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Introducing Mid Wales
Falling between Snowdonia to the north and the Brecon Beacons National Park to the south, Mid-Wales is something of a well-kept secret. This is Wales at its most thoroughly rural, a landscape of lakes, forests, lustrous green fields and small market towns. It’s also thoroughly Welsh, with three out of five people speaking the mother tongue. In 1974, Brecknockshire, Radnorshire and Montgomeryshire were combined into the vast new county of Powys, while Cardiganshire kept its boundaries but got back its ancient name, Ceredigion.
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Mid-Wales isn’t a secret, however, to people seeking out a more environmentally aware existence or an alternative lifestyle. The scenery, space and laid-back feel have been attracting hippies since the 1970s, while the superb Centre for Alternative Technology, situated near Machynlleth, has become the focal point for Wales’ green consciousness.
Elsewhere, the candyfloss-coloured university town and seaside resort of Aberystwyth has lots of student-powered fizz, and the trip from here to Devil’s Bridge is one of Wales’ best steam-train journeys. The lovely Heart of Wales railway line also crosses southern Powys, and this is fine walking, cycling and riding country.
The Mid-Wales cultural scene is also thriving, with Builth Wells the favourite of the old spa towns and home to both the excellent Wyeside Arts Centre and the annual Royal Welsh Show. Eccentric Llanwrtyd Wells, meanwhile, not only lies amid beautiful countryside, but also has established itself as Wales’ capital of the quirky festival.
For information about Mid-Wales, see the website www.exploremidwales.com.
Last updated: Sep 1, 2009
