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Picture Perfect Brecon Beacons

1life2dream
Jun 29, 2016
3 min read

The Brecon Beacons home to some of the finest scenery found in Wales. Take a trek up Pen Y Fan, laze on Llangorse lake, find romance at Henrhyd falls or discover the history of Conwyn Castle. From misty mountains to star gazing and fairytale forests, the Brecons is a shining example of natural beauty in Wales.

Having bought our first motorhome last year, my husband and I decided that we should try to explore places closer to home more often and find out more about what the UK has to offer.

Armed with very little information we took off to the Brecon Beacons. Newbies to the sort of activity holidays you do as a child, two dogs in tow. Was there really going to be anything that would suit us?. . . . . The answer was a unanimous yes.

We pulled up at Lakeside Caravan Park, unsure what to expect and were greeted by stunning views of Llangorse Lake, Wales’ largest natural lake. A perfect place to watch the sunset against the backdrop of the Brecon Beacons National Park.

Having settled in the first night, there were lots of things we learnt quickly: Llangorse is a great base to explore the Brecon Beacons, the walks are abundant and scenery stunning; the area is also very dog friendly which is great news if you want to bring your furry friends as we did. However … . . . . never use a Sat Nav and a motorhome along the narrow country lanes, one of our mistakes and at times quite hair raising. Particularly when ending up in a sodden wet field in the middle of nowhere.

The National Trust and CADW (The Welsh Government’s historic environment services) provide great information on their websites about the Breacon Beacons and surrounding areas.

Long strolls, lazy days and perfect for the budding nature enthusiast, rambler or amateur photographer. Around Llangorse, the village itself is quaint, the local people are very welcoming and there is plenty to do within the vicinity, good pub grub (always important), horse-riding, indoor rock climbing. I would suggest you find yourself as much off the beaten track as possible if only for the peace and tranquility. Having mentioned the fault with the sat nav, it also helped us to discover some unknown walks such as Cwm Llwch horseshoe walk.

Many stunning places are a scenic drive away such as Pen Y Fan, Henrhyd Falls and Raglan Castle. Meandering between the valleys, waterfalls and rolling fields I really felt a sense of freedom. It is an attack on the senses.

It was a cool day when we trekked Pen Y Fan, unbeknown to us we chose the challenging route! We climbed steeply and were rewarded with views over the whole valley. At the top we met people from a whole scope of places and everyone seemed quite peaceful. It is fairly spiritual up there and not anywhere near as touristy as Snowdon, which incidentally has it’s perks so don’t get me wrong. Here, however you could contemplate the meaning of life and just relax like you’ve never before. Handy Tip: Take plenty of water it’s a long trek. There are no tourist facilities e.g. the usual toilets, transport back down. Just nature at it’s best.

A longer drive, but worth a look it Henryhd Falls. Wales’ largest waterfall. Definitely worth a photo or two. Our dogs thoroughly enjoyed the woodland walk around it and it almost felt like you were back to the times of Robin Hood. Lush green fauna, trickling waterfalls, a ruined mill and with a slightl ethereal feel. The place is teaming with wildlife and would make a beautiful backdrop for a photography shoot. The perks are that there is parking available and a route map, but check where you are going first as it is not as obvious as expected.

Enroute home to our week away we stopped in at Raglan Castle, a well preserved castle with an interesting history. Very well maintained and for us, the added bonus of dogs welcome on leads.

The castle itself is a fine example , when we arrived there was a small school trip having a re-enactment educational session. The children clearly loved it and there was ample information for visitors. Explore the winding passages, walk around the Monet style moat or find out about the great hall; the balance between tourism, education and preservation is perfect.