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.
28 km · about 35 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomWales
Risca
Wales, United Kingdom · Europe
About Risca
Risca is worth a stop: 10 minutes from Abercarn, 30km from Pontsticill Reservoir.
Risca is in Wales, United Kingdom, with about 20,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Abercarn, about 5 km away.
Risca (Welsh: Rhisga) is a town in the Caerphilly County Borough and within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in south-east Wales. It has a population of 11,228.
The town lies at the south-eastern edge of the South Wales Coalfield and has been shaped by mining, together with other heavy industries, for manyRead more
centuries.
Risca is home to Ty-Sign, a large housing estate built in the early 1960s as a satellite village for the then new Llanwern steelworks.
Risca has a rural aspect and is surrounded to the east and west by several extensively wooded hills, including Mynydd Machen (1,188 ft; 362 m) and Twmbarlwm (1,375 ft; 419 m), which attract tourists for the hillwalking and mountain bikers to Cwmcarn Forest Drive.
Risca has a railway station on the Ebbw Valley Railway, reopened in February 2008.
Where to Stay in Risca
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Risca?
Within an hour or so of Risca: Sugar Loaf (Y Fal) (28 km), Skirrid Fawr (Ysgyryd Fawr) (29 km), Pontsticill Reservoir (30 km), A466 Wye Valley (Chepstow to Monmouth) (31 km).
Are there any good drives near Risca?
The nearest famous roads are A466 Wye Valley (Chepstow to Monmouth), Cheddar Gorge Road (B3135) and Gospel Pass.
Where is Risca?
Risca is in Wales, United Kingdom, about 5 km from Abercarn.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 20,443
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- Wales
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 51.6080, -3.1008
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 Risca
8 notable places within an hour's 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.
29 km · about 35 min drive
natural wonder
Pontsticill Reservoir
A long reservoir beneath Pen y Fan served by the Brecon Mountain Railway, with forest trails along its eastern shore.
30 km · about 35 min drive
famous road
A466 Wye Valley (Chepstow to Monmouth)
A wooded riverside road through a designated AONB past Tintern Abbey, gentle and beautiful rather than challenging.
31 km · about 35 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Devil's Pulpit
A narrow limestone pinnacle perched above the Wye Valley near Tintern Abbey, offering a dizzying view down through the forest canopy.
32 km · about 35 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.
32 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.
34 km · about 40 min drive
bridge
Clifton Suspension Bridge
Isambard Kingdom Brunel's iconic 1864 suspension bridge soaring 75m above the Avon Gorge at Bristol, still carrying traffic and glowing with lights after dark.
37 km · about 45 min drive
Driving roads near Risca
- 28 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.
- 29 kmSkirrid Fawr (Ysgyryd Fawr)A landslipped 486m ridge above Abergavenny whose split profile gave rise to the legend it cracked at the Crucifixion.
- 31 kmA466 Wye Valley (Chepstow to Monmouth)A wooded riverside road through a designated AONB past Tintern Abbey, gentle and beautiful rather than challenging.
- 32 kmDevil's PulpitA narrow limestone pinnacle perched above the Wye Valley near Tintern Abbey, offering a dizzying view down through the forest canopy.
- 37 kmClifton Suspension BridgeIsambard Kingdom Brunel's iconic 1864 suspension bridge soaring 75m above the Avon Gorge at Bristol, still carrying traffic and glowing with lights after dark.
- 38 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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