Overview
Prince William’s Seat stands at 555m (1,821ft) on the northern rim of the Glencree valley, marking the boundary between County Wicklow and County Dublin. It lies within the Wicklow Mountains National Park and is one of Ireland’s 405 Arderin peaks, summits over 500m with at least 30m of prominence. For all its modest height, it draws steady foot traffic, thanks to its closeness to the capital, well-kept forest tracks and a summit view that reaches across Dublin Bay to the coastal headlands.
The walk
The standard route is an 11km (7-mile) circular walk of about three to four hours. It starts at the Cloon Curtlestown Wood car park near Boranaraltry Bridge in Glencullen. From there the path climbs steadily through a dense plantation of Scots pine and spruce, following the yellow signposts of the Wicklow Way, Ireland’s oldest long-distance trail.
After roughly 3km the tree line gives way to open, heather-covered slopes, and the broad forest tracks narrow to grassy footpaths as you reach the saddle between Prince William’s Seat and its neighbour, Knocknagun. Both summits sit at exactly 555m, separated only by a shallow dip. The final push to the trig point crosses boggy ground and loose granite scree.
At the top, the concrete triangulation pillar makes a clear landmark and a natural rest. On a clear day the view takes in:
- the conical Great and Little Sugar Loaf and Bray Head to the east
- the Dublin city skyline and the sweep of Dublin Bay
- the higher Wicklow peaks, including Kippure and the Tonduffs, to the south
- the far horizon of the Irish Sea
The return leg drops gently back into the forest, looping through quieter woodland tracks before rejoining the main road.
History and naming
The royal name is usually put down to Prince William, brother of King George IV, after a visit to Ireland in 1821. But placename research by the Irish academic Paul Tempan suggests it may have been assigned later by Ordnance Survey surveyors in the 1830s, possibly muddled with a neighbouring landmark.
Just over a kilometre west sits Knocknagun (Irish: Cnoc na gCon, ‘hill of the hounds’). Near its summit stands a great granite tor known locally as Fitzwilliam’s Seat, a resting place for the hunting parties of the Fitzwilliam family, who owned the surrounding land from the mid-16th to the late-17th century. Some historians reckon the surveyors swapped ‘Fitzwilliam’ for ‘Prince William’ when they mapped the adjacent, slightly sharper peak.
Old maps record other local names for the area, including ‘Glencullen Mountain’ (1821), ‘The Fool Stone’ (an 1816 Powerscourt estate map) and the Irish-derived ‘Clusnaspeire’. Local farming families have long used the older names, a reminder of a landscape shaped by both aristocratic estates and centuries of hill farming.
Through the seasons
The mountain changes noticeably with the year. Spring brings pink foxgloves and purple heather across the upper slopes, while early summer adds bilberry and gorse, whose yellow flowers carry a faint coconut scent. Autumn turns the bracken and heather russet and gold, which makes the forest descent particularly good. Winter walks are possible, but the exposed summit ridge can be icy and the boggy saddle between the two peaks turns treacherous in a freeze.
Practical information
- Parking and access: free parking at the Cloon Curtlestown Wood car park near Boranaraltry Bridge, signposted from the R116, with plenty of room for cars and small vans.
- Public transport: Dublin Bus route 44 stops in Glencullen village, about a 20-minute walk from the trailhead. The nearest rail is Bray station, with local bus links to the village.
- Dogs: well-behaved dogs are welcome, on a lead near the forest car park and under close control on the open slopes, where ground-nesting birds and livestock may be about.
- Accessibility and terrain: uneven ground, rocky sections and moderate gradients mean it is not suitable for wheelchairs, pushchairs or standard strollers. Hiking boots with good grip are essential, especially after rain when the grass and the saddle near Knocknagun turn slick and boggy.
- Navigation: the path is clearly marked with yellow Wicklow Way signposts and follows forest tracks for most of the ascent, but carry a map or a downloaded GPX file, as visibility can drop quickly in mist.
- Facilities: no toilets, cafés or shelters on the summit; the forest car park has basic litter bins. Bring water, food and a waterproof layer.
- Nearby walks: the same car park serves several shorter family loops, including the Glencree River and Millennium Wood Walk, the Carrickgollogan and Barnaslingan Loop, and the Ticknock Forest Walk.
- Afterwards: a short stroll into Glencullen village brings you to Johnny Fox’s Pub, reckoned the highest pub in Ireland, with traditional meals and regular live music.
- Safety: mountain weather changes fast. Carry a charged phone and a map, and tell someone your expected return time. If the ground is waterlogged, consider sticking to the forest tracks to avoid deep mud.
Prince William’s Seat is a straightforward, rewarding introduction to the Wicklow peaks without specialist gear. Start early to beat the weekend crowds, park at the Glencullen forest car park, and follow the yellow markers uphill for a solid three-hour loop that ends with coffee and a meal in the village below.