Machen Mountain
This walk climbs to Machen Mountain (Mynydd Machen) in South Wales.
The route uses sections of the Rhymney Valley Ridgeway Walk and the Raven Walk to create a circular walk to the summit from Sirhowy Valley Country Park.
The walk starts from the Sirhowy Valley Country Park car park, just west of Risca and north of Machen village. Head south west from here and you can pick up the Rhymney Valley Ridgeway Walk and follow the waymarked path south east up to Machen Mountain. The summit stands at a height of 362 metres (1,188 ft) and is crowned by a trig point and a mast. There's splendid views over the beautiful countryside and hills surrounding the area. You can also see across the Rhymney Valley, Cardiff and the Bristol Channel on a clear day.
After taking in the views you can descend to the north to Danygraig Quarry where you can pick up the Raven Walk. This will take you west back to the country park where a woodland section through Black Vein returns you to the car park.
The hill and surrounding common are also popular with bike riders as there are a number of good trails to try. See the video below for an example of the mountain bike trails and scenery of the area.
Machen Mountain Ordnance Survey Map 
- view and print off detailed OS map
Machen Mountain Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
Machen Mountain OS Map 
- Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking
Machen Mountain Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Further Information and Other Local Ideas
To continue your walking in the area you could visit the lovely Tredegar House Country Park or enjoy a climb to Twmbarlwm.
The epic Cambrian Way passes over the mountain. The long distance waymarked route runs for nearly 300 miles through the Brecon Beacons, the Cambrian Mountains and Snowdonia before finishing on the North Wales coast at Conwy.
Cycle Routes and Walking Routes Nearby
Photos
Mynydd Machen trig point
Comms Tower on Mynydd Machen. A good stop off point on the Ridgeway walk.
Mynydd Machen transmitter station and heather. The TV mast is perched on the 362m hill above Risca.
Access to Mynydd Machen Common. A minor road from Risca winds up the hillside and crosses a cattle grid to the left. To the right a track gives access to the Common.
Old spoil heaps above Machen
Waterfall by the country park road. Several cascades like this liven up the drive into the Sirhowy Valley Country Park.
Rhymney River, Machen village. View looking eastwards from the bridge. The long village has been shaped by the valley and its road. The little village is located south of the hill, if you would like to take a diversion.
Main Street, Machen village. Looking eastwards along the main road. On the left is a village shop while across the road is an up-market restaurant, the Fwrrwm Ishta.