Things to do in Powys

Aberystwyth is the principal town of mid-Wales, a university and market town on Cardigan Bay whose long Victorian promenade, the ruins of its medieval castle, the electric cliff railway to Constitution Hill above the town and the cultural importance of the National Library of Wales make it the most significant single destination on the mid-Wales coast. The promenade, extending in a wide curve between the castle headland and the cliff railway at the north end, retains the Victorian and Edwardian seaside character that developed when the railway arrived in 1864 and the town became accessible to visitors from across the Midlands. The Constitution Hill electric cliff railway, opened in 1896 and one of the longest electric cliff railways in the world, ascends the great hill above the north end of the promenade to a camera obscura and viewing platform with exceptional views of Cardigan Bay, the Cambrian Mountains and, on clear days, the entire arc from the Lleyn Peninsula to Pembrokeshire. The great Camera Obscura at the top provides a real-time projected image of the surrounding landscape and town in a Victorian optical technology whose simple fascination has not diminished. The National Library of Wales on the hillside above the town is the copyright library for Wales and houses some of the most significant collections of Welsh language manuscripts and printed books in existence, including the Black Book of Carmarthen and the White Book of Rhydderch, the oldest surviving prose texts in the Welsh language.

Borth Beach is a long, straight sandy shore on Cardigan Bay in Ceredigion, backed by the extensive sand dunes of Ynyslas to the north and the village of Borth itself to the south, a stretch of coastline with an unusually wild and atmospheric character that distinguishes it from the more manicured resort beaches of the Welsh coast. The beach faces west across Cardigan Bay toward the open sea, and the combination of Atlantic exposure, low surf and the wide, flat sands provides a classic beach experience in a landscape that retains considerable natural character. Borth is notable for a remarkable natural phenomenon that occasionally becomes visible at very low tides: the submerged forest of a Bronze Age woodland that grew on this shoreline approximately four to five thousand years ago, before rising sea levels after the last Ice Age gradually flooded the coastal plain. The stumps and fallen trunks of ancient trees emerge from the sand in sections of the beach when conditions are right, providing a direct and tangible connection to a landscape that was human-inhabited woodland several thousand years before the present coastline was established. The legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod, the drowned kingdom of the Welsh lowlands said to lie beneath Cardigan Bay, draws some of its mythological resonance from this visible evidence of actual coastal submergence. The dunes at the northern end of the beach at Ynyslas form part of the Dyfi National Nature Reserve, one of Wales's most important coastal nature reserves, and transition through a classic succession of coastal habitats from mobile dune through fixed dune grassland to the rare dune slack communities that support fen orchid and other nationally scarce plant species. The dune system provides excellent wildlife watching and walking and is managed by Natural Resources Wales. The wide Dyfi Estuary behind the dunes is an internationally important habitat for migratory birds, and the RSPB Ynys-hir reserve on the southern shore of the estuary provides excellent birdwatching facilities.

Brecon Castle is a ruined Norman castle in the centre of Brecon, the market town and principal settlement of the Brecon Beacons National Park in Powys. Founded by Bernard de Neufmarché around 1093 following his conquest of the Welsh kingdom of Brycheiniog, the castle occupies a commanding position above the River Usk at the confluence with the Honddu. The substantial remains of the round tower and curtain walls are incorporated into the grounds of the Castle of Brecon Hotel, which surrounds and overlooks the castle ruins. The town of Brecon is the natural gateway to the Brecon Beacons National Park and contains several significant heritage buildings including Brecon Cathedral, one of the finest medieval churches in Wales. The castle's commanding position above the rivers provides views over the town and the mountain backdrop of the Beacons to the south.

Sturdy stone tower with a turbulent history First built as a basic ‘motte-and-bailey’ castle in the late 11th or early 12th century, Castell Bronllys' surviving stone tower dates from the 13th century. You can still climb the tower’s three floors, where far-reaching views from the highest levels give a good idea of the site’s strategic importance – its location in disputed Marches border territory saw the castle pass from English to Welsh hands several times over the centuries. It was repaired in the early 15th century in response to the native uprising led by Owain Glyndŵr before falling into ruin. Alongside the tower, remnants of walls and the deep fosse (or dry moat) can still be seen.

Castell Crugerydd near Llanfihangel-nant-Melan in Powys is a ruined twelfth-century motte-and-bailey castle in the remote upland landscape of mid-Wales, representing the Norman penetration of this mountainous border country between the Welsh kingdoms of Maelienydd and Elfael. The earthwork castle was part of the network of Norman fortifications attempting to control the Welsh uplands in the twelfth century, a process of repeated advance and retreat as the native Welsh princes resisted colonisation. The remote setting in the upland hills south of Radnor Forest gives the site an atmospheric quality typical of the lesser-known castle earthworks of mid-Wales, where the sparse population and undeveloped landscape preserve medieval earthworks in a condition unusual in more intensively farmed parts of Britain. The surrounding landscape of the Radnorshire hills and the Wye valley provides quiet walking country in one of the least visited but most scenically rewarding parts of Wales.

Clywedog Dam is a substantial concrete arch dam in the upper Severn catchment near Llanidloes in Powys, completed in 1967 and creating the Llyn Clywedog reservoir which serves primarily as a regulating reservoir controlling the flow of the River Severn through central and eastern England. At 72 metres the dam is the tallest in England and Wales, and the reservoir it creates holds 50 million cubic metres of water that can be released to maintain minimum flows in the Severn during dry weather. The reservoir and the surrounding upland landscape of the Cambrian Mountains provide scenic walking, cycling and fishing in one of the more remote parts of mid-Wales. The nearby town of Llanidloes is an attractive market town with a remarkable sixteenth-century half-timbered market hall, and the upper Severn valley between Llanidloes and the reservoir provides some of the most undiscovered landscape in mid-Wales.

Clydach Ironworks in the Clydach Gorge in Powys preserves the remains of one of the earliest coke-smelting ironworks in Wales, established in 1793 using technology pioneered by Abraham Darby at Coalbrookdale. One of the first ironworks in Wales to use coke rather than charcoal for smelting, the site represents an important moment in the industrialisation of the Welsh uplands and the broader Industrial Revolution. Blast furnace ruins, casting houses and ancillary buildings survive within the dramatic wooded gorge of the Clydach river. Managed by Cadw and accessible on foot through the gorge, the site is part of the Brecon Beacons National Park and is one of the most scenically and historically interesting industrial heritage sites in south Wales.

Crickhowell Castle is the ruined remains of a Norman motte-and-bailey castle later converted to stone in the medieval period, standing in the market town of Crickhowell in Powys at the edge of the Black Mountains and the Brecon Beacons National Park. The castle was originally a Turberville family stronghold associated with the conquest of the Welsh kingdom of Brycheiniog and played a role in the medieval history of this contested border zone between English-controlled south Wales and the upland Welsh territories. The remaining round tower and moated earthworks are freely accessible in the town centre. Crickhowell is one of the most attractive small towns in the Brecon Beacons, celebrated for its independent shops, restaurants and the remarkable Table Mountain hill rising directly above the town, providing a demanding but rewarding short walk from the town centre with spectacular views over the Usk valley.

Few places in Wales combine dramatic scenery, history, and folklore quite like Devil’s Bridge. Nestled within the Cambrian Mountains near Aberystwyth, this striking landmark is famous for its unusual crossing of the River Mynach — where not one, but three bridges rise directly above one another. Below the bridges, the River Mynach plunges nearly 300 feet into a steep, wooded gorge, creating the powerful Mynach Falls. The sound of rushing water and the sheer depth of the ravine make this a memorable place to visit, especially when viewed from the winding paths that lead down into the gorge. The Devil’s Bridge Falls Nature Trail offers a well-marked circular walk, complete with stone steps, viewing platforms, and changing perspectives of the waterfalls throughout the seasons. The bridges themselves tell a story stretching back hundreds of years. The lowest structure is believed to have been built in the 12th century, most likely by monks from nearby Strata Florida Abbey. As travel increased, a second bridge was added in 1753, followed by the top bridge in 1901 — the one still used by vehicles today. Together, they form one of the most unusual bridge arrangements in the UK. Of course, no visit would be complete without hearing the legend that gave the site its name. According to local folklore, the first bridge was built by the devil after an old woman struggled to retrieve her cow from the far side of the gorge. In exchange for his help, he demanded the soul of whoever crossed the bridge first. The woman, however, cleverly sent her dog across ahead of her, leaving the devil cheated of his prize. Today, Devil’s Bridge is a popular stop for walkers, photographers, and anyone exploring mid-Wales. With its mix of natural beauty, clever engineering, and centuries-old storytelling, it remains one of the region’s most distinctive and atmospheric places to explore.

Ruined symbol of Welsh defiance Built by Welsh lord Llywelyn ap Gruffydd (Llywelyn the Last) in 1273 on hill above the Severn Valley, Castell Dolforwyn was a flashpoint in Anglo-Welsh relations from the very beginning. When word reached King Edward I about the castle, he wrote to Llewelyn forbidding him to continue with the construction. Llewelyn responded that he did not need the king’s permission to build on his own land and carried on regardless. Unfortunately, Llywelyn’s defiance was to be short-lived. Marcher lord Roger Mortimer took Dolforwyn in 1277 after a two-week siege. The castle was abandoned in the 14th century, falling into disrepair until comparatively recent excavations uncovered its crumbling remains.

The Elan Valley in mid-Wales is a dramatic series of Victorian reservoirs and dams constructed in the Cambrian Mountains of Powys between 1893 and 1952 to supply drinking water to Birmingham, a landscape of considerable visual power whose combination of the great stone dams, the reservoir lakes stretching into the upland valleys and the surrounding moorland and woodland creates one of the most distinctive and most atmospheric reservoir landscapes in Britain. The Elan Valley Visitor Centre provides the interpretation of the engineering heritage and the natural history of the surrounding protected landscape. The six dams of the Elan and Claerwen valleys represent a major feat of Victorian civil engineering, the Craig Goch, Pen y Garreg, Garreg Ddu and Caban Coch dams of the original scheme and the later Claerwen dam being all built from dressed local stone in a design that sought to integrate the massive engineering structures into the landscape rather than simply imposing them upon it. The architecture of the dam faces, with their Gothic and Romanesque details, reflects the Victorian belief that engineering could and should aspire to aesthetic quality. The Elan Valley is one of the finest habitats for red kites in Wales, the upland estate providing the combination of open moorland, improved pasture and woodland that supports a substantial kite population. The walking and cycling on the estate roads and the dramatic scenery of the reservoir landscape make the Elan Valley one of the most rewarding destinations in mid-Wales.

Garwnant is a popular forest visitor centre managed by Natural Resources Wales within the Brecon Beacons National Park, set above the Llwyn-on Reservoir in the Taf Fechan valley. Waymarked trails through conifer woodland and alongside the reservoir offer views toward the summits of Pen y Fan and Corn Du. Facilities include a café, picnic areas and a children's play area. The reservoir was built in the early twentieth century to supply water to Merthyr Tydfil and now attracts wildfowl year-round. Wildlife includes red kite, peregrine falcon and a range of woodland birds typical of upland South Wales.

Hay Castle at Hay-on-Wye in Powys is a fortified medieval castle and later house that has been the subject of a major community restoration project, following decades of ownership by Richard Booth, the self-proclaimed King of Hay who established the town's famous second-hand book trade and transformed it into the book capital of the world. The castle complex combines Norman earthworks, medieval masonry and a seventeenth-century mansion house in various stages of restoration. Hay-on-Wye sits on the English-Welsh border in the Black Mountains foothills and is internationally famous for the Hay Festival of Literature and Arts, one of the world's most prestigious literary festivals held annually in the town. The castle's ongoing restoration and the vibrant book-town culture of Hay combine to create one of the most distinctive and culturally rich heritage destinations in Wales.

Lake Vyrnwy in Montgomeryshire in Powys is the most architecturally impressive of the Victorian water supply reservoirs of Wales, a reservoir of considerable scale created between 1880 and 1888 to supply water to Liverpool whose Gothic dam tower, the Victorian service buildings and the surrounding landscape of conifer forest and Welsh upland create one of the most atmospheric and most completely designed reservoir landscapes in Britain. The reservoir drowned the village of Llanwddyn and its community, one of the most completely documented cases of reservoir-related Welsh village clearance. The straining tower in the middle of the dam, a Gothic structure of considerable architectural ambition, provides the visual centrepiece of the reservoir landscape and one of the most distinctive examples of Victorian architectural confidence applied to industrial infrastructure. The tower, with its pointed windows and castellated top, reflects the Victorian belief that engineering works of all kinds should aspire to architectural quality, and the result is one of the most photographed pieces of Victorian water engineering in Wales. The RSPB reserve around the reservoir provides excellent birdwatching including breeding red kites, peregrines and the upland bird community characteristic of the surrounding moorland. The cycle trail around the reservoir circumference of approximately 16 kilometres provides an excellent outdoor activity in the beautiful lake and forest setting.

Llangorse Lake, known in Welsh as Llyn Syfaddan, is the largest natural lake in South Wales and the second largest in Wales, lying in the Brecon Beacons National Park east of Brecon. Covering approximately 150 acres and set in a broad valley surrounded by the hills of the eastern Beacons, the lake is a Site of Special Scientific Interest supporting significant populations of wintering wildfowl and breeding waterbirds. The lake is also of exceptional early medieval significance: it was the site of a ninth-century crannog, an artificial island settlement built by the kings of Brycheiniog, the only known crannog in Wales, attacked and destroyed by the Mercians in 916 AD. Sailing, windsurfing, kayaking and rowing are all practised on the open water, and the surrounding paths provide walking, birdwatching and horse riding.