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| Wales
> Mid Wales (Central Wales) |
Relax in the tranquil valleys of Mid Wales. This is the quietest holiday region in Wales, where country lanes wind through unexplored territory and down to remote coastlines. It's great country for pony trekking, fishing, walking, horseback riding, canoeing, sailing and mountain biking. Not to mention riding narrow-gauge railways - if you're into these, this is the place to head.
Mid Wales boasts no fewer than six narrow-gauge railways. Most were built to transport slate back in the slate mining days. A typical specimen, the Talyllyn Railway, has been running from Tywyn to the mountain halt of Nant Gwernol since 1865. On the Talyllyn Railway, as on the others, routes are scenic and engines are well maintained and lovingly polished. The Vale of Rheidol Railway runs from coastal Aberystwyth to Devil's Bridge in the high hills over a series of spectacular waterfalls - where legend holds that an old lady outwitted the Devil. Serves the Devil right for crossing an old lady. The Bala Lake Railways chugs its way alongside the biggest lake in Wales.
Click on the headings to find out more:
Whether you travel by road or rail, you will find Mid Wales a region of cool forests, quiet lakelands, remote uplands and rolling hills, connected by mountain roads with little traffic. Aberystwyth is considered the capital of the area. Not far inland you can enjoy the Victorian appeal of the spa towns of Llandrindod, Llanwrtyd and Llangammarch Wells.
Throughout, the time-honoured Welsh tradition of weaving survives. It was one of Wales' major industries until the 19th century. Many of the local woollen mills in this region welcome visitors.
Much of Mid Wales is taken up with the magnificent Brecon Beacons National Park, great walking country. The 120-mile Glyndwr's Way (named after a Welsh hero) will take you along Offa's Dyke path, but you don't have to walk the whole 120 miles to enjoy Mid Wales or to marvel at the dyke.
Knighton is big with dyke fans. Seen from the right angle, the old dyke can appear 30-feet high here, although the constant treading of feet have worn parts down a little. The town's Welsh name, Tref y Clawdd means "The Town on the Dyke", the dyke in question obviously being Offa's. Dyke enthusiasts should head for the Offa's Dyke Centre in West Street. It's open from Easter to October. The dyke was built by King Offa of Mercia around 784 AD to defend his lands against the marauding Welsh. Saxon doom (law) decreed no Welshman could cross the dyke without being met by an appointed Saxon on the other side, who would escort him around and ensure he returned to Wales again after his visit.
Plenty of towns in these parts have Wells in their names. It means they have spas. The fine old Victorian custom of "taking the waters" for health reasons is no longer fashionable, partly because more households have baths these days and the tight corsets which caused many Victorian maladies have given way to more sensible underclothing.
Builth Wells is a market town with a six-arched, 18th-century bridge spanning the River Wye. It has two springs, one saline and one sulphur, both with reputed healing effects.
Llandrindod Wells was once the largest and most popular Welsh spa. It used to draw 80,000 visitors a year at the height of its popularity in Victorian times. King Charles II, the "Merry Monarch" was the first to popularise it. The townspeople get into the spirit with an annual Victorian festival, complete with fancy dress.
Llangammarch Wells is an excellent spot for salmon and trout fishing.
Llanwrtyd Wells is a little pony trekking centre with an attractive little village next to a small spa.
Abergavenny styles itself the "Gateway to Wales" - it's certainly the gateway to the Brecon Beacons National Park. Many buildings date from Tudor times and an 11th century castle, now in ruins, was the scene of a notorious massacre by William de Braose in 1177.
Powys Castle, one-mile southwest from the town of Welshpool, is a stately, red-stone building, which began life in the 13th century as a fortress and has served as an elegant country mansion for many centuries, being restored in a sensitive fashion early in the 20th century. It's well worth a visit, especially the art galleries and the Clive Museum, which commemorates British general and statesman "Clive of India" (1724-74). Clive did much to boost British power in India. He was a member of the family that owns the castle.
Hay-on-Wye is a fantastic place to browse for second-hand books. It's possibly the world's best place for that activity. You can easily spend all day here browsing in the 40 or so second-hand bookshops. A Festival of Literature is held every year. The town's link with books isn't that old - it began in 1961 when Richard Booth, then aged 23, bought a local bookshop for �600. Booth is a colourful character whose genius for publicity has worked wonders to popularise the town. Stunts have included proclaiming himself King of Independent Hay and seceding from Britain in 1977 on April 1 - April Fool's Day. By 1971, Booth had bought Hay Castle (a 17th century mansion in the grounds of the original 13th century castle), parked his Rolls Royce in the drive and established the largest second-hand book-dealing centre in the world. Once a sleepy and historic hollow of no particular significance, Hay-on-Wye is now visited by more than 500,000 people a year.
From a town with only two little hotels, Hay now offers well over 103 hotels and guesthouses. All this in a place with a resident population of about 1600. Booth's formula has proved so successful, at least 15 rural communities around the world are seeking to copy his formula. After you've finished browsing all those books, perhaps wash the dust from your throat with a pint of two at the Three Tuns on Bridge Street - a splendid old pub not to be missed.
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