Monknash Walk, A Circular Walk in the Vale of Glamorgan

Recently we decided to tackle a 4 mile circular route from the Plough and Harrow in Monknash.  The walk took us past an array of landscapes, from woodland to meandering brooks and waterfalls to small coves and clifftop views.  (You can download a free PDF of the Monknash walk below).

We parked at the Plough and Harrow pub, in Monknash.  The pub is worth a visit in its own right.  It is packed with character, think exposed beams and inglenook fireplaces, and serves a selection of real ales and tasty hearty food.  The pub dates back to 1383 and was recently used in the series the ‘Fall and Decline’ starring Jack Whitehall.  For sunnier days there is also a decent beer garden where you can dine alfresco.

Monknash Walk – A Circular Walk

Clambering over the first of many stiles brought us into a field where we were lucky enough to see some sheep with some gorgeous little lambs.

There were also some ruins, which are apparently of a monastic grange.

By walking straight across the field, we came to another stone stile which we climbed over and this brought us into a woodland area which provided some welcomed shelter from the heat of the sun.

We followed the babbling brook on it’s journey to the sea.  Throughout this section of the walk, we were rewarded with plentiful bluebells, more ruins and some wonderful waterfalls.

Eventually the stream brought us to our first glimpse of the sea.  We continued on this path until we came to a small pebbled cove and some magnificent rock formations.

Heading up left, up a pretty steep incline we joined the coastal path along the cliff tops.  It was from here that the Nash Point light house eventually came into view (but was too far away for a decent photo).

This part of the walk was pretty exposed in terms of the wind and it had some steep treacherous drops.  We made sure that for this part of the journey the youngest was strapped back into her carry and the boys walked along the path and away from the cliffs edge. 

It was fine for us, with the most troublesome safe in her carryall, but be warned if you have younger children or those difficult to control, as there are steep drops.

Eventually, we descended into another small pebbled cove.  This is where we stopped for our picnic.

From here you could take a detour to visit the lighthouse.  For us, we thought it would have been too much for little legs who were already starting to show the signs of tiredness.  So we’ll save our visit to the lighthouse for another day.

The water here was calm and the cove was sheltered.  As with the previous cove there were some very impressive rock formations.

Refuelled after our picnic, we continued on our walk.  This part took us back into more woodland, where we followed the meandering stream uphill.  We crossed the stream in a zig zag fashion over many sections of man made stepping stones.

We came across a man made tree swing which the boys had a lot of fun on.  I’m just relieved they didn’t end up falling in the stream!

The whole walk, with stops took us about 4 hours.  It would have been much quicker without little legs joining us and without our picnic stop at one of the coves.  Typically it would take someone about 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

The whole walk rewarded us with the most magnificent views across sea and countryside.  Little legs found it quite a challenge but they enjoyed the varied landscape and the adventure from the swings, stiles and stepping stones.  There was certainly plenty to see to keep them going.

For our efforts we rounded off the walk with a welcomed pint and some crisps in the Plough and Harrow, well it would have been rude not to!  Unfortunately, on this occasion we didn’t have time to stop for food, but we have frequented there many times and it has always served up delicious pub grub. 

Walk Details:

Distance – 4 1/2 Miles

Duration – Approx 2 1/2 hours (or about 3 1/2 hours with little ones)

Difficulty – Moderate.  Stone stiles, stepping stones (slippery when wet), mainly flat but with some steep sections.  Not buggy friendly.  Also beware there are cliff top sections on the walk where children and dogs must be kept under control.

Refreshments – The walk passes two local pubs, the Plough and Harrow in Monknash and the Horseshoe Inn in Marcross.  Both village pubs have beer gardens and serve up pub classics.  Both are child friendly.  The Plough and Harrow is also dog friendly.

Walk Directions – Email me at contactme@welshcakesandwellies.co.uk if you would like a PDF of the walk with detailed directions.