The Brecon Beacons

Places to see

While the remote and atmospheric Black Mountain offers the ultimate Great Escape, on its doorstep you will discover gentle lakes, waterfalls and lush countryside.

The Black Mountain is dotted with fascinating places to visit. The charming village of Myddfai was home to the legendary medieval healers known as the Physicians of Myddfai. Today the village is even more famous for its royal residents. Prince Charles and Camilla have made their first Welsh home at Myddfai’s Llwynywermod, a superbly- renovated farmhouse set in 170 acres of parkland. Two luxury cottages on the courtyard have been renovated and are now available for holiday let. Contact The Duchy of Cornwall for more information.

The ruins of Carreg Cennen Castle stand majestically some 900 ft above the River Cennen. The castle is known for its very own vaulted underground passageway which leads to a natural cave, a ghostly cavern deep beneath the fortifications, which may have been inhabited in prehistoric times.

Legend has it that the tunnel was constructed following the murder of a servant, a young lad who was killed as he collected water from a spring in the cliff face. The passage was then cut to ensure that the castle had access to water even in times of siege. Many believed the water contained magical powers.

There’s more thrills and spills at the only Roman gold mine in Britain set in hills near Pumpsaint in the beautiful Cothi Valley. The Dolaucothi Gold Mine dates back some 2000 years to a time when the open-cast gold workings were secured by the Roman army. Once a likely source of gold bullion for the Imperial mints of Lyons and Rome, the mines are still in a remarkable state of preservation despite being abandoned by the Romans in AD 140. Today, a guide will lead you through an underground labyrinth and you can even pan for your own gold.

And don’t miss the experience of walking up to Garn Goch, Wales’s largest Iron Age hill fort. Garn Goch is accessible from Bethlehem, the famously named hamlet that does a roaring postal trade each Christmas.

For the best induction to the Brecon Beacons go to the National Park Visitor Centre in the hills above Libanus, six miles south west of Brecon. It’s full of information on what to do and where to go, serves tasty food - and has sensational views of Pen y Fan.