Angharad Shepherd's Hut at Meurig Cottage

Angharad Shepherd Hut is right beside the River Meurig in the village of Abermeurig for those waterside wanders; Lampeter’s the closest town to the site, about 15 minutes down the road by car. Drop by the ice cream parlour here on a sunny afternoon for a treat as colourful as the cottages that line the streets. About a 20-minute drive in the other direction lands you at Aberaeron beach and village, sitting right on the truly spectacular 60-mile-long Ceredigion Coastal Path. Other beaches in the area include New Quay, half an hour away, where you can sometimes spot seals and dolphins from the harbour wall. For a short – but satisfyingly cultural – detour, head to the National Trust’s Llanerchaeron, an 18th-century estate with a walled garden and ornamental lake. Stop off at this serene spot, a 15-minute drive from Angharad, to explore riverside woodlands or pick up local produce from the on-site farm shop. For a longer day out, it’s got to be the dunes at Ynys-las, just under an hour away up the coast via the seafront buildings and pleasure pier of market town Aberystwyth, 35 minutes away in the car.