To help folk fully appreciate the delights, sights and experiences the Welsh Valleys and the Brecon Beacons have to offer, we’ll be sharing both our, and friends of the Roost’s, top tips for exploring.
Tips will cover things like ‘big’ walks, dog walks, MTB trails, cake, breakfast spots, picnic spots etc. Hopefully it’ll provide a useful insight into what the valleys and Brecon Beacons have to offer.
First up, our friend Sue shared her tips for exploring Talybont-on-Usk, a village and area in the heart of the Brecon Beacons.
“I love the walk over the fans coming up from Talybont. There are stunning waterfalls too at the far end of the reservoir... Great trails there to either walk or ride, taking you towards Pontsticill reservoir and The Star Inn, Talybont for drinks.”
Walking
We decided to test out these suggestions so we got our boots on. The walk we decided to do was an AA walk, Skyline Walking Above the Caerfanell Valley. It’s not long at 5.5 miles but there’s quite an ascent and descent.
We had a fab day for it and thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s got a bit of everything – forest, moorland, numerous waterfalls and pools (perfect for cooling off), sheep, ponies, wild flowers and stunning views. Highly recommended.
Cycling trails
This area offers plenty of cycling and mountain biking options. Talybont is the highest point on the Taff Trail (Route 8 from Cardiff to Brecon or vice versa) and from here its all downhill to Brecon. For something more leisurely and family friendly, hire bikes and ride along the canal or try the Brinmore Tramway, a green (easy) trail that starts in Talybont and runs for almost 9km. If you’re after something a bit more challenging, there’s a red (difficult) grade, figure of eight trail of almost 34km, called the Pontsticill Crossover and then there’s the famous, Gap.
Post activity refreshments
We popped in to the Star Inn at Talybont-on-Usk for a post walk refresher. This popular pub has an amazing beer selection and a garden next to the river to enjoy them in. There are a couple more pubs in close proximity, the White Hart and the Usk Inn. Why not try them all?
Talybont-on-Usk is just under 18 miles from the Roost, about 45 minutes. It’s a beautiful drive past both the Ponsticill and Talybont Reservoirs. It’s well worth stopping off and taking in the views.
For more information on Talybont-on-Usk and all that it’s got to offer, have a look at the village’s website. It’s a beautiful area, well worth exploring.
So that's it for our first three tips post, we hope you found it useful/interesting. Share any more ideas you've got for exploring Talybont in the comments. We'll be sharing more tips soon so follow us on social media or subscribe to stay up to date.