NCN 42 - Chepstow to Hay-on-Wye
NCN 42 - Chepstow to Hay-on-Wye is a 82 km road cycling route in Mid & South Wales with 1503 m of climbing, about 3% of it off road, and it splits into a single day at a moderate pace.
The route runs from the Wye Valley at Chepstow through the rolling farmland of Monmouthshire before climbing into the Black Mountains for the long approach to Hay-on-Wye. The early miles through Shirenewton and across to Usk are on quiet lanes with a steady, workable gradient. From Abergavenny the road pushes north through Llanvihangel Crucorney and up the Vale of Ewyas past Llanthony and Capel-y-ffin, where the climbing is serious and the valley narrows. The final drop to Cusop and Hay-on-Wye brings you back down to the Wye.
Worth knowing before you go
Usk and Abergavenny are the two reliable resupply points; beyond Abergavenny the settlements are small and widely spaced. The Vale of Ewyas section from Cwmyoy to Capel-y-ffin is remote, so carry what you need before Llanvihangel Crucorney. Around three percent of the route is off road, though it is classified as a road route overall.
NCN 42 - Chepstow to Hay-on-Wye in numbers
- Distance: 82 km
- Climbing: 1503 m
- Off road: 3 km, about 3% of the route
- Riding time: about 4 hours, a long day
Water, food, campsites and stations along this route are shown on the interactive map.
Plan it and ride it
The map on this page carries the surface breakdown, the elevation profile and every point of interest. You can split the route into days against your own pace, see what it will cost to ride, and take it with you. Download the GPX.
Read the NCN 42 - Chepstow to Hay-on-Wye route guide.
Getting to the start without flying · Browse all routes
Route from Sustrans.
Compiled by Ed Hunton, Cicerone guidebook author, from TourTrax's own route data.