Cat’s Black Circular Walk

Since it’s an easy trail to follow I only divided the route into two sections as follows:

1. Black Hill Car Park to Black Hill Trig Point

Starting your Black Hill circular walk from Black Hill Car Park, pass the picnic tables and climb over the stile. From here you’ll start your ascent straight away to the top of Cat’s Back ridge. This is the steepest part of your hike since you’ll gain all the elevation in this section. 

Top Tip – I suggest taking your time and turning around often as the views will slowly get better and better. That way you’ll have a little rest to catch your breath.

Once you’re on the top of the ridge, the hardest part of the hike is basically over. At this point if you turn around, you should have a stunning view over the rather flat Herefordshire to your left and the Brecon Beacons rising higher to your right. 

Continue your walk along the ridge following the path. If you look either to your right or left below you, you might spot some ponies grazing with sheep and cattle.

In about 2.4 km (1.5 miles) you should reach the trig point which also marks the top of Black Hill. 

2. Black Hill Trig Point to Black Hill Car Park

Next to the trig point you’ll see a small pond. Its size really depends on the amount of rainfall. From there, just follow the path ahead. You’ll pass two possible places where you could turn right, but ignore them both and carry on to the next crossroads. This section might be a bit boggy so make sure to wear waterproof shoes especially after heavy rainfall.

At the crossroads, take the path on your left which will lead you through the Olchon Valley. You should be walking parallel to Cat’s Back heading back the way you came.

I suggest taking your time walking through this section as the valley is really charming with Cat’s Back on your left and the Brecon Beacons on your right.

Top Tip – Always wear layers as it will be cooler along the ridge, but you’ll feel warmer in the valley.

You’ll soon have to walk through a tree lined area, which will lead you to a small unnamed road. From here, you need to walk along this road until you come to the turning point to the car park on your left. The way up to the car park will be short but steep. However, this is your last push before completing your Black Hill circular walk.

I must admit this last part of the walk was the least interesting, as I never enjoy walking on the road. Nevertheless, since it was a very hot day, being in the shade was welcome.

Additional Things to Do Around Black Hill

There are plenty of things to do in Herefordshire, so if you’re planning a visit to the county then make sure to check out the following blog posts:

• Best places to visit in Herefordshire – A list of beautiful places you must visit when you’re exploring Herefordshire. Click here to read it.
• How to Spend a day in the Wye Valley – Places you can easily visit if you only have one day in the Wye Valley. Click here to read it.

In addition, the Brecon Beacons National Park is located right next to Black Hill. Therefore if you enjoy hiking, then make sure to check out these beautiful hiking trails:

• Four Waterfalls Walk – Complete an 8km long trail and explore four stunning waterfalls in the Waterfall Country of the Brecon Beacons. Click here to read it. 
• Henrhyd Falls Point to Point Walk – An easy walk to the tallest waterfall in South Wales. Click here to read it.
• Pen Y Fan Horseshoe Ridge Walk – A challenging but rewarding 14km circular walk to the highest peak in South Wales. Click here to read it.

Final Thoughts on the Black Hill via Cat’s Back Circular Walk

I didn’t have many expectations from this Black Hill circular walk, but I must admit that the views from the ridge made my jaw drop a little. I did not expect to see such a varied landscape at the border of England and Wales. We were also incredibly lucky with the weather which most likely made this easy hike even more memorable. Having hardly anyone on the trail made us feel like we were in our own little world far away from everything.

All in all, whilst it wasn’t the toughest or most epic ridge hike I’ve ever done, I truly enjoyed every minute of it.

Have you ever climbed Black Hill or visited Herefordshire before? If so, how much of the area did you manage to explore? If not, would you want to complete this Black Hill via Cat’s Back ridge hike? Let me know in the comments below.