“The woods and valleys of the region thrum with a living past. In this stunning landscape haunted castles, bottomless lakes and strange follies hold echoes of massacres, ghosts and miracles. “
www.breconbeacons.org
The Brecon Beacons is a National Park in Wales. Spanning 518.9 sq miles, the Park boasts fantastic walks, ancient castles, pretty towns, nature and some beautiful waterfalls. The National Park is full of stories to keep the history buffs (or more folklore and myth lovers) entertained, such as the lady of the lake and the supposed resting place of King Arthur!
Before visiting you should read the Brecon Beacon dog code to ensure the safety of your dog and others.
Our trip
Both of our trips to the Brecon Beacons have involved climbing Pen Y Fan. As you can see by the below photos, the weather in Wales is as unreliable as in England and Scotland!
Pen Y Fan is a 886M high hill, it was declassified as a mountain when they changed the height requirements. It is the highest point in Wales and offers spectacular views of the Brecon Beacons. There are a number of different routes to the top (research before you go, I recommend the National Trust route) and they all require a good level of fitness. It’s a steep and sometimes very windy climb.
As you know, I’m a whimp when it comes to heights. There was one point on the journey up that I climbed up on all fours to stop the wind blowing me off. My pooch, however, had no problems at all and we have since determined that there is mountain goat blood in her veins! And the many children that surrounded me were also fine (see here for family-friendly guidance). I am just a whimp.
On both occasions we climbed Pen Y Fan in the morning. Parking at the Pont ar Daf car park where you can fill up on hot drinks and freshly made welsh cakes. The climb took us about 1.5 hours up and 1 hour down, plus about half an hour at the top taking in the views and queuing for a picture with the marker stone (you’ll want evidence that you did it!). Afterwards, we treated ourselves to some seriously good lunch at Laura’s Diner on the way home.
Things to do and places to see in the Brecon Beacons
As mentioned above, the reason for both our trips was to climb Pen Y Fan (something I recommend doing), but there’s so much more that you can do with your pooch in the National Park. For example, with your pooch you can visit:
- one of the many castles
- the (pet friendly!) underground show caves
- stunning waterfalls
- one of the pretty villages and towns (we stayed near hay-on-wye which was very pretty)
Dog-friendly accommodation in the Brecon Beacons
Every year my family spends a weekend together in a new place. While in the Brecon Beacons we stayed in a gorgeous House in the Hills in Hay-on-wye, which was actually one house and a separate converted barn. The converted barn had a lovely open kitchen where our family cooked and spent time together. My favourite part was the stunning roll top bath – much needed after a climb. I can wax lyrical about this property, but I’ll spare you. Check it out the pictures for yourself here.
Below are some pictures from in and around the property. Lots to explore.
Other useful sources
These sites helped me plan our trip, I hope that you’ll find them useful too:
- The official Brecon Beacons National Park site: https://www.breconbeacons.org/
- The National Trust site: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/brecon-beacons
- National Park Authority site with up to date guidance: https://www.beacons-npa.gov.uk/
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Those views are stunning! That bath tub must have been heaven after. I’ve never seen dog friendly caves before. I’m so jealous.
Wales has some stunning scenery. But I’d have to say that the bath was a real highlight for me 😂.
The bath is legit, we agree! Nothing better after a long hike. What are welsh cakes? Your pictures are beautiful, we are loving your recent adventures.
Thank you, I’m glad that you’re enjoying them. Welsh cakes are similar to English muffins, but denser and have fruit in them. Here is a recipe if you feel like trying something new: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/welsh_cakes_16706
Awesome, I will try these when we get home next week. We always love experimenting with new recipes.
Hello I enjoyed this post. I love to travel. The pictures are so pretty!!! I would love for you to check out my blog also. Although it’s very different from yours 😂. I’m a gestational carrier. 🥰
Hello, thank you for your lovely comments. The British countryside has a unique beauty I feel. Although I love looking at posts from around the world. I will definitely take the time to read your blog. It’s an amazing thing to do for families. I have a quick question – how many families have you helped?
I have done this 3 times and am currently trying for a 4th! But just two families. I had two little girls for a family in Chicago and. I found a new couple in Florida I had a baby for 2 years ago and we actually just transferred a baby yesterday into my uterus so hopefully he sticks around. ❤️
love that view, stunning! This makes me miss the mountains and your dog is so cute. Did you run in there too? thanks for sharing this view
It’s a beautiful place. No I definitely did not run it (I wish I was that good). I puffed my way up! We did see lots of people running it and apparently it’s a training route for some army regiments – would need to validate that though! 😊
Ahhhh the views!!! They are incredible!