Visited 28.6.10.
Parking is quite difficult and the nearest place I could find was near Ivy Cottage a couple of hundred yards down thel ane from the public footpath. You need to climb up a short but very steep bank off the lane, over the stile and then it's becomes an easier walk up through the field to the hillfort. It only takes 5 minutes. The best preserved section of the ramparts are those directly in front of you although they do continue to the left into the next field and to the right into the trees. Great views, including the Severn Bridges away in the distance.
What a great hillfort! Visited on a sunny August day (29.8.2009), walking up from Tintern. The approach from the north opens up views to the east over Gloucestershire. A WT station is situated on the summit of the hill. Passing around this a wonderful view over the Severn estuary appears, looking towards Chepstow and the Wye, the two Severn Bridges and beyond.
The fort itself is a quite small, bivallate construction. None of the ramparts or ditches are very large or deep. Definitely worth a visit though for the views alone.
This large, powerful hillfort lies just a mile to the southwest of the wondrous Black Cliff promontory fort... but couldn't really be any more different in terms of siting or ground plan. Hence, combining visits made a lot of sense upon a somewhat inclement February day. Well, while in the area it'd be rude not to, right?
Furthermore, unlike the much smaller enclosure, access is pretty straightforward, a public footpath sign indicating the way at the junction with the road approaching Penterry Farm etc (where, incidentally, I was able to park up with undue fuss). Hey, if in doubt, look for the transmitter antennae which now also crown the hilltop - one assumes not an original Iron Age feature.....
Understanding the ground plan of Gaer Hill is not so simple should you happen to lack a 1:25K OS map. However, in summary, a powerful inner enclosure is nowadays supplemented by significant surviving outer ramparts to south and east, the latter (together with the eastern flank of the inner) lying within the trees and quite substantial in form. One presumes these outer defences - once upon a time, anyway - formed a continuous circuit?
Also of note is a rather fine panorama looking across Chepstow racecourse to the mouth of the Severn Estuary, whereby the spellbound traveller can appreciate a grandstand view of journey's end for two of Pumlumon's iconic watercourses: Hafren and Gwy. Pumlumon should really need no introduction.
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