Wales's castles

History of Wales’s Castles

There's a history story over almost every hill in Mid Wales. In many cases, it's on top of the hill - at Crug Hywel ('Howell's Fort'), the Iron-Age encampment above Crickhowell in the Usk Valley, for example, or amongst the gnarled, weatherbeaten ruins of Montgomery Castle, a medieval stronghold perched on a crag above a handsome little border town.

See castles on a walk

Two National Trails - Offa's Dyke Path and Glyndŵr's Way - pass through the region. Some of the best sections of the Offa's Dyke Path which runs the entire length of the Wales/England border for 168 miles, can be found here. Explore the hills around Knighton where the 8th-century earthen dyke still survives almost to its full height (visit the Offa's Dyke Centre at Knighton for more information).

Entertainment

For a start, many towns have excellent theatrical and entertainment venues. At Newtown there's Theatr Hafren, Builth Wells is home to the Wyeside Arts Centre, Machynlleth's Tabernacl Chapel has been converted into a thriving arts and performance venue, Llandrindod Wells has the Albert Hall Theatre and Pavilion Conference Centre, whilst Brecon is rightly proud of its stylish Theatr Brycheiniog. All these venues attract big audiences for a varied offering of entertainment which includes everything from Mozart to alternative comedy, folk music to dance and drama.

The Centre for Alternative Technology near Machynlleth offers visitors year-round 'hands-on' entertainment.

Major Events

The region hosts a number of major annual events, some of which enjoy international status. Here's a rundown:

Festival of the Countryside (all year) - Hundreds of events throughout central Wales, including birdwatching, guided walks and farm visits.