Caer Licyn

The walk up Caer Licyn rewards you with genuinely commanding views across the Wye Valley and into England beyond. It's not a massive undertaking - the peak sits at 348 metres and is accessible from Chepstow without needing a car - but it demands proper respect. The terrain gets steep in places and the ground can be boggy if it's been wet.

What makes this work is the sense of isolation you get up there. It feels properly remote despite being so close to Chepstow, and on a clear day the panorama justifies the effort. The Iron Age hill fort remains are scattered across the summit, though they're subtle enough that you won't get a dramatic Instagram moment - instead you get the rather more satisfying experience of walking through actual history.

Walkers with decent fitness will love this. Families with older kids can manage it too, though under-eights might find the final push hard going. There's nothing steep enough to be genuinely dangerous, but it's not a gentle ramble either.

Allow a good two hours for the full excursion, longer if you want to sit at the top and actually look at the view rather than just bag the peak. There's no charge, naturally - it's just hill and ancient earthwork. If you're staying at Penhein Glamping nearby, this makes a proper morning adventure. The light works best earlier in the day before cloud rolls in from the west.