Newcourt Farm Campsite

Your boots will be made for walking: this corner of the Brecon Beacons National Park has footpaths and trails all around to warm you up before tackling the hill walks and mountains, and all in a spectacular part of Wales made up of valleys, waterfalls, caves and open countryside.

There are a couple of walks direct from Newcourt and two long-distance trails cross through the farm: the Offa’s Dyke Path on the eastern border of the national park and the Taff Trail running south from Brecon. The Brecon Beacons Park Society has a full programme of guided walks in the park from moderate to strenuous, and there are lots of routes and maps available from the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority (or just ask Newcourt Farm owner David to point you in the right direction).

The national park’s also where you can get your fill of climbing, birdwatching, caving, canoeing, sailing and other outdoor options; a visitor centre six miles from Brecon has all the info you might need as well as courses and events like pottery workshops and navigation training.

Also around are several Sustrans routes for cyclists as well cycle hire and cycle tour guide companies; mountain bikers have five mountain bike centres and 14 trails from yellow (level one) to ‘killer black’ (bring plasters). Wheels on tour can cycle the Lôn Las Cymru, the route from Cardiff to Holyhead via Brecon (use route 42).

After all that, you hereby have permission to curl up with a book: buy your tomes at the town of books, Hay-on-Wye, about half an hour from Brecon.