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BRECON BEACONS NATIONAL PARK
Mid-Wales is a huge, beautiful region, crisscrossed by mountain passes, dotted with characterful little towns and never far from water – whether sparkling rivers, great lakes or the sea of the Cambrian coast. This is the least-known part of Wales, and it’s here that you’ll find Welsh culture at its most authentic, folded into the contours of the land as it has been for centuries. By far the most popular attraction is the Brecon Beacons National Park, stretching from the dramatic limestone country of the Black Mountain (singular) in the west through to the English border beyond the Black Mountains. The best bases are the tiny city of Brecon or the market towns of Abergavenny and Hay-on-Wye, the former a foodie paradise, the latter a must for bibliophiles.
North of the Beacons lie the old spa towns of Radnorshire, the most enjoyable of which are Llanwrtyd Wells, known throughout the land for its eccentric events, and Llandrindod Wells. The quiet countryside to the north, crossed by spectacular mountain roads such as the Abergwesyn Pass from Llanwrtyd, is barely populated, dotted with ancient churches and introspective villages. In the east, the border town of Knighton is the home of the flourishing Offa’s Dyke Path industry. Like many country towns in Mid-Wales, beautiful Llanidloes has a healthy stock of old hippies among its population, contributing to a thriving arts and crafts community and a relaxed atmosphere. Montgomeryshire is the northern portion of Powys, similarly underpopulated and remote. Its largest town, Welshpool, is home to Powis Castle, one of the country’s finest fortresses.
The enduringly popular Cambrian coast stretches from Cardigan up to Harlech, starting off with cliff-top paths and small sandy coves that give way to wide sandy beaches around higgledy-piggledy New Quay and neat, Georgian Aberaeron. The beguiling “capital” of Mid-Wales, Aberystwyth, is a great mix of seaside resort, university city and market town backed by the Vale of Rheidol Railway to Devil’s Bridge. Further north, Machynlleth revels in beaches, mountains and the showpiece Centre for Alternative Technology. Beyond the great mountain massif of Cadair Idris, the beautiful Mawddach estuary leads to Dolgellau, a base for mountain biking in Coed-y-Brenin and the first of the huge North Wales castles at Harlech.
getting around mid-wales
By train Services are restricted to the Heart of Wales line from Shrewsbury to Swansea via Knighton, Llandrindod Wells, Llanwrtyd Wells and smaller stops in between; and the Cambrian line, from Shrewsbury to Machynlleth via Welshpool. At Machynlleth, the line splits, with one heading south to Aberystwyth, the other going north along the coast to Llŷn.
By bus Buses plug virtually all of the gaps not covered by train, though you’ll find just a few daily services between some towns, and occasionally none at all on Sun. One of the most useful long-distance buses is the #T4 (Mon–Sat), which runs from Cardiff up through the heart of Powys, calling in at Brecon and Llandrindod Wells along the way. Along the coast, the most useful route is the #T1 (Carmarthen–Lampeter–Aberaeron–Aberystwyth), while heading up into North Wales there’s the #T2 (Aberystwyth–Machynlleth–Dolgellau–Porthmadog–Caernarfon). There’s also the handy Cardi Bach bus (service #552), which connects all the villages and coves between Cardigan and New Quay.
Diana Jarvis/Rough Guides
BOG SNORKELLING, LLANWRTYD WELLS
Brecon Beacons National Park Trek to your heart’s content among these wild, rambling moors, with dozens of thundering waterfalls.
Abergavenny food Some of Wales’ finest restaurants, along with a lip-smacking food festival.
Llanwrtyd Wells Bizarre events galore, notably the Man versus Horse Marathon, the World Bog Snorkelling Championships and the Real Ale Wobble.
New Quay Follow Dylan Thomas’s footsteps through the salty seaside town that inspired Under Milk Wood.
Aberaeron Even if you’re not in town for Aberaeron’s Seafood Festival, stroll around its colourful Georgian harbour lined by great places to sleep and eat.
Aberystwyth A lively, seaside university town, steeped in Welsh culture.
Bwlch Nant yr Arian Visit mid-afternoon to see dozens of red kites squabbling over a heap of beef and lamb; it’s a remarkable sight.
Harlech Castle The glorious views across to the Llŷn peninsula are as good a reason as any to visit Harlech’s hulking castle.
HIGHLIGHTS ARE MARKED ON THE MAP
Brecon Beacons National Park has the lowest profile of Wales’ three national parks, but it is nonetheless the destination of thousands of walkers. Rounded, spongy hills of grass and rock tumble and climb around river valleys that lie between sandstone and limestone uplands, peppered with glass-like lakes and villages that seem to have been hewn from one rock. The park straddles three Welsh counties: Carmarthenshire, Powys and Monmouthshire, covering 520 square miles. Most remote is the far western side, where the vast, open terrain of the Black Mountain is punctuated by craggy peaks and hidden upland lakes. The southern flanks bare bony limestone ribs, beneath which are the chasms of the Dan-yr-ogof caves. East of this wilderness, Fforest Fawr forms miles of tufted moorland tumbling down to a rocky terrain of rivers, deep caves and spluttering waterfalls around Ystradfellte. The heart of the national park comprises the Brecon Beacons themselves, a pair of 2900ft hills and their satellites. East of Brecon, the Black Mountains stretch over the English border, and offer the region’s most varied scenery, from rolling upland wilderness to the gentler Vale of Ewyas. The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal defines the eastern limit of the Beacons and forges a passage along the Usk Valley between them and the Black Mountains. This is where you’re likely to end up staying, in towns such as the county seat of Brecon, the charming village of Crickhowell, or sprightly Abergavenny, nestled below the Black Mountains.
The Central Beacons near Brecon
Popular for walking and pony trekking, the central Brecon Beacons, grouped around the two highest peaks in the national park, are easily accessible from Brecon, which lies just six miles to the north. The panorama fans out from the Brecon Beacons National Park Visitor Centre (Mon–Thurs 9.30am–4.30pm, Fri–Sun 9.30am–5pm; 
01874 623366, 
breconbeacons.org), on a windy ridge just off the A470 turn-off at Libanus, six miles southwest of Brecon. Pen y Fan (2907ft) is the highest peak in the Beacons. Together with Corn Du (2863ft), a mile or so to the west, they form the most popular ascents in the park. The Brecon Beacons Park Society (breconbeaconsparksociety.org) organizes walks and events each summer; particularly useful if you don’t fancy going it solo.
A handsome county town at the northern edge of the central Beacons, BRECON (Aberhonddu) offers a proliferation of fine Georgian buildings, while its proximity to the hills and lakes of the national park make it a popular stopping-off place and a good base for day-walks in the well-waymarked hills to the south.
The Watton, LD3 7EB • April–July & Sept Mon–Fri 10am–5pm, Sat 10am–4pm; Aug Mon–Fri 10am–5pm, Sat & Sun 10am–4pm; Oct–March Mon–Fri 10am–5pm • £5 • 01874 613310, royalwelsh.org.uk
Beyond the foreboding frontage of the South Wales Borderers’ barracks is the Regimental Museum of the Royal Welsh, packed with mementos from the regiment’s 330 years existence. As well as an extraordinary stash of guns and medals, there’s comprehensive coverage of campaigns in Burma, the Napoleonic and Boer wars and both World Wars, as well as more recent operations in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan. More absorbing, though, is the room devoted entirely to the 1879 Zulu War when 140 Welsh soldiers faced an attack by four thousand Zulu warriors at Rorke’s Drift.
Cathedral Close, Priory Hill, LD3 9DP • Daily 8.30am–6.30pm; lunchtime recitals Mon 1pm • Free • 01874 623857, breconcathedral.org.uk
From the town centre crossroads, High Street Superior goes north, becoming The Struet, running alongside the rushing waters of the Honddu. Off to the left, a footpath climbs up to the Brecon Cathedral, whose lofty interior, framed by a magnificent timber roof, is graced with a few Norman features from the eleventh century, including a hulking font. More impressive is the Cresset Stone, a concrete boulder indented with thirty scoops in which to place oil or wax candles. The mid-sixteenth-century Games Monument, in the southern aisle, is made of oak and depicts a woman whose identity remains uncertain; her hands are clasped in prayer but her arms and nose appear to have been unceremoniously hacked off.
arrival and information brecon
By bus Buses stop above the car park on Heol Gouesnou.
Destinations Abergavenny (Mon–Sat hourly; 40min–1hr); Cardiff (Mon–Sat 7 daily; 1hr 50min); Craig-y-nos/Dan-yr-ogof (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 5; 40min); Crickhowell (Mon–Sat hourly; 30–50min); Hay-on-Wye (7 daily; 40min); Libanus (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 2; 15min); Llandrindod Wells (Mon–Sat 7 daily, Sun 1; 1hr).
Tourist office In the car park off Lion St (Mon–Sat 9.30am–5pm, Sun 10am–4pm; 01874 622485, breconbeacons.org); its vast stock of material includes a good range of walking maps.
Beacons Guesthouse 16 Bridge St, Llanfaes, LD3 8AH 01874 623339, thebreconbeacons.co.uk; map. Converted townhouse concealing a large number of run-of-the-mill, but fairly priced, rooms (some with shared showers), all leading off a central spiral staircase. £63
The Coach House 12/13 Orchard St, Llanfaes, LD3 8AN 01874 620043, coachhousebrecon.com; map. High-class and very hospitable guesthouse with rooms furnished with designer accessories. Great Welsh breakfasts, including vegetarian options. £80
Priory Mill Farm Hay Rd, LD3 7SR 01874 611609, priorymillfarm.co.uk; map. Lovely, low-key riverside campsite, with wooden cabins for showers and trays for log fires. It’s on the northern edge of town, reached by a 10min walk along the riverbank. Closed Nov–Feb. Per person £8
YHA Brecon Beacons 7 miles southwest of Brecon, near Libanus, LD3 8NH 01874 624261, yha.org.uk/hostel/brecon-beacons; map. Traditional farmhouse hostel surrounded by woodland and overlooking the River Tarell, just off the A470 and main bus route to Merthyr. Variously sized dorms, en-suite doubles and, up behind the hostel, two wooden pods sleeping four, as well as a wild woodland campsite. Nov–Feb closed Mon & Tues. Camping/person £11, dorms £13, doubles £50, pods £89
Brecon Tap 6 Bulwark, LD3 7LB 01874 623888, breconinns.co.uk; map. Cheerfully informal restaurant/bar owned by the local Brecon Brewing company. As well as a superb range of beers, including the core keg ales Golden Brecon and Three Beacons, they’ve got scrummy pies (Moroccan lamb, for example), which you get with a choice of two sides, perhaps mustard mash and roasted root veg (£9.75). Mon–Sat 11am–11pm, Sun noon–11pm; kitchen daily noon–3pm & 6–9pm.
Dugans 7 Pegasus Lane, LD3 7BH 01874 623113, dugans.co.uk; map. Cracking patisserie with a home-spun interior of oak flooring, kitchen-style tables and chairs and artwork splashed across the whitewashed walls. The food, be it savoury (leek, cheese and walnut quiche £7.50) or sweet (salted caramel and pear tart, or rolled apple and cinnamon strudel, £2.80), tastes just as good as it looks. Mon 10am–5pm, Tues–Sat 9am–5pm.
Felin Fach Griffin Felin Fach, A470, 3 miles northwest, LD3 0UB 01874 620111, eatdrinksleep.ltd.uk; map. Super pub/restaurant offering some of the finest Modern Welsh cuisine anywhere in the region; scrumptious dishes might include silver mullet with confit potato and Savoy cabbage, or smoked ox tongue with pickled red cabbage, horseradish and beetroot. Three-course set menu £29. Beyond the restaurant is the pubby bit, a tiny bar fronting a couple of farmhouse tables laden with newspapers, crumpled leather sofas and a crackling log fire. Daily 11am–11pm; kitchen noon–2.30pm & 6–9pm.
The Hours Café 15 Ship St, LD3 9AD 01874 622800, the-hours.co.uk; map. Cheerful daytime café-cum-bookshop, with sloping floors and black timber beams, where you can enjoy warm salads and toasted sandwiches, hearty soups, cakes and a good range of Fairtrade coffees. Tues–Sat 10am–5pm.
Covering a vast expanse west of the central Brecon Beacons, the Fforest Fawr (Great Forest) seems something of a misnomer for an area of largely unforested sandstone hills dropping down to a porous limestone belt in the south. The name, however, refers to its former status as a hunting area. The hills rise up to the south of the A40, west of Brecon, with the dramatic A4067 defining the western side of the range and the A470 dividing it from the central Beacons.
In the heart of the Brecon Beacons, a twisting mountain road crosses a bleak plateau and descends into one of Britain’s classic limestone landscapes. The hamlet of YSTRADFELLTE is hugely popular for its walks over great pavements of bone-white rock next to cradling potholes, disappearing rivers and crashing waterfalls. At Sgwd Clun Gwyn (White Meadow Fall), the river crashes 50ft over two large, angular steps of rock before hurtling down the course for a few hundred yards to two more falls – the impressive Sgwd Isaf Clun Gwyn (Lower White Meadow Fall) and, around the wooded corner, the Sgwd y Pannwr (Fall of the Fuller). A little further along the Hepste is Sgwd yr Eira (Fall of Snow), whose rock below the main tumble has eroded, allowing access behind a dramatic 20ft curtain of water.
Glyntawe, just west of A4067, SA9 1GJ • April–Oct daily 10am–3.30pm • £15 • 01639 730284, showcaves.co.uk
Six miles of upland forest and grass-covered mountains lie between Ystradfellte and the Dan-yr-ogof Showcaves to the west. Discovered in 1912, they are claimed to form the largest system of subterranean caverns in northern Europe. The path leads you into the Dan-yr-ogof cave, framed by stalactites and frothy limestone deposits, from where you’ll be steered around a circular route of about a mile and a half. Back outside, you pass a re-created Iron Age “village” and walk past some of the many life-size fibreglass dinosaurs lurking within the forested hillside to reach Cathedral Cave, an impressive 150ft-long, 70ft-high cave inside of which are two 65ft-high waterfalls. Reached via a precarious path is Bone Cave, the third and final cavern, known to have been inhabited by Bronze Age tribes.
Penderyn, CF44 0SX • Guided tours only (hourly; 1hr) daily 9.30am–5pm • £8.50, prebooking advised • 01685 810650, penderyn.wales
On the southern fringes of the national park, in the village of PENDERYN, Penderyn Welsh Whisky Distillery is the only working distillery in the country. Today it produces three single malt whiskies, matured in bourbon barrels and finished in Madeira wine casks. Guided tours take in an exhibition on the working of the distillery, an explanation of the distillation and bottling processes and, of course, a taster at the end. Uniquely, the process here involves the use of a single copper pot still – as opposed to the conventional two or three – before the whisky is matured for between four and seven years.
The easternmost section of the national park centres on the Black Mountains, far quieter than the central belt of the Brecon Beacons and skirted by the wide valley of the River Usk to the south and the Wye to the north. The only exception to the range’s unremitting sandstone is an isolated outcrop of limestone, long divorced from the southern belt, that peaks north of Crickhowell at Pen Cerrig-calch. The Black Mountains have the feel of a landscape only partly tamed by human habitation: tiny villages, isolated churches and enchanting lanes are folded into an undulating green landscape that levels out to the south around the village of Crickhowell.
Compact CRICKHOWELL (Crug Hywel) lies on the northern bank of the wide and shallow Usk. Apart from a grand seventeenth-century bridge, with thirteen arches visible from the eastern end and only twelve from the west, spawning many a local myth, there’s not much to see in town. That said, it is a hugely popular destination for walkers, especially at the end of February during the annual Walking Festival (crickhowellfestival.com); it’s also the setting for the country’s premier music gathering, the Green Man Festival (greenman.net).
Table Mountain (1481ft) provides a spectacular northern backdrop, topped by the remains of the 2500-year-old hillfort (crug) of Hywel, accessed on a path past The Wern, off Llanbedr Road. Many walkers follow a route north from Table Mountain, climbing two miles up to the plateau-topped limestone hump of Pen Cerrig-calch (2302ft) and on to Pen Allt-mawr (2360ft) from where a circular route can be completed.
Arrival and Information crickhowell
By bus Buses run from the main square at the top of the High St.
Destinations Abergavenny (Mon–Sat hourly; 20min); Brecon (Mon–Sat hourly; 30–50min).
Tourist office The Crickhowell Resource and Information Centre on Beaufort St (Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 10am–1.30pm; 01873 811970, visitcrickhowell.co.uk) also has a café and a gallery selling quality local art.
Bear Hotel Beaufort St, NP8 1BW 01873 810408, bearhotel.co.uk. A grand old coaching inn whose architectural quirks have lent themselves to some idiosyncratic rooms. Those in the hotel itself possess more character, while those in the old courtyard stables are a touch more polished. £107
Book-ish 18 High St, NP8 1BD 01873 811256, book-ish.co.uk. If you like books and coffee, this enthusiastically run indie bookshop-cum-café should be your first port of call. Once done browsing head through to the rear and the light-filled mezzanine, where you can kick back with a book and a brew, or perhaps a glass of wine. Lots of literary and musical events, too. Mon–Sat 9am–5.30pm, Sun 10am–4pm.
Bridge End Inn Bridge St, NP8 1AR 01873 810338, thebridgeendinn.com. Comprising part of the town’s former tollhouse, this is a truly old-fashioned pub with flagstone flooring, a stone fireplace and brass, copper pots hanging from the walls and ceilings, and a sweet riverside garden. Daily 11am–11.30pm.
Dragon Inn 47 High St, NP8 1BE 01873 810362, dragoninncrickhowell.com. Salmon-pink building at the quieter, far end of the High St, with sharply furnished rooms sporting silver and grey trimmings, wall-length mirrors and Welsh art. Relaxing, friendly and great for families. £85
Flanking the Brecon Beacons National Park, ABERGAVENNY (Y Fenni), seven miles southeast of Crickhowell, is a busy and breezy market town which people flock to primarily for its outstanding cuisine – this reaches its zenith during the September Food Festival. The town is also a useful base for walkers bound for the local mountains: Sugar Loaf, the Blorenge and the legendary Skirrid Mountain (Ysgyryd Fawr). Stretching north from town, the Vale of Ewyas runs along the foot of the Black Mountains, where the astounding churches at Partrishow and Cwmyoy are lost in rural isolation.
Castle St, NP7 5EE • 10am–4pm: July–Sept daily; Oct–June Mon, Tues & Thurs–Sun • Free • 01873 854282, abergavennymuseum.co.uk
From the train station, Monmouth Road rises gently, eventually becoming High Street, off which you’ll find the fragmented remains of the medieval castle. Entrance is through the sturdy, though now roofless, gatehouse, to the right of which stands an extensive portion of the curtain wall. The old Victorian keep now houses the Abergavenny Museum, which displays ephemera from the town’s history. Glorious views aside, the grounds are a lovely spot for a picnic.
Monk St, NP7 5ND • Mon–Sat 9am–4pm • Free • 01873 858787, stmarys-priory.org
Abergavenny’s Church of St Mary contains some superb detail, not least the Jesse Tree, one of the finest late medieval sculptures in Britain. Tombs here span the entire medieval period, including those of Sir William ap Thomas, founder of Raglan Castle, and Dr David Lewis (died 1584), the first Principal of Jesus College, as well as effigies of members of the notorious de Braose family.
Monk St, NP7 5ND • Mon–Sat 9am–4pm • Free • 01873 858787, stmarys-priory.org
Adjacent to the church is the splendidly restored fourteenth-century Tithe Barn, which in times past has variously functioned as a coach house, a theatre for travelling actors and even a disco. It’s now a heritage centre, with a good exhibition on the history of Abergavenny; star sight is the Abergavenny Tapestry, an expansive, brightly coloured visual record of the town’s past.
Arrival and information abergavenny
By train The station is a 5min walk southeast of town on Station Rd.
Destinations Cardiff (every 30min–1hr; 45–55min); Hereford (every 30–45min; 25min); Newport (every 30min–1hr; 30min).
By bus Buses depart from Swan Meadows bus station, at the bottom of town on Cross St.
Destinations Brecon (Mon–Sat hourly; 40min–1hr); Cardiff (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 2; 1hr 40min–2hr 30min); Crickhowell (Mon–Sat hourly; 20min); Llanfihangel Crucorney (Mon–Sat 7 daily; 15min); Monmouth (Mon–Sat 7 daily, Sun 4; 45min); Raglan (Mon–Sat 7 daily, Sun 4; 35min).
Tourist office Tithe Barn, Monk St (Mon–Sat: April–Oct 10am–4pm; Nov–March 10am–2pm; 01873 853254, visitabergavenny.co.uk).
Bike rental Hopyard Cycles in Govilon, a couple of miles west (01873 830219, hopyardcycles.co.uk; mountain bikes from £15/day), can deliver bikes (for a small charge) throughout the area.
Angel Hotel 15 Cross St, NP7 5EN 01873 857121, angelhotelabergavenny.com. Occupying an old coaching inn, Abergavenny’s premier central hotel is a warren of corridors with a range of very classy rooms fitted out in soft beige, with plush carpets, big comfy beds and large bathrooms replete with posh toiletries. £105
Black Sheep Backpackers 24 Station Rd, NP7 5HS 01873 859125, greatwesternabergavenny.com. A few paces down from the station, this converted railway hotel has accommodation in four- to ten-bed dorms (with shared showers), as well as en-suite doubles. There are self-catering facilities and a laundrette across the road. Continental breakfast included. Dorms £17.50, doubles £60
Kings Arms 29 Neville St, NP7 5AA 01873 855074, kingsarmsabergavenny.co.uk. Limewash beams, bare, sloping wood floors and low, crooked doorways are all quirky features of this pleasing, sixteenth-century coaching inn. The neatly conceived pod-like bathrooms, meanwhile, feature roll-top or jacuzzi baths. £105
Pyscodlyn Farm Llanwenarth Citra, 2 miles west of town off A40, NP7 7ER 01873 853271, pyscodlyncaravanpark.com. Easy to reach – all Brecon and Crickhowell buses pass by – this is primarily a caravan site, but there is one sheltered field for campers, with separate shower blocks for males and females. Closed Nov to mid-March. £14
Art Shop & Chapel Market St, NP7 5EH 01873 736430, artshopandgallery.co.uk. Occupying the basement of an old nineteenth-century chapel, this artistically decorated gallery-cum-café makes for a splendid late breakfast or lunch stop; try Turkish eggs with chorizo and yoghurt, or Welsh rarebit with leek and rhubarb ketchup on sourdough (£7.80). They also serve terrific homemade cordials, craft ales and biodynamic wines. Tues–Sat 10am–5pm.
The Foxhunter Nantyderry, 7 miles southeast of town, NP7 9DN 01873 881101, thefoxhunter.com. Named after a locally bred, 1952 Olympic-gold-medal winning horse, this lovingly restored former stationmaster’s house is now a comely pub and restaurant; it’s nothing flash or fancy, but dishes such as sirloin with stilton sauce and roasted field mushrooms (£19) are tremendously satisfying. Pub Mon 5.30–11pm, Tues–Thurs 11.30am–3pm & 5.30–11pm, Fri–Sun 11.30am–11pm; kitchen Mon 6–9pm, Tues–Sat noon–3pm & 6–9pm, Sun noon–4pm.
The Hardwick Old Raglan Rd, 2 miles east of town, NP7 9AA 01873 854220, thehardwick.co.uk. Headed up by chef Stephen Terry, this fabulous-looking pub offers a choice of brilliantly simple but fantastically presented dishes such as deep-fried pork belly and black pudding with pickled fennel and apple and mustard sauce (£18). The Sun three-course lunch is superb value at £28. Pub daily 11am–11pm; kitchen noon–3pm & 6.30–10pm.
Trading Post 14 Neville St, NP7 5AD 01873 855448, tradingpostcatering.co.uk. The former eighteenth-century Cow Inn – cast your eyes up to the row of cows’ heads on the front of the building – is now a sprightly café, and an ideal spot for poring over the paper while sipping a cappuccino or tucking into Welsh rarebit. Mon–Sat 9am–5pm.
The main A465 Hereford road leads six miles north out of Abergavenny to Llanfihangel Crucorney, where the B4423 diverges off to the north into the enchanting Vale of Ewyas along the banks of the Honddu river. In LLANFIHANGEL CRUCORNEY, the reputedly haunted Skirrid Inn was first mentioned in 1110 and is thus thought to be the oldest pub in Wales. It’s said that some 180 people were hanged here during the seventeenth century; you can still see the beam that bears the scorch marks of the rope. It’s an atmospheric spot for a drink.
Llanthony, NP7 7NN • Daily 10am–4pm • Free • 01443 336000, cadw.gov.wales/daysout/llanthonypriory
Four miles from Llanfihangel Crucorney stand the wide-open ruins of Llanthony Priory. The priory was founded in around 1100 by the Norman knight William de Lacy, who, it is said, was so captivated by the spiritual beauty of the site that he renounced worldly living and founded a hermitage, attracting like-minded recluses and forming Wales’ first Augustinian priory. The roofless church, with its pointed transitional arches and squat tower, was constructed in the latter half of the twelfth century and retains a sense of spirituality and peace.
Straddling the Anglo-Welsh border some twenty miles west of Hereford, the hilly little town of HAY-ON-WYE has an attractive riverside setting and narrow, winding streets lined with an engaging assortment of old stone houses, but is known to most people for one thing – books. Hay saw its first bookshop open in 1961; today it has more than thirty, many of which are highly specialized, focusing on areas like travel, poetry or murder mystery. The prestigious Hay Festival of literature and the arts (hayfestival.com), is held over ten days at the end of May, when it seems like the entire literary world decamps here en masse. Running concurrently, the innovative HowTheLightGetsIn (howthelightgetsin.org) greets some of the world’s leading thinkers in music and philosophy.
Arrival and information hay-on-wye
By bus Buses stop on Oxford Rd, just along from the tourist office.
Destinations Brecon (Mon–Sat 7 daily; 45min); Hereford (Mon–Sat 7 daily, Sun 3; 1hr).
Tourist office Chapel Cottage, Oxford Rd (daily: Easter–Oct 10am–4.30pm; Nov–Easter 11am–3pm; 01497 820144, hay-on-wye.co.uk). The free booklet Hay-on-Wye Booksellers, Printsellers & Bookbinders details the town’s bookshops, galleries, restaurants and bars.
Hay has plenty of accommodation, though prices are a little higher here than in places nearby, and there are no hostels. Everywhere gets booked up months in advance for the festival.
Old Black Lion Lion St, HR3 5AD 01497 820841, oldblacklion.co.uk. Very well regarded thirteenth-century inn which has charming en-suite rooms above the pub and in the neighbouring annexe, which are slightly more appealing. £79
Radnors End A 10min walk from town across the Hay Bridge on the road to Clyro, HR3 5RS 01497 820780, hay-on-wye.co.uk/radnorsend. Small but neat camping field in a beautiful setting overlooking Hay, with on-site showers and laundry facilities. Closed Nov–Feb. Per person £7
Seven Stars 11 Broad St, HR3 5DB 01497 820886, theseven-stars.co.uk. Former town pub near the clocktower, with eight modest, cosy rooms, some with original oak beams and window frames. There’s also an indoor swimming pool and sauna. £94
The Start Hay Bridge, HR3 5RS 01497 821391, the-start.net. Neatly renovated Georgian house on the riverbank, with three rooms boasting antique furnishings and hand-made quilts. The vegetable garden provides many of the ingredients for the scrummy breakfasts. £80
Swan at Hay Church St, HR3 5DQ 01497 821188, swanathay.co.uk. This graceful, pale grey stone Georgian hotel has undergone a recent, impeccable renovation, resulting in nineteen light-filled rooms with beautifully upholstered furnishings and sparkling bathrooms; some rooms have garden views. A lounge and bistro, alongside a couple of snugs and a pretty garden, completes this classy ensemble. £125
Blue Boar Castle St, HR3 5DF 01497 820884. Tasteful, wood-panelled real-ale pub centred around a gently curving bar and two stone fireplaces, with a separate dining area to one side. Daily 9.30am–11pm.
The Granary Broad St, HR3 5DB 01497 820790. This unpretentious café-bistro offers a wide range of excellent meals (around £10), with good veggie options. Save space for the wonderful desserts and espresso. Daily 9am–5.30pm.
The Old Stables Tearooms Bear St, HR3 5AN 07796 484766, oldstablestearooms.co.uk. Barely half a dozen tables are crammed into this delightful place, with chalked-up boards listing superb Welsh produce and a fantastic array of teas and home-made tarts. On a warm day, eat in the flower-filled yard. Tues–Sat 11am–5pm.
Shepherd’s Ice Cream 9 High Town, HR3 5AE 01497 821898. Popular Georgian-style café/ice-cream parlour doling out local ice cream made from sheep’s milk; flavours include raspberry cheesecake and banana toffee crunch. Mon–Fri 9am–5.30pm, Sat 9.30am–6pm, Sun 10.30am–5.30pm.
St John’s Place 3 Lion St, HR3 5AA 07855 783799, stjohnsplacehay.tumblr.com. Occupying an old chapel, St John’s is just a bit special. The menu is essentially whatever takes the fancy of chef Julia Robson, but there are usually three options for each course: to start you might have ox heart with red chilli and coriander, followed by a main of sea trout with shrimp, hispi cabbage and seaweed and, to finish, jasmine pannacotta with strawberries and shortbread. Expect to pay around £30 for three courses. Booking essential. Fri & Sat 6–10pm.
Hay Cinema Bookshop Old town cinema, Castle St, HR3 5DF 01497 820071, haycinemabookshop.co.uk. Secondhand, antiquarian and remaindered books across all subjects and at very low prices. Mon–Sat 9am–6pm, Sun 10am–5.30pm.
Richard Booth’s Bookshop 44 Lion St, HR3 5AA 01497 820322, boothbooks.co.uk. Just beyond the main square, High Town, this slicked-up, three-storey emporium (despite the name, no longer owned by Booth) offers unlimited browsing potential – every conceivable subject is covered. Incorporated into the rear is the wonderful little Bookshop Cinema, screening arthouse movies at weekends. Mon–Sat 9.30am–5.30pm, Sun 10.30am–5.30pm.
The spa towns of Mid-Wales, strung out along the Heart of Wales train line between Swansea and Shrewsbury, were once all obscure villages, but with the arrival of the great craze for spas in the early eighteenth century, anywhere with a decent supply of apparently healing water joined in on the act. Royalty and nobility spearheaded the fashion, but the arrival of the railways opened them to all. Today, the best of the bunch is undoubtedly the westernmost spa of Llanwrtyd Wells, hunkered down beneath stunning mountain scenery and renowned for its bizarre special events. Llandrindod Wells, the most famous spa, attracted the international elite in its Victorian heyday, and has two excellent museums. In between, the larger town of Builth Wells was very much the spa of the Welsh working classes and there’s no real reason to stop, except in mid-July when it hosts the absorbing Royal Welsh Show, Britain’s biggest rural jamboree.
Twenty miles northwest of Brecon, LLANWRTYD WELLS was where the Welsh – Dyfed farmers along with Nonconformist middle classes from Glamorgan – flocked to the great eisteddfodau (festivals of Welsh music, dance and poetry) in the valley of the River Irfon; today, it’s the Welsh capital of eccentric events.
3 Ffos Rd, LD5 4RG • Thurs–Sun 10am–4pm • Free • 01591 610067, llanwrtydhistorygroup.webs.com
Just up from the main square, and occupying the former chapel (which functioned as such until 2009), the wonderful Llanwrtyd District Heritage and Arts Centre recalls the town’s colourful past through a chronological timeline from the spa years via World War II through to more recent traditions – including, of course, its wacky sports events.
ARRIVAL AND information LLANWRTYD WELLS
By train The train station is a 5min walk east of town on Station Rd.
Destinations Builth Wells (Mon–Sat 4 daily, Sun 2; 20min); Knighton (Mon–Sat 4 daily, Sun 2; 1hr 10min); Llandrindod Wells (Mon–Sat 4 daily, Sun 2; 30min); Shrewsbury (Mon–Sat 4 daily, Sun 2; 2hr 10min); Swansea (Mon–Sat 4 daily, Sun 2; 1hr 50min).
By bus Buses stop on the main square and serve Builth Wells (5 daily; 25min).
Tourist information There’s no official tourist office, but the heritage centre (see before) has plentiful information.
Wacky Wales: Llanwrtyd Wells
Belying its appearance as a sleepy kind of place, Llanwrtyd Wells has its distinctly zany moments. Although a host of events take place here throughout the year, three in particular take precedence. In mid-June, the Man versus Horse Marathon is a punishing 22-mile endurance test between man (and woman) and beast over various types of terrain. At the end of August, it’s the turn of the World Bog-Snorkelling Championships, in which competitors must complete two lengths of a water-filled trench cut through a peat bog – the current world record, posted in 2014, is one minute and 22 seconds. Then, in November, there’s the wonderfully named Real Ale Wobble, two days of combined mountain biking and beer drinking for the somewhat less serious-minded cyclist. Visit green-events.co.uk for full listings.
A fourth major event takes place bi-annually (every even-numbered year); in the wake of the 2012 Olympic Games in London, organizers decided to set up their own World Alternative Games (worldalternativegames.co.uk), two weeks of more than sixty madcap events including belly flopping, gravy wrestling and husband dragging.
Ardwyn House Station Rd, LD5 4RW 01591 610768, ardwynhouse.co.uk. Stunning turn-of-the-twentieth-century period piece with three, richly detailed en-suite rooms, including roll-top baths, cast-iron fireplaces and antique light fittings. Downstairs, guests can avail themselves of a marvellous book-lined billiards room and honesty bar. £80
Lasswade Station Rd, LD5 4RW 01591 610515, lasswadehotel.co.uk. A few paces down from Ardwyn House, this is a lovely Edwardian residence overlooking lush fields with eight tranquil, florally decorated rooms. There’s a five percent discount for visitors arriving by train. £85
Stonecroft Lodge Dolecoed Rd, LD5 4RA 01591 610332, stonecroft.co.uk. This self-catering guesthouse, adjoining the inn of the same name, looks fairly grubby from the outside, but it has a perfectly acceptable selection of three-, four- and six-bed rooms, though all are with shared shower facilities. There’s also a lounge and fully equipped kitchen. Dorms £16
Carlton Riverside Irfon Crescent, LD5 4SP 01591 610248, carltonriverside.com. The food at this well-regarded restaurant is traditional Welsh, prepared with flair and imagination – pan-fried venison with potato fondant, punchnep (root vegetables) and a port jus, for example (£21) – with a wine list to match. The restaurant itself has just half a dozen well-spaced, crisply laid tables offering river views. Mon–Sat 6.30–10pm.
Drover’s Rest Riverside Restaurant The Square, LD5 4RA 01591 610264, food-food-food.co.uk. Bric-a-brac fills this warm, cottage-like restaurant, where wholesome traditional Welsh dishes are the order of the day; Brecon venison in red wine (£17.50), or braised lamb rump in a Madeira and redcurrant sauce, are typical. On a warm day, it’s lovely to be able to dine out on the wooden deck perching precariously over the Irfon river. Reservations essential. Wed–Sun 10.30am–3.30pm & 7.30–10pm.
Neuadd Arms The Square, LD5 4RB 01591 610236. Lively place home to the Heart of Wales Brewery, which currently produces eight fabulous ales plus lots of seasonal offerings. It was here, in 1980, that the Man versus Horse race was conceived, hence the many wonderful photos of the town’s various crazy events lining the walls. Daily 11am–midnight; kitchen noon–2.30pm & 6–9.30pm.
Following the 1864 arrival of the railway, LLANDRINDOD WELLS (Llandrindod; locally referred to as “Llandod” or simply “Dod”) was once Wales’ most elegant spa resort. Its Victorian heyday is a distant memory, however, although many of the fine buildings from the era still stand, and it’s well worth a stop to admire the faded glamour of its ornate architecture. There are a couple of worthwhile museums, too, and a fantastic Victorian park.
Temple St, LD1 5DL • April–Sept Tues–Sat 10am–4pm; Oct–March Tues–Fri 10am–4pm, Sat 10am–1pm • £1 • 01597 824513, powys.gov.uk/radnorshiremuseum
The small but entertaining Radnorshire Museum evokes the area’s history with exhibits ranging from archeological finds to items from Victorian spa days. Among the pick of these is a Sheela-na-gig, a typically explicit and remarkably well-preserved carved relief of a figure displaying its vulva, which was found in the local parish church, and a log-boat dredged up from the Ifor river in 1929 and thought to date from around 1200 AD.
Temple St, LD1 5DL • Tues, Wed & Fri 10am–4pm • £5 • 01597 825531, cyclemuseum.org.uk
The National Cycle Collection is a nostalgic exhibition showcasing more than 280 bikes, ranging from a reproduction 1818 hobbyhorse to relatively modern folding bikes and choppers, including some contraptions that look far too uncomfortable to have been a success. The museum holds some notable machinery, not least a bike belonging to the prolific, if little-known, George Nightingale, the first man to ride 25 miles in under an hour (in 1938).
Quietly tucked away on the southwest side of town, and accessed via several paths, Rock Park (therockpark.org) is a delightful spot for a leisurely ramble. Part Victorian arboretum (including Douglas fir and Japanese red cedar), part native woodland, it’s also the site of numerous mineral-rich springs, such as the Chalybeate spring, consisting of an ornate pink marble fountain and drinking basin. At the heart of the park, the once-lavish spa pump room is now, somewhat more prosaically, a conference centre, though the iron-and-glass-framed pavilion, connecting the pump room and old treatment centre, remains impressive. From here, a path leads to “Lovers’ Leap”, a Victorian fake cliff overlooking the river.
Arrival and information LLANDRINDOD WELLS
By train The station is a 5min walk east of town on Station Rd.
Destinations Knighton (Mon–Sat 5 daily, Sun 2; 40min); Llanwrtyd Wells (Mon–Sat 4 daily, Sun 2; 30min); Shrewsbury (Mon–Sat 5 daily, Sun 2; 1hr 30min); Swansea (Mon–Sat 4 daily, Sun 2; 2hr 30min).
By bus Buses pull in by the train station.
Destinations Brecon (Mon–Sat 8 daily, Sun 1; 1hr); Builth Wells (Mon–Sat hourly; 20–30min); Newtown (Mon–Sat 6 daily, Sun 1; 50min); Rhayader (Mon–Sat 7 daily; 30min).
Tourist office Inside the town council building in front of the Radnorshire Museum on Temple St (Mon–Fri 10am–1pm; 01597 822600, llandrindod.co.uk).
Arvon Ale House Temple St, LD1 5DL 07477 627267. Occupying an old shop premises, this small, neat pub is great, typically offering five real ales as well as a two or three real ciders and perrys, plus an impressive selection of gins. The interior is fun, too, with old postcards plastered over the walls and ceilings, while evenings of folk and acoustic music add to the general air of bonhomie. Wed, Thurs & Sun 4–10pm, Fri & Sat 4–11pm.
The Cottage Spa Rd, LD1 5EY 01597 825435, thecottagebandb.co.uk. Handsome Edwardian property with seven differently configured rooms, all laden with period-style furnishings. No TVs in the rooms, but guests are welcome to use the lounge. £68
Herb Garden Café 5 Spa Centre, LD1 5BB 01597 823082, herbgardencafe.co.uk. Delightful community-run café/diner with squashy sofas and big windowsills heaving with greenery; the accent here is on fresh, organically grown (mostly) veggie food, such as salads and platters (mango and avocado salad £7.90), and juicy house burgers. Mon–Sat 9.30am–5pm.
From the workaday market town of RHAYADER, ten miles northwest of Llandrindod Wells, the B4518 heads southwest four miles to the gorgeous Elan Valley. It was here that the poet Shelley spent his honeymoon in buildings now submerged by the waters of the valley’s reservoirs, a nine-mile-long string of four lakes built between 1892 and 1903 to supply water to the rapidly growing industrial city of Birmingham, 75 miles east.
Frequent guided walks head off from the valley’s visitor centre, and a road tucks in along the first reservoir, Caban Coch, to the Garreg Ddu viaduct, where it winds along for four spectacular miles to the vast, rather chilling 1952 dam on Claerwen Reservoir. More remote and less popular than the Elan lakes, Claerwen is a good base for a serious walk from the far end of the dam across eight or so harsh but beautiful miles to the monastery of Strata Florida. Alternatively, you can follow the path that skirts around the northern shore of Claerwen to the lonely Teifi Pools, glacial lakes from which the River Teifi springs.
Back at the Garreg Ddu viaduct, a more popular road continues north along the long, glassy finger of Garreg Ddu reservoir, before doubling back on itself just below the awesome Pen-y-garreg dam and reservoir; if the dam is overflowing, the vast wall of foaming water is mesmerizing. At the top of Pen-y-garreg lake, it’s possible to drive over the final dam on the system, at Craig Goch. Thanks to its gracious curve, elegant Edwardian arches and neat little cupola, this is the most photographed of all the dams.
Off South Rd (the A470 from Builth) on the outskirts of Rhayader, LD6 5BL • Tues–Sun 12.30–4pm • £6 • 01597 810243, gigrin.co.uk
One of the best places in Europe to watch red kites feeding is at Gigrin Farm. Each day at 3pm (2pm in winter), these magnificent birds are lured here (ravens and buzzards join in the frenzy too), with as many as five hundred descending at any one time – it’s a fantastic sight. There’s also a scenic 1.5-mile-long nature trail, and a small café/shop.
Arrival and information elan valley and around
There is no public transport to the Elan Valley, so you will require a car or a bike, or you can hike.
Tourist information Just below the dam of the first reservoir, Caban Coch, the Elan Valley visitor centre (daily 9.30am–4.30/5pm; 01597 810898, elanvalley.org.uk) has useful leaflets on walks around the valley, a permanent exhibition about the history and ecology of the area, a tearoom and bike rental (£6/hr, £24/day). The centre also runs a series of excellent ranger-led events, most of which are free to attend.
Bike rental Clive Powell Mountain Bikes, West St, Rhayader (daily 9am–5.30pm; £6/hr, £24/day; 01597 811343, clivepowell-mtb.co.uk). They also offer servicing and repairs.
Crown Inn North St, Rhayader, LD6 5BU 01597 811099. The most agreeable of the town’s several boozers, with lots of small, dark wooden tables gathered around a large stone fireplace, and Brains beer. Daily noon–11pm.
Ty Morgans East St, Rhayader, LD6 5BH 01597 811666, tymorgans.com. Superb building housing nine effortlessly cool rooms, most of which still feature their original red or grey bare brick walls and oak-beamed ceilings. The buzzy bar/bistro offers a mouthwatering burger menu in addition to more sophisticated dishes (braised rabbit with potatoes and leeks, for example, for £13.95). The bistro leads to the bustling Strand coffeehouse and deli. Daily: bar/bistro 8am–9pm (kitchen 8am–2.30pm & 5–9pm); coffeehouse 8am–7pm. £80
Wyeside Immediately north of Rhayader off the A470, LD6 5LB 01597 810183, wyesidecamping.co.uk. On the banks of the Wye, this is a smart site with separate camping and caravan areas and clean, modern amenities. Closed Nov to Feb. £17
The northern part of Powys is made up of the old county of Montgomeryshire (Maldwyn), an area of enormously varying landscapes and few inhabitants. The solid little town of Llanidloes is a base for ageing hippies on the banks of the infant River Severn (Afon Hafren). To the east, the muted old county town of Montgomery, with its fine Georgian architecture, perches amid gentle, green hills above the border and Offa’s Dyke. Further north, Welshpool, the only major settlement, is packed in above the wide flood plain of the Severn; with its pubs and hotels it’s a fair base for Montgomeryshire’s unmissable sight, the sumptuous Powis Castle and its terraced gardens.
The small market town of LLANIDLOES, twelve miles north of Rhayader, has developed from a rural village to a weaving town, and is now an arty, alternative-lifestyle kind of place. One of Mid-Wales’ prettiest towns, it centres on four main streets, which all meet at the market hall – the main thoroughfare is Great Oak Street, a wide, handsome road framed by well-proportioned, two- and three-storey buildings variously accommodating shops, restaurants and tenements.
Great Oak St, SY18 6HU • Late May to Sept Tues–Sun 11am–4pm • Free • 01686 412388
At the junction of the town’s four main streets is the black-and-white Old Market Hall, built on timber stilts around 1600, allowing the market – now long since moved – to take place on the cobbles underneath. The only surviving timber-framed market hall in Wales, it’s also known as the Booth Hall, and remained a popular trading place until the early twentieth century. At one time or another it has also functioned as a law court, a meeting place for the Quakers, a flannel store and the local Working Men’s Institute. Today it houses a fascinating exhibition on other similarly timbered buildings in Llanidloes and further afield; you can pick up a free trail leaflet outlining the finest.
Church St, off Bridge St, SY18 6EE • Daily 10.30am–3.30pm • llanidloes.com/saint-idloes
The glory of St Idloes church is its impressive fifteenth-century hammerbeam roof (also known as the “Angel Roof”). Recent tree-ring dating refutes the previously held theory that it was poached from the village of Abbeycwmhir, some fourteen miles south of Llanidloes; the pillars and arches, though, were most certainly taken from the abbey following its dissolution in 1536. The adjoining mid-fourteenth-century tower, meanwhile, is typical of those found in the county, a massive square block crowned by a wooden belfry and pyramidal roof.
ARRIVAL AND information LLANIDLOES
By bus China St curves down to the car park where all buses arrive and depart.
Destinations Aberystwyth (Mon–Sat 3 daily; 1hr); Newtown (Mon–Sat 8 daily; 30min); Ponterwyd (3 daily; 40min); Shrewsbury (Mon–Sat 6 daily; 2hr); Welshpool (Mon–Sat 6 daily; 1hr 10min).
Tourist information There’s no tourist office, but the Llani Leisure shop, 16 Long Bridge St (Tues–Sat 10am–5pm; 01686 414893, llanidloes.com), stocks lots of literature on the town and surrounds.
Dol-llys Farm Trefeglwys Rd, SY18 6JA 01686 412694, dolllyscaravancampsite.co.uk. Large site around a 15min walk north of town. Choose from a pitch on the level field near the facilities, or a more secluded spot down by the river, where campfires are permitted. Closed Nov to Easter. Per person £7.50
Unicorn Hotel 4 Long Bridge St, SY18 6EE 01686 411171. A small hotel of considerable charm and quality, hosting six crisp, generous and impeccably clean rooms; there’s a substantial breakfast to look forward to as well. The fabulous daytime bistro/evening restaurant offers delicious dishes such as roasted duck leg with Cointreau and orange gravy (£13.75). Tues–Sat 6–9.30pm. £90
Red Lion 8 Long Bridge St, SY18 6EE 01686 412270. The most agreeable of the town’s pubs; the main lounge bar has comfy leather seating huddled around an imposing stone fireplace festooned with brass, while the noisier other room is principally for bar games. Daily 11am–midnight.
Tiny MONTGOMERY (Trefaldwyn), around twenty miles northeast of Llanidloes, is Montgomeryshire at its most anglicized. From the mound of its castle, situated just on the Welsh side of Offa’s Dyke, there are wonderful views over the lofty church tower and the handsome Georgian streets, notably the impressively symmetrical main road – appropriately named Broad Street – which swoops up to the little red-brick town hall, crowned by a pert clocktower. Montgomery is within striking distance of one of the best-preserved sections of Offa’s Dyke, traced by the long-distance footpath that runs on either side of the B4386.
Arthur St, SY15 6RA • April–July & Sept Wed–Fri & Sun 1.30–5pm, Sat 10.30am–5pm; Aug Mon–Fri & Sun 1.30–5pm, Sat 10.30am–5pm • £1 • 01686 668313, oldbellmuseum.org.uk
The Old Bell Museum, formerly a temperance house and butcher’s, is now an unusually enjoyable local history collection. Crammed into every nook and cranny of this marvellous little building are artefacts from excavations, scale models of local castles, mementos from Montgomery civic life and displays on the region’s various trades, with due prominence given to the likes of clogmakers, clockmakers, carpenters and tanners.
Arthur St, SY15 6RA • Thurs 10am–1pm, Fri 2–5pm, Sat 9.30am–1pm, Sun 2–4.30pm • £2.50 • 01686 668004, cloverlandsmuseum.org.uk
The Cloverlands Model Car Museum holds the remarkable collection of Gillian Rogers, a local motoring fanatic who started acquiring miniature cars as a young girl in the 1950s – the result is in excess of 1500 models, including classics, sports cars, fire engines, trams and much more. Rogers worked in the automotive industry (which was extremely rare for a woman in those days) and built model cars – on display is a 1:4 scale model of the 1935 Singer Le Mans she owned for forty years and which she regularly drove down to Le Mans.
Arrival and departure montgomery
By bus Buses pick up and drop off in front of the Town Hall at the bottom of Broad St.
Destinations Newtown (Mon–Sat 8 daily; 30min); Shrewsbury (Mon–Sat 4 daily; 50min); Welshpool (Mon–Sat 5 daily; 25min).
Brynwylfa 4 Bishops Castle St, SY15 6PW 01686 668555, brynwylfa.co.uk. There are just two rooms in this beautiful townhouse, off the main square, one with exposed brick walls, the other with a gorgeous roll-top bath. Closed June–Aug. £80
Castle Kitchen 8 Broad St, SY15 6PH 01686 668795, castlekitchen.org. Sociable café/deli with an open kitchen doling out savoury (soups, quiches and tarts) and sweet (cakes and pastries) delights. The busy downstairs area extends to a vine-covered terrace, while upstairs is all wonky flooring and stripey walls. Mon–Sat 9.30am–4.30pm, Sun 11am–4.30pm.
The Checkers Broad St, SY15 6PN 01686 669822, checkerswales.co.uk. The five stylish rooms of this erstwhile coaching inn are characterized by higgledy-piggledy beams and low ceilings and doorways. The Michelin-starred restaurant is an inviting setting for classically French seasonal menus – roasted breast of Gressingham duck with pain d’epices (spiced bread), pak choi and pineapple is typical. Six-course menu £65. Booking essential. Tues–Sat 7.15–10pm. £125
Diana Jarvis/Rough Guides
BATTLE RE-ENACTMENT, HARLECH CASTLE
Offa’s Dyke
Offa’s Dyke has provided a potent symbol of Welsh–English antipathy ever since it was created in the eighth century as a demarcation line by King Offa of Mercia, ruler of central England. George Borrow, in his classic book Wild Wales, notes that, once, “It was customary for the English to cut off the ears of every Welshman who was found to the east of the dyke, and for the Welsh to hang every Englishman whom they found to the west of it”.
The earthwork – up to 20ft high and 60ft wide – made use of natural boundaries like rivers in its run north to south, and is best seen in the sections near Knighton. Today’s England–Wales border crosses the dyke many times, although the basic boundary has changed little since Offa’s day. A glorious, 177-mile long-distance footpath (nationaltrail.co.uk/offas-dyke-path) runs the length of the dyke from Prestatyn in the north to Chepstow, and is one of the most rewarding walks in Britain.
Eastern Montgomeryshire’s chief town of WELSHPOOL (Y Trallwng), seven miles north of Montgomery, was formerly known as just Pool, its prefix added in 1835 to distinguish it from the English seaside town of Poole in Dorset. Lying in the valley of the River Severn, just three miles from the English border, it’s an attractive place, with fine Tudor, Georgian and Victorian buildings in the centre, and the fabulous Powis Castle nearby.
Canal Wharf, SY21 7AQ • June–Aug Mon–Fri 10.30am–1pm & 2–5pm, Sat 10.30am–3pm; Sept–May Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri 11am–1pm & 2–5pm, Sat 11am–2pm • £1 • 01938 554656
A humpback bridge over the Montgomery Canal hides the canal wharf and a wharfside warehouse that has been carefully restored as the Powysland Museum. The impressive local history collection includes archeological nuggets such as those from an old local woodhenge, and displays medieval remains from the now-obliterated local Cistercian abbey of Strata Marcella.
Raven Square, SY21 0SF • Generally 3–5 trains on operating days: April & Oct hols & weekends only; May, June & Sept Tues–Thurs, Sat & Sun; July & Aug daily • £13.50 rover ticket • 01938 810441, wllr.org.uk
Broad Street changes name five times as it rises up the hill towards the tiny Raven Square station of the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway. The eight-mile narrow-gauge rail line was open to passengers for less than thirty years prior to its closure in 1931. Now, scaled-down engines once more chuff their way along to the peaceful little village of Llanfair Caereinion, a good base for daytime walks; the round journey takes two hours.
A mile southwest of town up Park Lane, SY21 8RF • Castle Daily: March 12.30–4pm; April–Sept 11am–5pm; Oct–Dec 11am–4pm• £12.50 (includes gardens); NT • Garden Daily: March 11am–4pm; April–Sept 10am–6pm; Oct–Dec 10am–4pm • £9.25; NT • 01938 551944, nationaltrust.org.uk/powis-castle-and-garden
In a land of ruined castles, the sheer scale and beauty of Powis Castle is quite staggering. On the site of an earlier Norman fort, the castle was started in the reign of Edward I by the Gwenwynwyn family; in 1587, Sir Edward Herbert bought it and began to transform the complex into the Elizabethan palace that survives today.
The sumptuous period rooms are impressive, from the vast and kitsch frescoes by Lanscroon above the balustraded staircase to the mahogany bed, brass and enamel toilets and decorative wall hangings of the state bedroom. Many rooms throughout the castle were remodelled in the Jacobean style in the early 1900s, hence the proliferation of oak panelling and elaborate plasterwork ceilings. The former ballroom houses the Clive Museum – named after the diplomat Robert Clive (aka Clive of India on account of his political and military deeds in the country during the mid-eighteenth century), and his son Edward, who married into the family in 1784; it’s a remarkable collection of diaries, notes, letters, paintings, tapestries, weapons and jewels.
The gardens, designed by Welsh architect William Winde, are spectacular. Dropping down from the castle in four huge, stepped terraces, the design has barely changed since the seventeenth century, with a charming orangery and trim topiary.
Arrival and information welshpool
By train The station is at the bottom of Severn St, behind the neo-Gothic turrets of the old Victorian station.
Destinations Aberystwyth (9–10 daily; 1hr 30min); Birmingham (6–8 daily; 1hr 30min); Machynlleth (9–10 daily; 1hr); Newtown (9–10 daily; 15min); Shrewsbury (9–10 daily; 25min).
By bus Buses use the Old Station on Severn Rd.
Destinations Llanidloes (Mon–Sat 6 daily; 1hr 20min); Llanfyllin (Mon–Sat 4 daily; 35min); Llanymynech (Mon–Sat 5 daily; 30min); Montgomery (Mon–Sat 7 daily; 25min); Oswestry (Mon–Sat 5 daily; 45min); Shrewsbury (Mon–Sat 6 daily; 50min).
Tourist office Just off Church St in the Vicarage Gardens car park (Mon–Sat 9.30am–5pm, Sun 10am–4pm; 01938 552043, visitwelshpool.org); they’ve got stacks of information and a National Express bus- and train-booking service.
The Bay Tree 5–6 Church St, SY21 7DL 01938 555456. Eccentrically decorated café featuring, among many things, a telephone box, seating culled from a Waltzer and a room themed on Alice in Wonderland – once you’ve digested all that, settle back with a cuppa and a sandwich. Mon–Thurs 9am–5pm, Fri & Sat 9am–midnight.
Royal Oak The Cross, SY21 7DG 01938 552217, royaloakwelshpool.co.uk. Traditional Georgian coaching inn with spruce rooms in three sizes. The restaurant offers a cracking grazing menu (try the honey and mustard mini-sausages, £6) and a fuller menu of seasonal dishes (rump of lamb with creamed potatoes and rosemary gravy, for example, £16). The adjoining café/bar is a relaxing spot to kick back with a coffee or glass of wine. Daily: restaurant noon–3pm & 6–10pm; café/bar 9am–11pm. £99
Trefnant Hall Farm Four miles southwest, beyond Powis Castle, SY21 8AS 01686 640262, trefnanthall.co.uk. You’ll need your own transport to get to this isolated Georgian farmhouse, whose three flowery rooms have delightful views of sloping green fields. Guests are free to use the lounge with its gorgeous fireplace. £65
Cardigan Bay (Bae Ceredigion) takes a huge bite out of the west Wales coast, leaving behind the Pembrokeshire peninsula in the south and the Llŷn in the north. Between them lies the Cambrian coast, a loosely defined mountain-backed strip periodically split by tumbling rivers, which stretches from Cardigan up to Harlech. Large sand-fringed sections are peppered with low-key coastal resorts, peopled in the summer by families from the English Midlands.
The southern Ceredigion coast is broken by some spirited little ports, all soaked in a relaxed, upbeat and firmly Welsh culture: the old county town of Cardigan; higgledy-piggledy New Quay; and pretty Georgian Aberaeron. Ceredigion’s main town is ebullient Aberystwyth, a great base for the waterfalls and woods of the Vale of Rheidol.
To the north, the flat river plain and rolling hills of the Dyfi Valley lay justifiable claim to being one of the greenest corners of Europe. Their focal point is the genial town of Machynlleth, a candidate for the Welsh capital in the 1950s and site of Owain Glyndŵr’s embryonic fifteenth-century Welsh parliament. Machynlleth looks up at one of Wales’ most inspirational mountains, Cadair Idris (2930ft), incised by the Talyllyn Valley (with its toy railway) and the delightful Dysynni Valley. On its northern flank, the beautiful Mawddach estuary snakes its way seaward from grey-stone Dolgellau, springboard for the mountain biking and forest pursuits at Coed-y-Brenin. The coast begins to feel more like North Wales at hilltop fortress of Harlech where the castle overlooks the dunes and the Llŷn.
An ancient former port of CARDIGAN (Aberteifi), which sits at the lowest bridging point of the River Teifi, was founded by the Norman lord Roger de Montgomery in 1093 around a castle, itself recently reopened after a decade-long renovation programme. From the castle, Bridge Street sweeps up to the turreted oddity of the Guildhall, through which you access the town’s covered market, an eclectic mix of fresh food, local crafts and secondhand stalls.
Green St, SA43 1JA • Daily: April–Sept 10am–4pm; Oct–March 11am–3pm • £4.50 • 01239 614131, cardigancastle.com
Just a stone’s throw from Cardigan’s medieval bridge, is Cardigan Castle, originally constructed in 1093 but which, in 1171, was the first Welsh castle to be made of stone. Despite the presence of four of the seven original towers, it doesn’t much resemble a castle at all these days – though that’s not to detract from its charm.
At the heart of the complex is Castle Green House, a handsome Georgian pile dating from 1808 that now accommodates several superb exhibitions, one of which focuses on the castle’s last resident, Barbara Wood, who lived here from 1940 until 1999, by which time the place was virtually uninhabitable – on display is her rather bashed-up doll’s house, rusting typewriter and items of correspondence. Other rooms are devoted to the Welsh eisteddfod (Cardigan was the site of the first eisteddfod in 1176) and the town’s history, in particular its prestigious shipbuilding heritage. Between 1792 and 1840, more than 140 vessels were built here. Fronting the house are the perfectly manicured lawns of the Regency Gardens, around which are dotted various objects of interest, including an oversized replica of the eisteddfod chair from 1176 and a World War II pillbox, positioned here in the event of a German offensive emanating from Ireland.
Teifi Marshes, SA43 2TB • Daily: Easter–Oct 10am–5pm; Nov–Easter 10am–4pm • Free • 01239 621600, welshwildlife.org
An elegant, modern, timber-and-glass structure in the centre of the Teifi Marshes, the Welsh Wildlife Centre is home to informative displays and an airy café with expansive views over the reserve, plus an adventure playground to keep kids entertained. You can easily spend half a day here exploring the four themed trails, the shortest of which is an easy ten-minute stroll around the meadow, and the longest a 45-minute walk through the wetlands. There are also seven observation hides (including an otter hide) dotted around the reserve, with binocular rental available. This area is best explored, however, on canoe trips run by Heritage Canoes (01239 613961, heritagecanoes.squarespace.com), based in Slate Cottage just below the wildlife centre; they offer tours of the river and Cilgerran Gorge (2hr 30min; £35/person), with an emphasis on spotting local wildlife.
Cilgerran, a couple of miles up the Teifi River from Cardigan • Daily: April–Oct 10am–5pm; Nov–March 10am–4pm • April–Oct £3.20; Nov–March free; CADW • 01239 621339, cadw.gov.wales/daysout/cilgerran-castle
The attractive village of CILGERRAN clusters behind the bulk of its castle, on a high wooded bluff above the river. This is the site of an attack in 1109 that culminated in the abduction of Nest (the “Welsh Helen of Troy”) by a love-struck Prince Owain of Powys. Her husband, Gerald of Pembroke, escaped the attack by slithering down a toilet waste chute through the castle walls. The two massive drum towers still dominate the castle, and the outer walls are traced by vertiginously high walkways. The outer ward is a good example of the keepless castle that evolved in the thirteenth century.
The best destination on the lovely south Ceredigion coast is tiny TRESAITH, eight miles northeast of Cardigan, which staggers down impossibly narrow lanes to a delightful beach and the Ship Inn. A few yards around the rocks to the right, a refreshing small waterfall cascades right onto the beach.
Four miles north of Tresaith, LLANGRANNOG comes wedged between bracken- and gorse-beaten hills, the streets winding to the tiny seafront. The beach can become horribly congested in midsummer, when it’s better to follow the cliff path to Cilborth Beach and on to the glorious National Trust-owned headland, Ynys Lochtyn.
Arrival and information cardigan and around
By bus Buses to Cardigan stop on Finch Square.
Destinations Aberaeron (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 3; 1hr); Aberystwyth (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 3; 1hr 45min); Cenarth (Mon–Sat hourly; 15min); Cilgerran (5 daily; 15min); Llangrannog (2 daily; 15min); New Quay (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 5; 45min); Tresaith (2 daily; 10min).
Tourist office Theatr Mwldan, Bath House Rd (term time Tues–Sat 10am–1pm & 2–4pm; hols Mon–Sat same times; 01239 613230, visitcardigan.com).
Caemorgan Mansion Caemorgan Rd, a mile northeast of Cardigan just off the A487, SA43 1QU 01239 613297, caemorgan.com. An outstanding level of comfort and hospitality awaits at this marvellous guesthouse, whose five rooms have been appointed to the highest order, and include, among other things, luxury Egyptian cotton, underfloor heating and smart drinks stations with fresh milk. You won’t find better cooked Welsh breakfasts anywhere. £120
Ffynnon Fendigaid Rhydlewis, 3 miles south of Llangrannog, SA44 5SR 01239 851361, ffynnonf.co.uk. Eclectically decorated rural B&B in six acres of semi-wild grounds – they’ve also got a beautifully furnished circus wagon sleeping two and a Swedish lodge with a 1960s, retro-inspired interior (sleeping four). Walkers and cyclists are particularly welcome, with pick-ups and drop-offs possible. B&B £80, wagon £80, lodge £85
Llety Caravan Park Tresaith, SA43 2ED 01239 810354, lletycaravanpark.co.uk. Amid the static caravans there’s a wonderful (if significantly sloping) cliff-top field for tents and tourers with a pretty footpath that descends straight to the beach. Friendly, and with excellent shower blocks. £17
Llety Teifi Pendre, SA43 1JU 01239 615566, lletyteifi-guesthouse.co.uk. A raspberry-pink boutique guesthouse with ten contemporary rooms in a Victorian townhouse with its own restaurant/bar. Breakfast is taken in the conservatory. £75
YHA Poppit Sands 4 miles northwest of Cardigan, SA43 3LP 01239 612936, yha.org.uk/hostel/poppit-sands. Remote hostel on the northern end of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, with great views; male and female dorms, all with six beds and shared shower facilities, plus doubles, and a self-catering kitchen. The #407 bus stops within half a mile. Closed Nov–Feb. Dorms £15, doubles £50
Ferry Inn St Dogmaels, just over a mile west of Cardigan, SA43 3LF 01239 615172, ferry-inn.co.uk. Enviably sited right beside the Teifi, this rambling delight of a pub offers loads of seating areas (including upper and lower alfresco decks) where you can enjoy a range of tasty meals such as the house bouillabaisse or fish pie (£14.95). Great beer, too. Daily noon–11.30pm; kitchen noon–3pm & 6–9pm.
Pendre Art Gallery and Café 35 Pendre, Cardigan, SA43 1JL 01239 615151. Formerly a minor shopping complex, this place is heaps of fun, from the 70s retro tables and sofas at the front, through to the back room arranged with furnishings culled from pallets, coffee sacks and the like. Fri nights are given over to an evening of tapas, while Sat is cocktail night. Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, plus Fri & Sat 6.30pm–late.
Pizzatipi 1 Cambrian Quay, Cardigan, SA43 1EZ 01239 612259, pizzatipi.co.uk. The main reason to visit this easy-going waterside café is to dine on wood-fired pizza (£8) and craft beer under the ingeniously conceived pizza tepee. Occasional live music and events. June–Sept daily noon–9.30pm.
Dolphin-spotting from New quay
One of only two pods in Britain, the Cambrian coast’s bottlenose dolphins are among New Quay’s major attractions, and can often be seen frolicking by the harbour wall, particularly when the tide is full and the weather calm. A mile-wide strip of the coastal waters forms the Ceredigion Marine Heritage Coast, in summer plied by boat trips geared around sightings. The best trips are those run by Dolphin Survey Boat Trips (part of the CBMWC; April–Oct daily; £17.50 for 90min, £20 for 2hr, £38 for 4hr, £60 for 8hr; 01545 560032, dolphinsurveyboattrips.co.uk). Your fee goes towards marine mammal research, partly undertaken by the on-board ranger.
NEW QUAY (Cei Newydd) lays claim to being the original Llareggub in Dylan Thomas’s Under Milk Wood. Certainly, it has the little tumbling streets, prim Victorian terraces, cobbled stone harbour and air of dreamy isolation that Thomas evoked in his play. Although there is a singular lack of excitement in town, it’s a pleasant base for good beaches, dolphin-spotting and walks along the rocky promontory of New Quay Head, where the invigorating coast path steers along the top of aptly named Bird Rock.
Glanmor Terrace, SA45 9PS • April–Oct daily 9am–5pm • Free • 01545 560224, cbmwc.org
Tucked away down the slipway above New Quay’s beach, the Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre (CBMWC) has excellent interactive and interpretative displays on the dolphins, seals and seabirds of Cardigan Bay. They also organize (weather permitting) daily whale- and dolphin-watching boat trips (see above).
Arrival and information new quay
By bus Buses stop at the top of Church St.
Destinations Aberaeron (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 3; 20min); Aberystwyth (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 3; 1hr); Cardigan (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 5; 50min).
Tourist office On the corner of Church St and Wellington Place (Easter & summer holidays only Mon–Sat 10am–1pm & 2–4pm; 01545 560865, discoverceredigion.co.uk).
The Black Lion Glanmor Terrace, SA45 9PT 01545 561144, blacklionnewquay.co.uk. Dylan Thomas’s favourite New Quay watering hole has been smartened up considerably, with nine rooms (five with superlative sea views) characterized by high ceilings, sash windows and stripy, boldly coloured curtains. £75
Hungry Trout 2 South John St, SA45 9NG 01545 560680, thehungrytrout.co.uk. A couple of delightful rooms, both with sea views, above New Quay’s finest seafood restaurant, where you might try smoked Teifi sewin (sea trout) with asparagus (sorrel) and capers. Outside seating for summer evenings. Daily 9am–3pm & 6–9pm. £95
The Lime Crab South John St, SA45 9NP 01545 561400, limecrab.com. Eye-catching fish-and-chip shop that offers a slightly more refined take on your average chippie, with the likes of scallops, salt-and-pepper squid and mackerel goujons, all for around £7–8. Daily noon–8pm.
Seahorse Inn Margaret St, SA45 9QJ 01545 560736. This fine, traditional local, a world away from the holiday bustle down the street, is little more than one room with exposed stonework, fake beams, pool table and a limited range of good ales. Known to Dylan Thomas as the Commercial, it was the model for the Sailor’s Arms in Under Milk Wood. Daily 11am–11.30pm.
ABERAERON, seven miles northeast of New Quay, comes as something of a surprise. This little nugget of Georgian architecture was built by the Reverend Alban Gwynne, who spent his wife’s inheritance dredging the Aeron estuary and constructing a planned town around it as a new port for Mid-Wales. The colourful terraces of quoin-edged buildings around Alban Square and along Quay Parade are undeniably pretty, though the moneyed weekenders from Cardiff (and even London) are more interested in the excellent array of places to stay as well as the good restaurants. Aberaeron’s beach is unappealing, so head out along the coast path or just amble around the streets and waterfront and graze in its cafés and pubs.
Ciliau Aeron, A482, 3 miles east of Aberaeron, SA48 8DG • House April–Oct daily 11.30am–4pm; parkland daily 10.30am–5pm • March–Oct £7.45; Nov–March £3.75 (parkland only); NT • 01545 570200, nationaltrust.org.uk/llanerchaeron • Bus #T1 stops on the main road, 1 mile from the site
Aberaeron’s one essential sight, Llanerchaeron is the substantially restored remains of a late eighteenth-century Welsh country estate, which today boasts exquisite kitchen gardens and a pristine, Nash-designed main house. The original, mostly Edwardian set-piece rooms only hint at the fact that this was someone’s home little more than two decades ago. This is much more apparent in the servants’ quarters and the serviced courtyard which acted as laundry, dairy, salting room and home brewery.
ARRIVAL AND information ABERAERON
By bus The main bus stop is on the north side of Alban Square, from where it’s a walk across the road down towards the harbour area.
Destinations Aberystwyth (Mon–Sat every 30min, Sun 3; 40min); Cardigan (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 3; 1hr); Carmarthen (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 3; 1hr 30min); New Quay (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 3; 20min).
Tourist office Down by the harbour at 3 Pen Cei (Mon–Wed, Fri & Sat 10am–4pm; school summer hols daily 10am–4pm; 01545 570602, discoverceredigion.co.uk).
Cadwgan 10 Market St, SA46 0AU 01545 570149. Unpretentious local that’s like walking into someone’s living room: someone who serves a rotating roster of real ales and a few bar snacks, that is. Daily noon–11.30pm.
Harbourmaster Hotel 1 Pen Cei, SA46 0BT 01545 570755, harbour-master.com. Wonderful hotel with ultra-modern rooms with crisp white linen softened by Welsh wool throws. The restaurant (£35 for three courses) serves the likes of Cardigan Bay crab cake with pink grapefruit and ginger mayo, or you might plump for crispy cockles with chilli vinegar salt in the bistro, which also serves breakfast until 11.45am. Daily: bistro 8am–late; restaurant noon–2.30pm & 6–9pm. £145
The Monachty Market St, SA46 0AS 01545 570389, monachtyaberaeron.co.uk. A respectable semi-budget option in a town full of otherwise pricey establishments. Seven light-filled rooms come with big dollops of colour, and despite being above a pub, are well insulated. It’s dog-friendly, too. £80
Naturally Scrumptious 18 Market St, SA46 0AX 01545 574733. Excellent deli groaning with Welsh cheese, pies, posh sausages and panini; otherwise, content yourself with the best cakes in town (hazelnut and amaretti, raspberry and almond) and a freshly brewed coffee in the breezy café to the rear. Mon–Sat 9.30am–4.30pm.
The liveliest seaside resort in Wales, ABERYSTWYTH is an essential stop. With two long, gentle bays curving around between rocky heads, its position is hard to beat, and being rooted in all aspects of Welsh culture, it is possibly the most enjoyable and relaxed place to gain an insight into the national psyche. As the capital of sparsely populated Mid-Wales, and with one of the most prestigious university colleges in the country, it offers plenty of things to do, and has a nice array of Victorian and Edwardian seaside trappings. Politics here are firmly radical Welsh – in a country that still struggles with its inherent conservatism, Aberystwyth is a blast of fresh air.
Railway Cliff Terrace, SY23 2DN • April–June, Sept & Oct daily 10am–5pm; July & Aug daily 10am–6pm; winter hours are unpredictable, so check in advance • £5 return • Camera obscura April–Oct daily 11am–4pm • £1 • 01970 617642, aberystwythcliffrailway.co.uk
The 430ft-high Constitution Hill (Y Graig Glais) rises sharply from the rocky beach at the long Promenade’s northern end. It’s accessible on foot, though if you don’t fancy the invigorating but stiff walk up, you can take the clanking 1896 Cliff Railway, which creeps up the crooked tracks at scarcely more than walking pace from the grand terminus building at the top of Queen’s Road, behind the Promenade. On a clear day, the views of Cardigan Bay are fantastic.
At the top of Constitution Hill you’ll find a café, picnic area, telescopes and an octagonal camera obscura, a device popular in the pre-TV era using a mirror and hefty lens to project close-up and long-shot views over the town, the surrounding mountains and bays. The existing structure was built in 1985 on the ground plan of the Victorian original, but with its scale expanded to make it the largest of its type in the world.
Terrace Rd, SY23 2AQ • Mon–Sat: Easter–Oct 10am–5pm; Nov–Easter noon–4.30pm • Free • 01970 633088, ceredigion.gov.uk
From the bottom of Constitution Hill, the Promenade – officially Marine Terrace – arcs away to the south, past ornate benches decorated with snakes, a continuous wall of hotels and guesthouses, a prim bandstand and a shingle beach.
The Ceredigion Museum is atmospherically housed over three floors in the ornate Edwardian Coliseum music hall, which functioned as a variety theatre until the 1930s and then as a cinema until 1977; much to the delight of the locals, screenings resumed here in 2016, with fortnightly showings (typically, and fittingly, old classics). Mementos of the building as a theatre and cinema give a sense of place to an otherwise wonderfully disparate collection. A fascinating section charts the seafaring exploits in the bay, where more than a thousand ships were built during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries – look out for the barometer designed by Robert Fitzroy, captain of HMS Beagle during Darwin’s voyage to Tierra del Fuego.
Penglais Rd, SY23 3BU • Mon–Fri 9.30am–6pm, Sat 9.30–5pm • Free • Guided tours Mon 11am & Wed 2.15pm; 1hr • £5 • 01970 632800, llgc.org.uk • Bus #03 (Mon–Sat every 20min; Sat & Sun hourly) from the bus station
In the lively university area, east of town, the massive white-stone Edwardian National Library of Wales possesses fine manuscripts including the oldest extant Welsh text – the twelfth-century Black Book of Carmarthen – and the earliest manuscript of The Mabinogion. Occasionally these form part of the typically excellent temporary exhibitions. Displays from the permanent collection of books, manuscripts and papers include the World of the Book, which looks at the history of the written word and publishing in Wales. Also here is the Nanteos Cup, an ancient mazer bowl, or chalice, discovered at Strata Florida around 1880. Actually little more than a fragment of wood, albeit one with alleged healing properties, the cup (named after the nearby mansion in which it was kept, by a group of monks, for many years) is believed by some to be the holy grail, though it more likely dates from the fourteenth or fifteenth century; regardless, its mythological status ensures a steady stream of devotees.
Arrival and information aberystwyth
By train Vale of Rheidol and mainline trains (to Machynlleth: 10–12 daily; 30min) use the same station on Alexandra Rd, a 10min walk from the seafront.
By bus The main bus station is adjacent to the train station on Alexandra Rd.
Destinations Aberaeron (Mon–Sat every 30min, Sun 3; 40min); Cardigan (Mon–Sat every 30min, Sun 3; 1hr 45min); Machynlleth (hourly; 40min); New Quay (Mon–Sat every 30min, 3 on Sun; 1hr).
Tourist office Sharing the entrance with the Ceredigion Museum, Terrace Rd (Mon–Sat 10am–5pm; 01970 612125, discoverceredigion.gov.uk).
Glan y Môr Leisure Park Clarach Bay, 3 miles north, SY23 3DT 01970 828900, sunbourne.co.uk; map. On the other side of Constitution Hill, with on-site caravans and tent pitches, plus a superb range of leisure facilities including (for a fee) a heated indoor pool and gym. £25
Gwesty Cymru 19 Marine Terrace, SY23 2AZ 01970 6122252, gwestycymru.com; map. This classy guesthouse offers eight colour-themed, artfully designed rooms (four with sea view), each with hand-crafted oak furnishings inlaid with slate, crisp white cotton sheets and applestone-tiled bathrooms. They also have an excellent restaurant (see below). £90
Maes-y-Môr 25 Bath St, SY23 2NN 01970 639270, maesymor.co.uk; map. Brightly painted and very central guesthouse with nine rooms (seven twins, a double and a family room), though bathrooms are shared; there’s a kitchen for guest use, as well as laundry facilities. Breakfast not included. £50
Yr Hafod 1 South Marine Terrace, SY23 1JX 01970 617579, yrhafod.co.uk; map. Good-value seafront accommodation, with spacious, well-maintained and tastefully decorated rooms (some en-suite and several with sea views). £70
Agnelli’s 3 Bridge St, SY23 1PY 07969 959466; map. You’ll find the best espresso for miles around at this warm and welcoming Italian-run deli/café. Hot drinks go down a treat with a slice of Sicilian cannoli with vanilla; there’s more substantial food too, such as grilled Tuscan sausages with pancetta (£8) or baked aubergines in a parmesan crust. Mon–Sat 10am–8pm.
Gwesty Cymru 19 Marine Terrace, SY23 2AZ 01970 6122252, gwestycymru.com; map. The accomplished slate-floored restaurant of this hotel (see above) offers an exciting, thoroughly modern Welsh menu featuring the likes of Welsh lamb rump with sautéed kale, leeks and Parmentier potatoes (£19.50), and Welsh honey and lavender crème brûlée. Mon–Sat noon–2.30pm & 6–9pm, Sun noon–2.30pm.
Pysgoty The Harbour, South Promenade, SY23 1JY 01970 624611, pysgoty.co.uk; map. Located in a former public convenience, the “Fish House” fully deserves its many plaudits. A tiny space, with just four tables inside and half a dozen outside, the restaurant serves more or less whatever comes in off the boat that day, so you might end up with wild turbot with chorizo mash or fillet of John Dory with pea and mint risotto (£18), but you’ll usually find a couple of house staples such as Cardigan Bay lobster with herb butter (£18.50). Tues & Wed 10am–5pm, Thurs–Sat 10am–10pm.
Ultracomida 31 Pier St, SY23 2LN 01970 630686, ultracomida.co.uk; map. Spain comes to Aber in this fabulous deli, its walls lined with Iberian wines and meats, alongside Welsh cheeses and all manner of other goodies. You can sample tapas (£4–5), like croquetas with Welsh cheddar and chilli jam, or deep-fried Basque peppers in tempura batter, in the casual restaurant/bar at the rear, which is also a cool spot to kick back with a coffee. Deli Mon–Sat 10am–6pm, Sun noon–5pm; restaurant Mon 10am–5pm, Tues–Sat 10am–10pm, Sun noon–4pm.
Ship and Castle Corner of Vulcan and High sts, SY23 1JG 01970 612334; map. Much smarter inside than out, this nicely refurbished pub offers a pool table and a great jukebox, and takes considerable pride in having the best selection of real ales in town. Mon 4pm–midnight, Tues–Sun 2pm–midnight.
Aberystwyth Arts Centre The University, Penglais, SY23 3DE 01970 623232, aberystwythartscentre.co.uk. The town’s main venue for arthouse cinema, touring theatre, classes, events and wide-ranging temporary exhibitions.
Côr Meibion Aberystwyth Aberystwyth Rugby Cub, Plascrug Ave, SY23 1HL 01970 202980, aberchoir.co.uk. Visitors are welcome to attend rehearsals of the local male voice choir, which take place every Thurs 7–8.30pm.
Inland from Aberystwyth, the River Rheidol winds its way up to a secluded, wooded valley, where old industrial workings have sometimes moulded themselves into the contours, rising up past waterfalls and hamlets to Devil’s Bridge. The latter is best accessed by narrow-gauge railway; otherwise you need your own transport.
Park Ave, Aberystwyth, SY23 1PG • April–Oct 2–4 trains most days • £21 return • 01970 625819, rheidolrailway.co.uk
Steam trains on the narrow-gauge Vale of Rheidol Railway wheeze their way along steep hillsides from the Aber terminus to Devil’s Bridge, some twelve miles distant. It was built in 1902, ostensibly for the valley’s lead mines but with a canny eye on its tourist potential as well, and has run ever since. The trip takes one hour each way (though you can break your journey at any of the seven intermediate stations), and is most enjoyable from the comfortable first-class observation carriage (£3 extra each way) or the open-sided “summer car”.
Devil’s Bridge, A4120, 12 miles east of Aberystwyth, SY23 3JW • 01970 890233, devilsbridgefalls.co.uk
Folk legend, incredible scenery and travellers’ lore combine at DEVIL’S BRIDGE (Pontarfynach), a tiny settlement that can be reached by road or, far more scenically, via the Vale of Rheidol Railway, whose upper terminus is here (see above). The bridge spanning the chasm of the churning River Mynach is actually three stacked bridges: the eleventh-century original, a stone arch from 1753 and the modern road bridge.
Easter–Oct daily 9.30/9.45am–5/6pm • Punch Bowl £1 in the turnstile; Mynach Falls £3.75 at the ticket office by the entrance to the walks – outside office hours, and Nov–Easter, pay £2 in the turnstile
Beyond the turnstile on Devil’s Bridge, head down slippery steps to the deep cleft for a remarkable view of the Punch Bowl, where the water pounds and hurtles through the gap crowned by the bridges. Across the road from the Punch Bowl the trails around the crashing Mynach Falls offer even more dramatic sights as the path tumbles down into the valley below the bridges. The scenery here is magnificent: sharp, wooded slopes rise away from the frothing river and distant mountain peaks surface on the horizon.
A44, 9 miles east of Aberystwyth, SY23 3AB • Visitor centre daily 10am–5pm • Free • 01970 890453, naturalresources.wales/bwlchnantyrarian • Bus #525 (Mon–Sat; 20min) from Aberystwyth stops outside
Bwlch Nant yr Arian is a prominent activity centre, as well as being one of the country’s most important red kite feeding centres. From the visitor centre, which has a decent café with a lovely deck, three well-marked walking trails (30min, 1hr & 2hr) head out into the evergreen forest and among the abandoned lead-mining detritus. The easiest and shortest trail loops around a lake past the kite hide, a superb spot for watching the daily red kite feeding (3pm, 2pm in winter) when 20lb of beef and lamb lure up to two hundred kites. The woods also offer top-class mountain biking, with three dedicated trails: two red (5.6 miles and 11 miles) and one black (22 miles; 4–5hr); pick up a trail map from the shop. There are no rentals.
Eighteen miles northeast of Aberystwyth is MACHYNLLETH (pronounced “ma-hun-cthleth”), a bustling little place with a great vibe, as well as being the undisputed centre of all things New Age, thanks in large part to the nearby Centre for Alternative Technology. The wide main street, Heol Maengwyn, is busiest on Wednesdays, when a lively market springs up; Heol Penrallt intersects this at the fussy clocktower.
Heol Maengwyn, SY20 8EE • Easter–Sept Mon–Sat 11am–3pm • Free • 01654 702932, canolfanglyndwr.org
The Owain Glyndŵr Centre, in the partly fifteenth-century Parliament House, charts the course of Glyndŵr’s life, his military campaigns, his downfall, and the 1404 parliament in the town, when he controlled almost all of what is now known as Wales and even negotiated international recognition of the sovereign state (see below).
Heol Penrallt, SY20 8AJ • Mon–Sat 10am–4pm • Free • 01654 703355, moma-machynlleth.org.uk
The Museum of Modern Art, Wales, housed in a beautifully serene old chapel, hosts temporary exhibitions. It also has a peaceful, arty café, and is the place to go for films, theatre, comedy and concerts. The Gŵyl Machynlleth festival (machynllethfestival.co.uk) is held here in August, which combines classical and folk music with theatre and debate.
A487, 3 miles north of Machynlleth, SY20 9AZ • Daily: April–Oct 10am–5pm; Nov–March 10am–4pm; guided tours (1hr; free) daily 2pm in the school hols • April–Oct £8.50; Nov–March free • 01654 705950, cat.org.uk • Bus #34 (Mon–Sat hourly–every 2hr) from Machynlleth
After the oil crisis of 1974, seven acres of a once-derelict slate quarry were turned into the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT), an almost entirely sustainable community. At one stage, eighty percent of the power was generated from wind, sun and water, but this is no back-to-the-land hippy commune. Much of the on-site technology was developed and built here, though with the rise of eco-consciousness the emphasis has shifted more towards promoting its application in urban situations. CAT’s water-balanced cliff railway (Easter–Oct) whisks visitors 200ft up from the car park to the beautiful main site, sensitively landscaped using local slate and wood, and you can easily spend half a day sauntering around. There’s plenty for kids, a good wholefood restaurant and an excellent shop.
Corris Craft Centre, Corris, 6 miles north of Machynlleth, SY20 9RE • Tours all year on demand, book ahead • Taster (50min) £12.50, Explorer (2hr) £27, Expedition (4hr) £52 • 01654 761244, corrismineexplorers.co.uk • The #X27 from Machynlleth to Dolgellau runs to the craft centre (Mon–Sat every 45min–1hr, Sun 2; 15min)
In CORRIS, a small former slate-quarrying settlement north of Machynlleth, Corris Mine Explorers takes adventure enthusiasts – kitted out in climbing harnesses and helmets – deep into a cool, dark, disused slate mine that has been barely touched since it closed in 1970. Ancient tallow candles are stuck to the walls, hand drills lie scattered along the passageways and winch flywheels still spin at the slightest touch. Adventurous parties might be clipped into safety wires in order to sidle along the steeply shelving walls of a vast slate cavern, while others might just want to hear fascinating stories about mining life. Wear something warm.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE MACHYNLLETH and around
By train The station is a 5min walk up Heol Penrallt from the town’s central clocktower.
Destinations Aberdyfi (8 daily; 20min); Aberystwyth (10–12 daily; 30min); Harlech (8 daily; 1hr 25min); Porthmadog (8 daily; 2hr).
By bus Buses stop close to Machynlleth’s central clocktower, and many also call at the train station.
Destinations Aberdyfi (Mon–Sat 7 daily, Sun 2; 25min); Aberystwyth (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 3; 45min); Corris (Mon–Sat every 45min–1hr, Sun 2; 15min); Dolgellau (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 2; 30min); Tywyn (Mon–Sat 7 daily, Sun 2; 35min).
Maenllwyd Newtown Rd, SY20 8EY 01654 702928, maenllwyd.co.uk. Comfortable eight-room B&B in a former manse, one of which is a good-sized family option. There is also a large garden, plus off-street parking. £65
Quarry Café Heol Maengwyn, SY20 8EB 01654 702624, thequarrycafemachynlleth.co.uk. This popular wholefood café offers a cracking veggie menu featuring the likes of chilli with Welsh yoghurt and the “Big Mach” burger (lentil patty, soya mayonnaise and a wholesome salad; £5.75). Mon–Fri 9am–4pm, Sat & Sun 10am–3pm.
Wynnstay Arms Heol Maengwyn, SY20 8AA 01654 702941, wynnstay.wales. Some rooms in this former coaching inn have heavy beams, creaky floors and a four-poster, others are relatively modern. While the classic slate-floored restaurant itself is justifiably popular (try grilled plaice with capers and mint butter; £14.50), most people come for the superb pizzeria in an adjoining building to the rear. The bar is a fine place for a beer. Restaurant daily noon–2pm & 6.30–9pm; pizzeria Wed–Sun 4.30–9.30pm; bar daily 11am–11pm. £95
Ynyshir Hall A487, 6 miles southwest of Machynlleth beside the Ynys-hir Nature Reserve, SY20 8TA 01654 781209, ynyshir.co.uk. This sublime country-house hotel in expansive manicured grounds has ten gorgeous rooms, but it’s the Michelin-starred restaurant that really stands out. Dishes such as pollock with black bean, crab with elderflower and wild strawberry, or sheep’s yoghurt with olive oil and wood sorrel are listed on a nine-course lunch menu (£55), eighteen-course dinner menu (£110) or, for the ultimate gastronomic experience, the Chef’s Table (£130). Booking essential. Tues 6.30–9pm, Wed–Sat noon–2pm & 6.30–9pm. £210
The proud maritime heritage of ABERDYFI (Aberdovey) has largely been replaced by its reincarnation as a well-heeled resort. With its south-facing aspect across the Dyfi estuary, it’s a lovely base for exploring the Talyllyn and Dysynni valleys to the north. There’s not much in the way of activities – though you can swim at Cemetery Beach, about a mile and a half north.
Station Rd, Tywyn, 5 miles north of Aberdyfi, LL36 9EY • April–Oct 2–7 trains daily; also some winter weekends (check website for details) • £17.50 unlimited one-day travel • 01654 710472, talyllyn.co.uk
Experience the lower Talyllyn Valley aboard the cute 27-inch gauge Talyllyn Railway, the inspiration for Thomas the Tank Engine. The railway tootles seven miles inland from TYWYN through the delightful wooded valley to the old slate quarries at Nant Gwernol. From 1866 to 1946, the rail line hauled slate to Tywyn Wharf station. Five years after the quarry closed, rail enthusiasts took over the running of services, making this the world’s first volunteer-run railway. The round trip takes just over two hours, but you can get on and off as frequently as the schedule allows, taking in some fine broadleaf forest walks (best at Dolgoch Falls station), or the small village of Abergynolwyn.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION ABERDYFI
By train Aberdyfi is served by two train stations: the request-only Penhelig, 0.5 mile east (the most convenient for the centre of town); and Aberdyfi, 0.5 mile west of the tourist office.
Destinations Machynlleth (9 daily; 20min); Porthmadog (8 daily; 1hr 30min); Tywyn (8 daily; 15min).
By bus The #28 and #X29 from Machynlleth and Tywyn stop close to the tourist office.
Destinations Machynlleth (8 daily; 20min); Tywyn (8 daily; 10min).
Tourist office Wharf Gardens (Easter–Oct daily 9.30am–5pm; 01654 767321, aberdovey.org.uk).
Britannia Inn 13 Seaview Terrace, LL35 0EF 01654 767426, britannia-aberdovey.co.uk. There is usually a lively atmosphere at this town centre pub, especially when the sun comes out and everyone piles onto the deck for the sunset with a pint of real ale. Meals are a significant cut above the usual pub standard and might include Aberdyfi crab (£12.95). Mon–Wed 11am–midnight, Thurs–Sat 11am–1am, Sun noon–midnight; kitchen daily noon–9pm.
Llety Bodfor 1 Bodfor Terrace, LL35 0EA 01654 767475, lletybodfor.co.uk. The fairly typical frontage of this Aberdyfi townhouse hides the town’s swankiest accommodation; singles, doubles and suites, all with sea views. The guest lounge is equipped with a piano, games, DVDs and a stack of vintage vinyl. Breakfast £12. £80
The handsome former county town of DOLGELLAU still maintains an air of unhurried importance, never more so than when the area’s farmers pile into town for market. With the lofty crags of Cadair Idris framing the grey squares and streets, Dolgellau feels as Welsh as it is possible to be.
A470, 8 miles north of Dolgellau, LL40 2HZ • Forest Daily 24hr • Free • Visitor Centre April–Oct daily 9.30am–5pm; Nov–March Mon–Fri 9.30am–4.30pm, Sat & Sun 9am–5pm • 01341 440747, naturalresources.wales/coedybrenin
The vast Coed-y-Brenin forest park is home to some of Wales’ finest mountain biking, with miles of old trackways, roads and eight purpose-built trails crisscrossing the hillsides, offering lung-busting uphill rides and adrenalin-pumping descents. They’re all graded like ski runs: black for experts, red and blue for intermediates and green for family riders. Here, too, is the UK’s first bespoke trail-running centre, with five waymarked routes ranging from a mile-long shoe-test route to a half-marathon distance; there are also superb walking trails, orienteering and geocaching courses, and innovative kids’ play areas. You can rent bikes (£25/3hr, £30/day), buy a pack of trail maps (£2.50; or download free from the website), take a shower (£1) and recover in the very decent café.
ARRIVAL AND information Dolgellau and around
By bus Buses pull into Eldon Square. Most northbound services head inland past Coed-y-Brenin.
Destinations Bala (Mon–Sat 10 daily, Sun 5; 40min); Machynlleth (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 3; 30min); Porthmadog (Mon–Sat 7 daily, Sun 4; 50min).
Bike rental Dolgellau Cycles, Smithfield St (March–Oct daily 9.30am–5pm; Nov–Feb Tues–Sat 9.30am–5pm; 01341 423332, dolgellaucycles.co.uk), rents bikes (£13/half-day, £20/day) suitable for the Mawddach Trail and offers repairs and servicing.
Ffynnon Love Lane, LL40 1RR 01341 421 774, ffynnontownhouse.com. Six impeccable rooms in this large house, variously furnished with mahogany beds, slipper baths and French chandeliers, but all with separate sitting areas and great views. Rates include afternoon tea on arrival and daily newspapers, and there’s an honesty bar in the lounge. Two-night minimum stay at weekends. £150
Graig Wen A493, 5 miles west of Dolgellau near Arthog, LL39 1YP 01341 250482, graigwen.co.uk. Access is steep but the Mawddach estuary views make it all worthwhile at this wonderfully tranquil campsite with B&B. There’s camping in both the upper and lower (car-free) fields, the latter offering a wilder camping experience with compost toilets and campfires. Camping/person £9, doubles £110
Tan y Gader Meyrick St, LL40 1LS 01341 421102, tanygader.co.uk. This sociable guesthouse offers three startlingly original rooms crammed with playful elements alongside a host of thoughtful touches like fresh coffee and shortbread, bedside hand cream and eye masks. Guests are encouraged to use the cosy drawing room, chock-full of books and games, which is also where tea and home-made cake are served upon arrival. £85
Y Meirionnydd Smithfield Square, LL40 1ES 01341 422554, themeirionnydd.com. This solid stone Georgian townhouse has been refashioned as a chic five-roomed hotel with light tones and blond woods offset by feature cushions and curtains; the retro Roberts radios are a great addition. £85
Gwin Dylanwad Smithfield St, LL40 1ET 01341 422870, dylanwad.com. Part café, part bar, this charmingly run establishment is highly respected for the quality of its wines, which go down a treat with the small plates (around £6–8) – herring with mustard mayonnaise, for example, or goat’s cheese with apple and Welsh honey. The place oozes atmosphere, above all in the adjoining glass conservatory. Tues & Wed 10am–6pm, Thurs–Sat 10am–11pm
Siop Coffi T.H. Bridge St, LL40 1BD 01341 423573. This large, perennially busy café was once the town’s ironmongers, as the old fixtures and fittings testify: a long, raised wooden table where folk tap away on laptops, and the former glassed-in office, which is now a snug. Come for freshly made baguettes and paninis, sumptuous cakes and freshly roasted coffee. Mon–Sat 9am–5.30pm, Sun 10am–4pm.
Charming HARLECH, twenty miles northwest of Dolgellau, is one of the highlights of the Cambrian coast, with its time-worn castle dramatically clinging to its rocky outcrop and the town cloaking the ridge behind, commanding one of Wales’ finest views over Cardigan Bay to the Llŷn.
Castle Square, LL46 2YH • March–June, Sept & Oct daily 9.30am–5pm; July & Aug daily 9.30am–6pm; Nov–Feb Mon–Sat 10am–4pm, Sun 11am–4pm • £6.50; CADW • 01766 780552, cadw.gov.wales/daysout/harlechcastle
The substantially complete Harlech Castle sits on a 200ft-high bluff, a site chosen by Edward I to create one more link in his magnificent chain of fortresses. Begun in 1285, it was built of a hard Cambrian rock, known as Harlech grit, hewn from the moat. Harlech withstood a siege in 1295, but was taken by Owain Glyndŵr in 1404. The young Henry VII held out against a seven-year siege at the hands of the Yorkists until 1468, when the castle was again taken. It fell into ruin, but was put back into service for Charles I during the Civil War; in March 1647, it was the last Royalist castle to fall. The first defensive line comprised the three successive pairs of gates and portcullises built between the two massive half-round towers of the gatehouse. Much of the castle’s outermost ring has been destroyed, leaving only the 12ft-thick curtain walls rising up 40ft to the exposed battlements. Only the towering gatehouse prevents you from walking the full circuit. The entrance is through a new visitor centre, linked to the castle by an impressive curving pedestrianized bridge suspended over the moat.
Arrival and information Harlech
By train The train station is on the A496 below the castle.
Destinations Barmouth (8 daily; 25min); Machynlleth (8 daily; 1hr 20min); Porthmadog (8 daily; 20min).
By bus Buses generally call both at the train station and at the southern end of High St.
Destinations Barmouth (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 3; 30min); Porthmadog (Mon–Sat 7 daily; 25min).
Tourist information There’s no tourist office in town, but the castle’s visitor centre (see above) can provide all the information you need on the town and area.
As.Is Castle Square, LL46 2YH 01766 781208, asis-harlech.com. Marvellous little bistro next to the catsle with tables culled from pallets and filament bulbs strung across the ceiling. Refreshingly original food combinations might include radish, mustard and red pepper strudel with kale and walnut puree (£11.50), or lamb Henri with parmesan polenta and salsa verde. Mon, Tues & Thurs–Sat 5.30–9pm.
Castle Cottage Pen Llech, LL46 2YL 01766 780479, castlecottageharlech.co.uk. Established “restaurant with rooms” with a contemporary yet cosily informal feel. The seven rooms are natural-toned and very well appointed, many with massive weathered beams and slate floors. In the gorgeous restaurant, meanwhile, you can choose from a two- or three-course menu (£35/£40), which gets you canapés followed by the likes of pan-seared scallops with avocado and poppy seed dressing. Daily 7–10pm. £130
Cemlyn Tea Shop Stryd Fawr, LL46 2YA 01766 780425, cemlynteashop.co.uk. Upmarket café serving the best loose-leaf teas and espresso coffees around, plus home-made gluten- and dairy-free cakes, and afternoon tea (£6.20). If you can, grab a table on the sunny terrace and soak up the marvellous coastal views. Mid-March to Dec Wed–Sun 9.30am–5pm.
Pen Y Garth Old Llanfair Rd, LL46 2SW 01766 781352, pen-y-garth.co.uk. High-quality, and super-friendly, B&B in a former YHA with three, mostly all-white, rooms, each with a view of either the castle or coast. It’s popular with cyclists, golfers and walkers – they can provide packed lunches. £75
