Luxury self-catering accommodation in the Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog)
From crumbling castles to heather-cloaked mountain ranges and wildflower meadows calling out to be explored, the Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog) is a diverse landscape offering a memorable self-catering holiday in the heart of the Welsh countryside.
Soaring mountains with cloud-shrouded peaks keeping watch over a patchwork of fields make this landscape a changeable and stunning base for walking holidays in the southern stretches of central Wales. If you can handle a bike, there are many cycle trails to work the pedals but most adventurers head out on foot to the four mountain ranges, hoping to scale the twin peaks of Pen-y-Fan and Corn Du. If your head for heights isn't high, there are walks for all abilities taking visitors over 520 square miles of National Park, or keep feet on cobbled ground and head for Hay literary festival, a book-lovers delight.
Dotting the slopes are the crumbling castles and old cottages that give this area its romantic ambiance, not least Brecon Castle right in the centre of this quaint town. Or Cyfarthfa Castle, holding fast the southern gateway of the Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog) with its museum, gallery, and miniature railway. Aqua fans can take to the pretty River Usk as it bubbles through town: dip in at the Promenade, having hired a canoe or booked onto a guided paddle which is recommended for beginners at low tide and enjoy the landscape as you pass by on the water.
Windfall
Black Mountains, Herefordshire, UK
On the Welsh border in Herefordshire, a Victorian cider mill has been reborn as a rural escape. In Dark Sky territory, this rustic retreat promises Swedish tub soaks under infinite stars.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,550 per week, £1,150 per short break
Pets: One well-behaved dog is welcome
Features: Swedish wood-fired tub
Charity
Black Mountains, Herefordshire, UK
Divinely secluded, Charity is a real wild retreat; set down a mountain road in the Black Mountains of Herefordshire, this luxury country home has a hot tub and sauna.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 guests
From: £3,795 per week, £2,850 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Wood-fired hot tub, sauna, outdoor shower, outdoor pizza oven, table tennis, snooker room, cinema barn and badminton lawn
Celestia
Talybont-on-usk, Brecon Beacons, Wales, UK
Resting on an open clearing beneath the tops of the Brecon Beacons, cocooned by a tangle of woodland, these luxury farmhouses are an ode to mountain living in remote south Wales.
Sleeps: Up to 14 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 8 & Up to 6 guests
From: £3,750 per week, £2,795 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Pool table, Steinway piano, fire pit with grill, and stargazing bowl
