Crickhowell

Crickhowell Hugh Street

Crickhowell is a historic market town in the Usk Valley within Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park. With an independent high street, historic buildings, riverside walks and easy access to the southern Black Mountains, it is a rewarding place to visit and a welcoming base for exploring the surrounding area.

Crickhowell

Many roads lead to ‘Crick’, as it is affectionately known locally, since it stands at an historic crossing point over the River Usk, marked by a fine 17th century bridge. The town of Crickhowell is a destination in itself and makes a brilliant base for exploring the southern Black Mountains and surrounding area. Lying at the foot of Crug Hywel, an impressive Iron Age hillfort this well preserved Georgian town is a popular spot to explore and to stay. Photo © Visit Crickhowell

an ariel view over Crickhowell with the bridge in the foreground

CRiC – The Crickhowell Resource and Information Centre

CRiC is the local information centre for Crickhowell and the surrounding area. Call in for walking maps, local information, gifts and ideas for exploring the town and nearby countryside.

The centre also includes a café serving Black Mountains Coffee and homemade cakes, while the Oriel CRiC Gallery presents changing exhibitions by artists from the region and further afield.

Visit the CRiC website for current opening hours, exhibitions and visitor information.

The CRiC (Crickhowell Resource and Information Centre)
the exterior of Crickhowell Tourist Office

St Edmund's Church

St Edmund’s Church is one of Crickhowell’s most distinctive historic buildings. Founded in the early fourteenth century, the Grade II* listed church has a striking shingled spire, a medieval cruciform layout and memorials connected with the Pauncefote family.

It is an important part of Crickhowell’s historic character and can be included in a walk through the town.

a church in the centre of Crickhowell

Crickhowell Castle

Crickhowell Castle, also known as Alisby’s Castle, stands in Castle Park close to the town centre. The original Norman motte-and-bailey castle was later strengthened in stone, and the surviving remains include the motte and fragments of a twin-towered gatehouse.

The castle was attacked and largely destroyed during the uprising led by Owain Glyndŵr in the early fifteenth century. Today, the ruins sit within a small public park with information boards, views across the town and a children’s play area nearby. Entry is free, making it an easy addition to a walk around Crickhowell.

Grid reference: SO 21750 18250

Ruins of Crickhowell Castle’s twin-towered gatehouse in Castle Park

Home of Crickhowell Walking Festival

Each March, the Crickhowell Walking Festival brings people together to explore the hills, valleys and historic landscapes around the town. The programme includes walks for different interests and abilities, with opportunities to discover the area alongside local guides and fellow walkers.

The festival reflects Crickhowell’s strong walking culture, with the town’s cafés, pubs and accommodation providing a natural base before and after a day outdoors.

Crickhowell Walking Festival
on the side of Mynydd Troed looking across to Llangorse lake

Explore Crickhowell and the surrounding area

Find places to stay, places to eat, attractions, activities and walks in Crickhowell and the surrounding area.

Things to Do
Converted stone barns at Pwll Court Retreat with private gardens and rural views in Bannau Brycheiniog.

Pwll Court Retreat

Spacious group accommodation near Crickhowell with hot tub, gardens and en-suite rooms.
Angler casting a fly line while standing in the River Usk beside a wooded bank

Glanusk Estate, Fishing

Trout and salmon fishing on the River Usk near Crickhowell, with guides and tuition on request.
Visitors in The Bear Hotel’s timber-beamed bar, with pottery jugs hanging beside the seating.

The Bear Hotel – Bar and Restaurant

Historic bar and restaurant in Crickhowell, serving pub favourites, local ales and seasonal food.
Ty Croeso located within walking distance of shops and cafés in Crickhowell.

Ty Croeso

Large luxury holiday house in Crickhowell sleeping up to 16, ideal for group stays.

Antur Brew Co

Visit Antur Brew Co in Crickhowell – enjoy craft beers, weekend food pop-ups, and brewery tours.

Black Mountains Smokery

Taste artisan smoked foods from Black Mountains Smokery in Crickhowell – award-winning treats
Blue-painted Crickhowell Adventure shop front with display windows and a sale flag.

Crickhowell Adventure, Outdoors Shop

Crickhowell Adventure: Award-Winning Outdoor Shop in Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons)

The Dragon Inn Rooms

Fifteen ensuite rooms in Crickhowell, with breakfast, Wi-Fi and free guest parking.

Crickhowell to Llangynidr (Beacons Way – day 3)
a set of limstone outcrop as the forground with Mynydd Troed ahead, the braken is brown so an autumn view

Keepers Pond to Blorenge
Stone house with climbing plants, a curved driveway and gardens, with wooded hills behind Glanusk Lodge

Glanusk Lodge

Self-catering house for 12 with a private garden on Glanusk Estate near Crickhowell.

Taff Trail – Brynich Lock to Talybont-on-Usk
Runner in red shorts using poles on a grassy mountain path at a Limitless Trails event.

Limitless Trails

Trail-running events, mountain races and ultras around Crickhowell and Bannau Brycheiniog.
Traditional woodworking workshop at ToolBox Tan in Bannau Brycheiniog

Toolboxtan at Tŷ’r Philip Evan Farm

Woodworking workshops near Crickhowell offering creative hands-on experiences in Bannau Brycheiniog.
A cabin cruiser carrying passengers along a tree-lined canal, with a stone bridge behind.

Beacon Park Day Boats

Electric day boats, cycle boats, canoes and paddleboards on the canal from Llangattock.
Aerial view of The Tower beside a stone bridge over the River Usk, surrounded by trees and grass

Glanusk Estate

Cottages, caravan stays, weddings, events and River Usk fishing at Glanusk Estate.

Llanthony to Crickhowell (Beacons Way – day 2)
Two people standing beside the tiller on a green narrowboat with a Welsh flag.

Beacon Park Boats

Self-catering canal boats for two to eight from Llangattock, with individual layouts and facilities.
Sunlight over a lake beneath steep mountain slopes in Bannau Brycheiniog

Friends of the Brecon Beacons / Cyfeillion Bannau Brycheiniog

Year-round guided walks, talks and conservation work from Friends of the Brecon Beacons.
Caban Tarren off-grid cabin overlooking the Black Mountains in Bannau Brycheiniog

Ty’r Philip Evan Farm

Quiet farm stay near Crickhowell ideal for couples and solo travellers in Bannau Brycheiniog.
Stone cottage behind mature trees and a grassy slope at Glanusk Estate

The Library, Glanusk Estate

Self-catering for four at Glanusk Estate, with two bedrooms, a garden and internal steps.
A helmeted pilot in a yellow jacket checks paraglider lines on a grassy hillside while visitors wait nearby

Crickhowell Paragliding

BHPA-approved tandem paragliding flights and training above Bannau Brycheiniog from Crickhowell.
Road House Narrowboats canal boat holiday in Bannau Brycheiniog

Road House Narrowboats

Gwyliau ar gwch cul ar Gamlas Mynwy ac Aberhonddu ym Mannau Brycheiniog.
Tables and chairs beneath a pitched roof with a display of colourful books in the Book-ish Café loft.

Book-ish and Book-ish Café

Independent bookshop and café in Crickhowell, with author events and book clubs.
A black-and-white sheepdog running in front of a flock of sheep, with fields and hills behind.

Good Day Out – Sheepdog Herding Experience

Hands-on sheep herding with a Welsh Border Collie near Crickhowell.
White-painted Glanpant Bach cottage beside a green field and country lane.

Glanpant

Two-bedroom cottage for four in Bwlch, with mountain views, bike storage and one dog by agreement.
Sunlight across patchwork fields and woodland, with Sugar Loaf rising beyond the valley.

Dragon Trails

Small-group walking holidays from Crickhowell, with guided hill walks and guesthouse stays.
Stone bridge leading to the castellated Tower with an arched entrance at Glanusk Estate

The Tower, Glanusk Estate

A self-catering tower for two beside the River Usk, reached by winding stone steps.

Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal Towpath
Living room with checked sofas, cushions and a lit wood-burning stove in a wooden fireplace surround.

Pontganol Cottage

Dog-friendly cottage for three plus one in Llangynidr, with wood burner, garden, Wi-Fi and parking.
Single-storey stone cottage with white windows beside a gravel drive and garden at Glanusk Estate

Garden Cottage, Glanusk Estate

Two-bedroom cottage sleeping four in Glanusk Estate’s walled garden near Crickhowell.

Riversounds Waterfall Cabin

Waterfall cabin for two in Llangynidr, with wood burner, balcony and riverside views.
Traders and shoppers beneath striped awnings at Hay Markets.

Market Towns and Gateways of Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons)
Road House Narrowboats canal boat holiday in Bannau Brycheiniog

Road House Narrowboats

Canal boat holidays on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal in Bannau Brycheiniog National Park.
Touring caravans and motorhomes at Riverside Caravan Park, Crickhowell, Bannau Brycheiniog

Riverside Caravan Park

Riverside caravan and camping park in Crickhowell, beside the River Usk in the Brecon Beacons.
Campervan and bell tent on a grass pitch, with a fire bowl and log seats nearby

Glanusk Estate, Brecon Beacons Caravan Park

Caravan and touring park near Crickhowell in the Usk Valley and Bannau Brycheiniog.
The Bear Hotel on Crickhowell’s High Street, with the town monument in front and green hills behind.

The Bear, Crickhowell – Stay, Eat and Drink

Rooms, a restaurant and a historic bar at The Bear, a family-run coaching inn in Crickhowell.
The Bear Hotel on Crickhowell’s High Street, with the town monument in front and green hills behind.

The Bear Hotel

Thirty-five-room coaching inn in Crickhowell, with a restaurant, bar and dog-friendly rooms.
The photo shows cloud/fog filling the valley below Hay Bluff at sunset

Offa’s Dyke National Trail
Children on a colourful swing-boat ride on a lawn at Glanusk Estate

Glanusk Estate Weddings and Events

Wedding and event spaces near Crickhowell, with gardens, parkland and historic buildings.

The Dragon Inn Restaurant and Bar

Seasonal Welsh food, a well-stocked bar and a large garden in central Crickhowell.
a path running from the mountain side going towards table mountain a flat topped area with an iron age fort

Crickhowell to Table Mountain
Turquoise Tramway Coffee kiosk beside a covered seating area with wicker sofas and chairs overlooking the canal.

Tramway Coffee Shop, Beacon Park Boats

Canal-side coffee, cakes and light bites at the Beacon Park Boats wharf in Llangattock.

The Dragon Inn

Crickhowell inn with 15 rooms, restaurant, bar, garden and guest parking.

Walking Routes

There are countless stunning walks throughout Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. Here are some of our favourites

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Carreg Cennen Castle to Bethlehem (Beacons Way – day 8)

Carreg Cennen Castle to Bethlehem (Beacons Way – day 8) Day eight is short and the least demanding – appropriate for the last day.

a rock formation and sign post at Bwa Maen

Sychryd All Ability Trail / Dinas Rock

Short route suitable for wheelchair or mobility scooter users, path winds between the river and the rock face.

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