King Arthur's Cave Circular Walk
4 miles (6.5 km)This circular walk visits the mysterious King Arthur's Cave in the Wye Valley AONB near Symonds Yat. It's a lovely walk with long riverside sections and peaceful woodland trails.... The area around the cave is also very quiet with just the sound of the river and birds to enjoy.
Start the walk from the Hollow Rock car park in Symonds Yat East. From here you can pick up footpath taking you up to the river. Here you can follow the waymarked Wye Valley Walk south along the river to Lady Park Wood. A footbridge takes you over to the north side of the river here before trails through Lords Wood lead you to King Arthur's Cave. The cave entrance lies less than 100 metres above the river on a hill, with a double interconnected entrance and two main chambers. It's also a designated nature reserve under the protection of the Herefordshire Nature Trust. There is evidence that the cave was occupied by man during the Upper Palaeolithic era, and flint tools and woolly mammoth bones have been unearthed within and around the caves.
After exploring the cave the walk heads north east through the woods and quarry to Symonds Yat West. Here you can catch the old rope ferry over the river and follow the path back to the car park.
To continue your walking in the area try the wonderful climb up to Symonds Yat Rock where there are fabulous wide ranging views over the Wye Valley.
Walk Report November 4th 2026 By Rachel Morgan:
We parked at Hollow Rock car park at Symonds Yat East and headed off into the woods. The first thing I noticed was just how peaceful everything felt. There's something quite special about this stretch of the Wye Valley, with the trees crowding around the paths and glimpses of the river appearing through the woodland below. The initial walk down through the trees is quite steep, but the scenery makes it a lovely start to the outing.
The River Wye was one of the real highlights for me. It looked an incredible shade of green, reflecting the surrounding trees, and there was very little noise apart from birdsong and the gentle movement of water. It made me think what a wonderful place this would be for a leisurely canoe or kayak trip. The riverside path is lovely and level too, so we took our time enjoying the views rather than rushing along.
The woodland around King Arthur's Cave was beautiful, with twisting trees, moss-covered rocks and little patches of light filtering through the canopy. It really did have a slightly magical, almost film-set quality to it. I was particularly pleased when we spotted a few bats around the cave area. They added to the atmosphere, although they were much too quick to get a decent photograph of!
King Arthur's Cave itself is quite small compared with some of the grand caverns you might imagine, but there's a real sense of history about the place. It has two connected entrances and chambers, and archaeological finds here include flint tools and bones from Ice Age animals, including woolly mammoths. It's extraordinary to think that people were sheltering here thousands of years ago. The name also comes with a lovely bit of local legend: one version tells of King Arthur hiding in the cave with his knights, ready to emerge when Britain needs him again. There's no historical evidence for Arthur actually staying here, of course, but standing among the ancient rocks it's easy to see how stories like that took hold.
We spent a while looking around the entrances and imagining what the cave must have been like in those far-off days. It's worth remembering that this is a protected nature reserve, so we were careful not to disturb the surroundings or the wildlife. The woodland itself was almost as memorable as the cave, and I could happily have spent longer wandering around the quieter paths.
The walk back through the woods towards Symonds Yat West was another lovely section, although the steep climb certainly got the legs working. We passed the campsite near the cave area, but there didn't seem to be much in the way of refreshments available, so I'd recommend bringing a drink and a snack with you rather than relying on finding somewhere open.
Crossing the River Wye on the old rope ferry was a great little addition to the day. It's not every walk where you get to finish with a river crossing like this, and it gave us another lovely view along the water before returning to the car park. By this point we'd certainly earned a rest after the climb through the woods.
I really enjoyed this outing. King Arthur's Cave is an interesting destination, but it's the combination of the ancient cave, atmospheric woodland and beautiful riverside scenery that makes the place special. The steep sections mean it's not completely effortless, but the peaceful setting and wonderful views of the Wye make it well worth the trip. If you've got time afterwards, you could also head up to Symonds Yat Rock for those famous views across the valley.
Pubs and More Info
In Symonds Yat East head to the splendid Saracens Head Inn for some post walk refreshments. The family run inn is popular with walkers, cyclists, canoeists, fishermen and fans of good food and real ales. It has stood for centuries in a spectacular position on the east bank of the River Wye, where the river flows into a steep wooded gorge, on the edge of the Forest of Dean. In good weather you can sit outside and watch the ancient hand ferry from one of the riverside terraces. There's a good hot food menu and they also serve sandwiches and filled organic baguettes during lunchtimes. They also provide accommodation if you need to stay over. You can find it in the village with a postcode of HR9 6JL for your sat navs.
In Symonds Yat West you could visit the noteworthy Ye Old Ferrie Inn. The beautiful riverside pub has been standing on the banks of the River Wye since 1473. With charming traditional features, warming open fires and stunning views across the Valley, it is the ideal place to enjoy the breath-taking countryside that surrounds it. The outdoor seatiing area directly overlooks the river so is perfect for fine summer days. You can find it on Ferrie Lane with a postcode of HR9 6BL.
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