The Kymin

The Kymin is a wooded hilltop two miles east of Monmouth, where nine acres of pleasure grounds look out over the town, the Wye Valley and the Brecon Beacons. A club of local gentlemen who picnicked here began the castellated Round House in 1794, and in 1800 the same Kymin Club raised the Naval Temple by subscription, a monument to sixteen admirals that Nelson inspected with Lady Hamilton in 1802 and called the only one of its kind in the kingdom. The Round House and stables are now holiday cottages closed to the public, but the grounds and the views are free, dogs are welcome on short leads and the Offa's Dyke Path passes the gate. Reviewers treat the view as the main event and mention the footpath up from Monmouth over the Wye Bridge. Tips from visitors: the lane up is steep and single-track with hairpin bends, so ignore the sat nav and follow the signs; the car park is small; and there are no toilets on the hill.