The Roberts Family

Roundton Hill

15 minutes drive from Bishop's Castle to Roundton Hill, 1.1 mile circular walk on hill, no stiles, then 15 minutes drive back.
All walking 'off-road', including steep grass slopes.

Where Is It?
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If you have driven in the Churchstoke area (15 minutes northwest of BC on the way to Welshpool) you cannot have failed to notice Roundton Hill. It is not the tallest of the hills in that area but it is possibly the one that is most tempting to climb. If has an impressive appearance with the south east face appearing almost cliff-like from some angles.

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The Drive From Bishop's Castle To Roundton Hill
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Assuming you are setting out from the bottom of town, by the church, drive up Church Street to the Boar’s Head crossroads and turn right into Station Street. Go around the corner and up the hill. At the top of the hill, ignore the turning to the Three Tuns (Salop Street) but take the next turning to the left signposted B4385 Montgomery (Bull Lane). Follow this road out of town past the Fox Holes campsite.

As the road bends to the left at the top of the hill you will start to see the hills in the distance. Roundton is the ‘lumpy’ looking one over to the left. In around a quarter of a mile down the hill take the first turning to the right signed Heblands. Follow this lane until you reach the A489. Turn left at the T-junction. In a 2.5 miles, just before you reach Churchstoke, turn right up a steep lane with a sign saying ‘Unsuitable for HGVs’.

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Follow this lane until you come to a junction. Turn right, then immediately turn right again following the signs for the Nature Reserve. Go around a climbing left-hand bend, ignore a narrow lane to the left, then turn ninety degrees down a lane to the right – again signposted Nature Reserve. Carry on down till the lane splits and take the narrow left hand fork. Continue until you reach a gate which you will have to get out and open (and, of course, close again after you). Then you drive through the ford. What fun! Follow the track to the right then turn left up into the car park.


The Walk
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Go out of the far end of the car park and turn left up a path. Keep going until you reach a gate, pass through the gate and keep following the track gently upwards. You will pass a way-marker showing that there are two ways up the hill. We will take the right-hand, easier route. Shortly you will see another way-marker by a marshy ditch, pointing up the valley to the right of the hill.

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Cross the little ditch and proceed up the valley to the right of the hill. Carry on to the saddle point – the highest point of the valley. Here, if you look carefully to your left, you will make out a grass path snaking up around the back of the summit. It is not well marked. Just look for compressed grass. Follow this path as it zig-zags up the back of the hill. Soon you will be on top. I hope you agree that it was worth it.

To get back to the car just retrace your steps.

If you have Google Earth installed use it to open this file to see the drive and this file to see the walk.

Click here to download my .gpx file.

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