IMAGES: ALAMY; KERRY WALKER
WEEKENDER
TOP 5
Outdoor Activities
SHEEP TREKKING What could be more Welsh than a walk with a sheep? At Aberhyddnant Farm in Crai, near Brecon, you can do just that with its flock of sheep, which include Jacob, Valais Blacknose and Ouessant (the world’s smallest breed). Bring sturdy footwear for mud and wet weather. From £25 per person.
sheeptrekking.co.uk
Behind-the-scenes tour at Penderyn Distillery, where you can try its single malt whiskies and juniper-based gins
FORAGING Passionate forager Adele Nozedar, author of The Hedgerow Handbook, runs half-day, kid-friendly foraging courses, which give the inside scoop on wild food in the Brecons (from £35 per person). Botanical gin workshops are also available (£40 per person).
breconbeaconsforaging.com
DAY TWO CRICKHOWELL TO PENDERYN
MORNING Crickhowell is capped off by its very own Table Mountain, and that’s where you’re headed aſter a bright and early start. It may not be in the same league as its Cape Town namesake, but this flat-topped, 1,480ſt red sandstone outcrop is still a challenging climb — a rite of passage for local hikers. Once the site of an Iron Age hill fort, it stands sentinel above countryside ribbed with hedgerows and dry-stone walls. Beginning on the Llanbedr Road above Crickhowell, the trail picks its way through a wooded dingle and shadows a brook to reach a sheepfold. From here, it’s an easy climb up and over stile and field to the top and back. The summit rewards your efforts with upliſting views of the Brecons and Black Mountains.
AFTERNOON A half-hour drive west takes you along a beautiful stretch of the A40. Were this not an A road, it would be tempting to drive at 30mph the whole way to your next stop near Sennybridge and admire the views. But if you’re lucky, a tractor will appear. Pause in Defynnog for lunch at The International Welsh Rarebit Centre, a former a schoolhouse that’s now a cafe, art gallery and cultural hub. Accompanied by salads prepared from garden- grown produce, a number of the delicious rarebits on offer deviate from the traditional recipe. These include the likes of Guinness- laced Stout Irish and Summer Rarebit, made with Welsh goat’s cheese, honey, walnuts and lemon zest. It’s as good as cheese on toast gets.
EVENING Post lunch, the road beckons for a short but scenic drive south through the wild heart of the Brecons. Allow sufficient time for gawping at the views of the sweeping peaks, including South Wales’ highest, Pen y Fan, to the east. Aſter 20 minutes or so, you’ll arrive at Penderyn, just in time to catch a distillery tour. Or make straight for the bar for a tasting of its single malt whiskies and traditional juniper-based gins. Should this whet your appetite
for the good life, treat yourself to an overnight stay at Gliffaes hotel, an Italianate Victorian manor on the banks of the River Usk that offers a dash of old-school class. The restaurant menu is weighted towards dishes created using local produce, like supreme of guinea fowl with spring vegetable broth.
WILDERNESS SURVIVAL Bear Grylls Survival Academy has 24-hour courses covering everything from building an emergency shelter to fire lighting. £349 per person. beargryllssurvivalacademy. com
STARGAZING The Brecon Beacons National Park is an International Dark Sky Reserve. Among the best spots are the Crai and Usk Reservoirs, Llanthony Priory, Hay Bluff and Sugar Loaf Mountain.
breconbeacons.org
ADVENTURE SPORTS Brecon-based Black Mountain offers canoe, kayak and mountain bike hire, whitewater rafting, caving, gorge adventures and much more. From £26.
blackmountain.co.uk
Jul/Aug 2020 41
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