Bell Tenting in the Brecon Beacons National Park

Holiday blues have been setting in since coming back to the UK from our big Italian road trip around the Dolomites, Florence and Venice, so we decided to reignite our explorer spirit with a quick trip to the Brecon Beacons in South Wales. 

The Brecon Beacons National Park spans 900km², with an expansive mountain range panorama, crystal-clear waterfalls and dense broadleaf woodlands - just two hours away from us. We packed quickly, hoisting our Bell Tent into the car and hitting the road with camera in hand. 

Pentwyn Farm Campsite

We arrived in the evening on Saturday at Pentwyn Farm, to assemble our home for the weekend and made sure we had a fire stoked to enjoy the sunset approaching. We shopped at a local Spa and ate steak, potatoes and salad over our Highlander mini stoves, under bunting and fairy lights we’d managed to squeeze into our ram-packed car. 

The town of Brecon

In the morning, we set off and had breakfast in Brecon at Theatr B! Cafe on the canalside and had a walk by the river, while a man fed the ducks and birds from the bridge. After a short trip to stock up on food, we stopped off at the glacial lake, Llyn y Fan Fach to roast some camembert by the water and cool down our Sol Beers before heading to the Red Kite Centre. 

Lyn y Fan Fach 

The glacial lake was daubed with mossy pillows, where we could sit and set up a tasty spread. After eating a buffet of cheese, charcuterie meats, feta salad, fruit, bread sticks and crisps, we went for a paddle in the lake, which was surprisingly warmer than I thought it’d be. This spot was perfect for photography and videography, the transparent streams skimming the smooth rocks, splashing against the natural dams and boulders that scattered the brooks. 

On our travels back towards Llangadog, we arrived a little bit late to the Red Kite Feeding Centre, but still saw an array of fiery fork-tailed raptors and a bold buzzard or two.This was just a test run, as we planned to come back the following day. 

Henrhyd Falls

On our travels, I’d read about a waterfall that we just had to see! Henrhyd Falls is a 90 feet plunge, tiered waterfall that is actually famous for being the Bat Cave entrance in The Dark Knight Rises. 

This waterfall reminded us of Sri Lanka so much, it’s a little bit crowded during the afternoon but if you do plan to visit, try early morning to beat the crowds. The valley was humid and covered with brambles, moss and towering trees. We ambled down the steep slopes of the misty falls and stood at the plunge pool where the water veiled. 

This was a perfect photo opportunity, as the crowd cleared, the falls illuminated - above the pool was the illusive bat cave. It’s really important to watch you step; the stones are sprayed with water making them incredibly slippery, and the plunge pool is deeper than expected, even during the drought. 

On our way home, we picked up a few chicken burgers and spent the evening listening to music, reviewing our photos and enjoying the warmth of the camp fire. 

The National Show Caves, featuring… Dinosaurs

We had a ‘roarsome’ day planned for our second day out around the Brecon Beacons, including a special visit to the National Show Caves, inviting us into a range of three different caves. The stalagmites and stalactites glistened in the lighting, tiny water droplets echoing through the caverns. 

The first cave was Dan-yr-Ogof, a kilometre walk of magnificent rock formations. It was very cold, so I’d recommend bringing a fleece for the walk and some sturdy shoes with good grip. The majority of the park is quite up-hill if you want to explore the entire site. 

Up next was the Cathedral Cave, definitely my favourite as the acoustic were brilliant. I’d definitely consider getting married there but I think it’d cost an absolute fortune. They were playing orchestra symphonies and the walkway was lined with a stream that had accumulated from the millions of droplets. The highlight was the beautiful natural waterfalls that you could walk underneath (as I shielded my camera). Rich and I loved this cave, I only wished it was longer!

The final cave was ‘the cave of bones’. Spooky! This cave held bones of 42 human skeletons, dating back to the Bronze Age. The cavern was smaller but held model replica animatronics of Bronze Age bears, wolves, Smiladon (Sabre Tooth) and Hyenas. This was brilliant, and you even got your own hard hat for the walk! 

The caves weren’t the only impressive sights, but the Jurassic animatronics were fantastic. I’m not usually a fan of animatronics but the dinosaurs looked almost real with a variety of movements. This is definitely a great day out for the kids (and big kids like me and Rich). 

On our way out, there was one final treat! Outside was a petting zoo, as you walk through the field, you’ll be greeted by Alpacas and Rheas (Emu-like flightless birds) as well as ducks and geese. As you approach the petting zoo, you can meet the many shire horses that live there, along with donkeys, goats and pigs. 

It was a spectacular treat, and only covered the morning! We had all afternoon to get our daily dose of Brecon Beacon nature.

The Llangadog Red Kite Feeding Station

Of course, we promised ourselves another trip to see the majestic red kites at Llangadog Red Kite Centre. Tickets to enter are £6 each, and arrival must be before 3pm if you want to get a good spot to get your photos. As the feeder threw the meat into the fields, red kites swooped in without hesitation, collecting their treats and soaring above us. You can see some of my prize shots that I’d managed to get on my Sony A7Cii.

You can view all of my photography via my Photo Journal. 

Thank you for reading about our travels to the Brecon Beacons!