Beautifully Brecon Beacons

Amazingly, it’s possible to pan for gold in the Brecon Beacons. The Dolaucothi Gold Mines (www.nationaltrust.org.uk) in the beautiful Cothi Valley have been mined since the Roman era; commercial mining was abandoned in the 1930s, but there’s still ‘gold in tham thar hills’. You can tour the underground workings and, more importantly, have a go at panning for a nugget or two. Don’t start an imaginary stockpile of bullion just yet, though; you’ve more chance of seeing ‘Ned’ – the ghost of a mine worker – than a bright yellow flash in the pan. You can, however, buy Welsh gold jewellery on site.

Don't go home without

… going down into the Big Pit. It’s not exactly romantic, but descending 300 feet underground at the National Mining Museum at Blaenafon near Abergavenny provides a fascinating insight into the bedrock (quite literally) of Welsh culture (+44 (0)1495 790311; www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/bigpit). Children must be over one metre tall, to comply with safety regulations.