The New White Lion
Brecon Beacons, United Kingdom[view map]
Local restaurants
If you’re out and about, the terrace of The Gardeners’ Café in the grounds of Aberglasney House (01558 668131) is a lovely setting for a luncheon; the menu features local delicacies such as Carmarthenshire ham, Welsh brie and farm‑fresh vegetables. And, on your way through Brecon, don’t be deterred by
the slightly bland exterior of The Felin Fach Griffin Inn (01874 620111): it’s also an excellent place for lunch. Just north of Llandovery in the tiny village of Cilycwm, the Neuadd Fawr Arms is the perfect pub for a Sunday roast, with ploughman’s lunches in the bar and a restaurant serving Modern British fare (01550 721644).
Local cafes
On the High Street in Llandovery, the best place to head for coffee and a slice of cake or panini is the Victorian tearoom of Penygawse (01550 721727).
Worth getting out of bed for
On yer hired bike – there’s beautiful countryside to explore from here. Pedal Power, next to Llandovery train station, will deliver and collect mountain bikes (with all the extras, including helmets, route maps and puncture‑repair kits) to the hotel or to somewhere on your intended route (01550 721420; www.mbike.co.uk). There’s calf-pumping mountain biking to suit all levels in the Brecon Beacons, including the 55-mile Taff Trail all the way to Cardiff (www.tafftrail.org.uk). If you prefer a gentle amble, you're minutes away from some of the country's most spectacular walking routes; ask the hotel for details or just jump in your car and you'll soon find a path to follow. For more information,
Diary
May For book lovers, the Hay Festival, in Hay-on-Wye, is pretty much mandatory (www.hayfestival.com). August Brecon Jazz Festival is a star-studded affair, with Andy Sheppard and Lulu among the recent roster of performers (www.breconjazz.co.uk). The newly established Green Man festival is an already much-loved folk music jamboree that has played host to Joanna Newsom and a reinvented Robert Plant (www.thegreenmanfestival.co.uk). If it’s muddiness you crave, the World Bog-snorkelling Championships in Llanwrtyd Wells over the bank holiday are downright odd but immense fun (www.green-events.co.uk). September Abergavenny Food Festival is a showcase of wild-and-woolly Welsh gastronomy (www.abergavennyfoodfestival.com). November The Mid-Wales Beer Festival sees dinky Llanwrtyd Wells become the centre of even more barminess (01591 610666).