Best Attraction in Monmouthshire, Wales - Map and Reviews

The Giants Cave is a natural rock shelter carved into the dramatic red sandstone cliffs along the western bank of the River Wye at Symonds Yat, in the Forest of Dean area of Herefordshire, near the border with Gloucestershire. This remarkable cave, sometimes also written as Giant's Cave, is one of several geological curiosities embedded in the limestone and sandstone escarpments that rise steeply above the river at this celebrated viewpoint. The site sits within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and forms part of the wider Wye Valley, one of the most scenically striking river gorges in Britain. Its position in the cliff face offers extraordinary elevated views across the wooded bends of the Wye below, making it not only a geological curiosity but also a natural balcony over one of England's most beloved river landscapes. The cave itself is a shallow but atmospheric rock shelter rather than a deep cavern, formed by centuries of weathering and erosion in the layered sandstone and conglomerate of the gorge. Local legend long associated such formations with mythological figures and folk memory, and the name "Giant's Cave" reflects a widespread tradition in the British Isles of attributing unusual natural features to supernatural or heroic beings from antiquity. The Wye Valley and the adjacent Forest of Dean were inhabited from prehistoric times, and the cliffs around Symonds Yat contain evidence of human use stretching back thousands of years, including the nearby Symonds Yat Rock where peregrine falcons have nested and where Iron Age earthworks are visible. The legends around the cave tie into this deep human history of the gorge. Physically, the cave presents itself as a dramatic recess in the warm rust-red and orange-tinted sandstone cliff, its interior cool and dim even on the brightest summer days. The rock surface is rough and striated, showing the layered geological record of ancient sediments. Mosses and ferns cling to the damp lower sections near the cave floor, and the sound of the river far below occasionally drifts upward on a breeze. The cave's mouth opens outward in a fashion that frames the forested hillsides opposite in a natural arch of stone, giving anyone standing inside a vivid, almost theatrical view of the Wye Valley. The experience is intimate and slightly otherworldly, a feeling amplified by the isolation of the site from the more trafficked viewpoints nearby. The surrounding landscape is among the most celebrated in England. The Wye Valley here cuts a dramatic meander through ancient woodland, with broad-leaved trees carpeting the steep valley sides in shades that shift dramatically with the seasons, from vivid spring greens to rich autumnal gold and copper. Symonds Yat Rock, the famous viewpoint managed by Forestry England, is within easy walking distance and draws many thousands of visitors each year. The Forest of Dean stretches to the east, offering extensive walking and cycling. The village of Symonds Yat East and Symonds Yat West lie below on either bank, connected by a hand-pulled chain ferry that is one of only a few remaining such ferries in England, and the area offers pubs, canoe hire, and riverside walking paths. Reaching the Giants Cave requires a walk along the cliff-edge paths of the Wye Valley. Visitors can approach from the Symonds Yat Rock car park managed by Forestry England, following waymarked trails along the escarpment. The path involves some uneven and rocky terrain, and appropriate footwear is recommended. There are no barriers or admission charges at the cave itself, which remains an open natural feature accessible year-round. The best visiting conditions are during spring and autumn, when the woodland is at its most spectacular and the paths are less crowded than in peak summer. Summer holidays can bring considerable visitor numbers to the wider Symonds Yat area, though the cave itself remains relatively quiet compared to the main viewpoint. One of the more quietly fascinating aspects of the site is its relationship to the broader ecological and cultural richness of the Wye Valley. The gorge here was instrumental in the development of the Picturesque movement in eighteenth-century Britain, with William Gilpin's famous tours of the Wye popularising the valley as an aesthetic ideal for landscape appreciation. The cave, with its natural drama and romantic seclusion, fits perfectly into that tradition of seeking out wild and sublime corners of the British landscape. Peregrine falcons, reintroduced to the area and now thriving, sometimes soar past the cliff face, and the sound of their calls echoing through the gorge adds to the sense of encountering a landscape that remains genuinely wild despite its long human history.

Goytre Wharf sits on the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, a superbly preserved example of industrial-era canal wharf that has found new life as heritage attraction and cruising base. The wharf served canal trade from its 1812 opening, providing crucial transfer point where goods moved between canal narrowboats and road transport. The distinctive warehouse, lime kilns, and wharf buildings remain substantially intact, creating evocative industrial heritage site. The canal itself represents remarkable engineering achievement - built to transport limestone, coal, iron ore, and agricultural produce from valleys to navigable River Usk. The canal climbs through spectacular Welsh countryside via numerous locks, aqueducts, and cuttings. Goytre Wharf's restored buildings now house visitor center explaining canal history, along with trip boat offering cruises. The wharf serves as hire boat base. The canal corridor supports rich wildlife - waterfowl, fish, dragonflies, water voles. Kingfishers flash along waterway, herons fish patiently. Located approximately 4 miles southwest of Abergavenny, accessed via minor roads from A4042 or A465. Site offers parking. Operates seasonally with reduced winter access. Walking the towpath is free year-round.