landmark
Hay-on-Wye
World-famous 'Town of Books' on the Welsh border, packed with second-hand bookshops and host to a renowned annual literary festival.
9 km · about 15 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomEngland
Dorstone
England, United Kingdom · Europe
About Dorstone
Dorstone works well as a base: 10 minutes from Turnastone, 24km from Llangorse Lake (Llyn Syfaddan).
Dorstone is in England, United Kingdom, with about 401 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Turnastone, about 6 km away.
Dorstone is a village and civil parish within the Golden Valley, Herefordshire, England. There is a church and public house with restaurant. The Golden Valley area offers hillwalking and horseback riding countryside and is noted for its scenery. It is within the catchment area of Fairfield secondary school. In 2011Read more
the parish had a population of 401.
Dorstone was once the location of Dorstone Castle. A mile to the south the fragmentary remains of Snodhill Castle can still be seen. From 2014 to 2018, the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England (Historic England) put £150,000 into scientific and historical study of the Snodhill Castle site, plus an additional £500,000 grant to the Snodhill Castle Preservation Trust to complete clearing and restoration of the remains of Snodhill Castle, with the site opening to the public as of May 2018.
St. Faith's parish church in Dorstone was reputedly built by Richard de Brito, one of the knights who murdered Thomas Becket, as penance for the murder. He also built the Pandy Inn in Dorstone to house the workmen who built the church. During Victorian era rebuilding of the church in the 1890s a tomb to another de Brito was found which contained a pewter chalice. This was housed in the church for many years, but was stolen in 2006.
The Dorstone History Society seeks to study the church and the village – which stretches back to Neolithic times as suggested by the local Arthur's Stone, an ancient monument. This is said to be the spot where King Arthur slew a giant who left the impression of his elbows on one of the stones as he fell.
An annual sloe gin competition is held in Dorstone. Each year the winner is crowned the "Grand Master of the Sloes".
Where to Stay in Dorstone
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Explore the Area
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Dorstone?
Within an hour or so of Dorstone: Hay-on-Wye (9 km), Gospel Pass (10 km), Waun Fach (15 km), Sugar Loaf (Y Fal) (23 km).
Are there any good drives near Dorstone?
The nearest famous roads are Gospel Pass, A466 Wye Valley (Chepstow to Monmouth) and Abergwesyn Pass (Devil's Staircase).
Where is Dorstone?
Dorstone is in England, United Kingdom, about 6 km from Turnastone.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 401
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- England
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 52.0667, -3.0000
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Dorstone
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
mountain pass
Gospel Pass
The highest road pass in Wales at 549m, a narrow single-track lane over the Black Mountains between Hay-on-Wye and Llanthony, with vast views across the Wye Valley from beneath Hay Bluff.
10 km · about 20 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Waun Fach
The highest point of the Black Mountains at 811m, a broad peaty summit above the Vale of Ewyas and the Gospel Pass.
15 km · about 30 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Sugar Loaf (Y Fal)
A 596m conical hill above Abergavenny with a 360-degree view over the Usk valley and the Black Mountains; easy from the car park.
23 km · about 25 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Skirrid Fawr (Ysgyryd Fawr)
A landslipped 486m ridge above Abergavenny whose split profile gave rise to the legend it cracked at the Crucifixion.
23 km · about 25 min drive
natural wonder
Llangorse Lake (Llyn Syfaddan)
The largest natural lake in south Wales, with a reconstructed crannog island dwelling and easy access from the A40.
24 km · about 30 min drive
natural wonder
Talybont Reservoir
A wooded reservoir in the central Brecon Beacons with a lakeside cycle route on the old Brecon and Merthyr railway.
31 km · about 35 min drive
cafe
Rattlesnake Biker Cafe
A characterful biker cafe in the Brecon Beacons serving as a popular pit stop for riders exploring the stunning Welsh mountain roads.
35 km · about 40 min drive
Driving roads near Dorstone
- Right hereGospel PassThe highest road pass in Wales at 549m, a narrow single-track lane over the Black Mountains between Hay-on-Wye and Llanthony, with vast views across the Wye Valley from beneath Hay Bluff.
- Right hereWaun FachThe highest point of the Black Mountains at 811m, a broad peaty summit above the Vale of Ewyas and the Gospel Pass.
- 23 kmSugar Loaf (Y Fal)A 596m conical hill above Abergavenny with a 360-degree view over the Usk valley and the Black Mountains; easy from the car park.
- 23 kmSkirrid Fawr (Ysgyryd Fawr)A landslipped 486m ridge above Abergavenny whose split profile gave rise to the legend it cracked at the Crucifixion.
- 35 kmSymonds Yat RockA famous viewpoint 504 feet above the River Wye, where peregrine falcons nest and the river performs a dramatic horseshoe bend.
- 36 kmPen y FanThe highest peak in southern Britain at 886 metres, the flat-topped summit of the Brecon Beacons offering sweeping views across Wales.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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