We know many of our guests come to stay at The charcoal Hut to relax and unwind, to reconnect with nature and get some time together without constant demands on their attention. They love time in the hut playing board games, painting and enjoying the views. They also tell us that they’re keen to explore, and I’ve put together this short list of our favourite things to do over a long-weekend around Myddfai, or in the surrounding area.
Walk up to Lyn y fan Fach
This is the site of the myth of the Lady of the Lake, and is a stunning five mile walk. You can drive to the starting point in around 15 minutes from us and then walk up to and around the lake. It offers some of the most stunning views around Myddfai (although you are going to be overwhelmed by the beauty here). This is a steep walk, not a climb, and there are plenty of places along the path to stop and ‘admire the view’ (get your breath back).
Have lunch at The Old Printing Office, Llandovery.
This is a gem, known about only by locals and well behaved guests, as we all adore their homemade local food. They make their own crumpets – which are exceptional, and always have a great selection of lunch options from sweetcorn fritters to pulled pork casserole (that was this week) and they also do a great coffee and cake. We love this as a place to meet friends for a catch-up and the staff are wonderfully friendly too. If you’re too late for lunch, they make their crumpets until around 3.30pm each day – so enjoy some with a cuppa after exploring the town of Llandovery.
Visit the Myddfai Community hall and visitor centre.
A mile and a half’s walk up the hill from us, you’ll find our village hall. The hall was built as a DIY Village SOS, and the project is now a great community success. There is a wonderful cafe, which serves homemade cakes and bakes, lunches and a great walkers breakfast. There is also a lovely shop which sells craft items made by local professional artisans – from pottery to stained glass, jams and honey to bird boxes and jewellery. The gorgeous Welsh Tweed blankets in our hut came from here too. The stained glass window in the hall was handmade by a group of around 30 local people (Dinah was one of them) in 2018 and is worth looking at too.
Star Gaze under the darkest skies.
When we moved from London to Myddfai, we were stunned by the sky here at night. The hut is in a dark sky area, so the amount of light pollution is so low, that you see way more in the night sky. We regularly see the Milky way, Mars, Venus and the International space station! Many of the annual meteor shower events can be watched here and we even provide you with sleeping bags and hot water bottles to make the evening even more special.
Go outdoor swimming in the waterfalls in the Brecon Beacons.
There are several sites for wild swimming in the area, and we can help you find them with local maps. Swimming in the streams and waterfalls is an amazing experience, and provided you take notice of any areas where swimming is not allowed, you will find there are lots of chances to enjoy the sensation. if the waterfalls appeal to you more than the swimming, there are guided walks available to visit the waterfalls in the beacons.
i will be sharing five more things to do very soon, so do keep following the blog.
Dinah
