The Gospel Pass is a high road pass at the head of the Vale of Ewyas

Vale of Ewyas

The Vale of Ewyas is the steeply-sided and secluded valley of the Afon Honddu, in the Black Mountains of south Wales and within the Brecon Beacons National Park. As well as its outstanding beauty, it is known for the ruins of Llanthony Priory, and for several noteworthy churches such as those at...

 in the Black Mountains

Black Mountains, Wales

The Black Mountains are a group of hills spread across parts of Powys and Monmouthshire in southeast Wales, and extending across the national border into Herefordshire, England. They are the easternmost of the four ranges of hills that comprise the Brecon Beacons National Park, and are frequently...

 of southeast Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

. The narrow mountain road climbs steeply from Hay-on-Wye

Hay-on-Wye

Hay-on-Wye , often described as "the town of books", is a small market town and community in Powys, Wales.-Location:The town lies on the east bank of the River Wye and is within the Brecon Beacons National Park, just north of the Black Mountains...

 to a height of 538m above sea level, squeezing between the mountains of Twmpa

Twmpa

Twmpa or Lord Hereford's Knob is a mountain in south-east Wales, forming a part of the great northwest scarp of the Black Mountains. It lies 3 km west of the border with England, and around 7 km south of Hay-on-Wye. To the northeast lies the Gospel Pass through which runs a minor road...

 to the west and Hay Bluff

Hay Bluff

Hay Bluff is a prominent hill at the northern tip of the Black Mountains, an extensive upland massif which straddles the border between south-east Wales and England...

 to the east, before dropping down into the valley to the south on its way to Llanthony Priory

Llanthony Priory

Llanthony Priory is a partly ruined former Augustinian priory in the secluded Vale of Ewyas, a steep sided once glaciated valley within the Black Mountains area of the Brecon Beacons National Park in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. It lies seven miles north of Abergavenny on an old road to Hay...

, Llanfihangel Crucorney

Llanfihangel Crucorney

- Location :The village is located five miles north of Abergavenny and eighteen miles south of Hereford, England on the A465 road.- Amenities :Llanvihangel Crucorney is a small village with a pub, The Skirrid Mountain Inn which claims to be the oldest inn or hostelry in Wales, dating from at least...

 and Abergavenny

Abergavenny

Abergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches...

.

The name is supposed to derive from the passage through here in the 12th century of Crusader

Crusades

The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...

s preaching and fundraising. At one time a small lead-mining operation was established at the pass. The Gospel Pass is one of the most celebrated locations within the Brecon Beacons National Park, being a popular destination for sightseers and is popular too with walkers and cyclists. Indeed the Gospel Pass road forms a part of route 42 of the National Cycle Network

National Cycle Network

The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...

.