Mid-Wales is Britain's forgotten wilderness and Rhayader lies at its heart - halfway between Hereford and Aberystwyth, midway between Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons. Although barely known outside Wales, it is just two hours from the Midlands and only three- to four hours drive from London, Manchester or York.
Its jewel is undoubtedly the Elan Valley, flooded a century ago to provide
safe drinking water for Birmingham. This created a wealth of different habitats,
free from pollution, where fungi thrive.
This is home to some of our rarest wildlife: from skies rich with soaring red kites;
to oak woods full of pied flycatchers and redstarts and waters where otters
and salmon play.
It is also rich in history. Nant-y-Gro Dam, for example, was blown up by Barnes
Wallis to prove his theories about the destructive potential of a bouncing
bomb. Or there are the remains of Cwm Elan House to which Percy Shelley, the
poet, fled after being sent down from Oxford.
