Banc y Celyn

The walk up Banc y Celyn, just outside Builth Wells, is one of those proper rewarding climbs that doesn't take all day. You're looking at maybe an hour to the summit depending on fitness, and the payoff is genuine - sweeping views across Mid Wales with the Wye Valley rolling away beneath you.

It's a working hill with sheep grazing on the lower slopes, which gives the whole thing a lived-in feel rather than some manicured tourist route. The path is well-trodden but steep in places, and the moorland vegetation changes as you climb. On a clear day you can see right across to the Black Mountains. On a murky one - which is often the case in Powys - you get that moody, close-in atmosphere that makes the landscape feel bigger somehow.

Walkers will get the most from this. Not a technical scramble, just honest uphill work. Young kids might find the final push tedious, though determined ones will manage it fine. The view from the top is worth photographing, particularly in autumn when the valleys show all their colours.

If you're camped at one of the nearby sites - Celtic Woodland Holidays is closest at under three miles away - this makes an excellent morning or late afternoon excursion. Combines well with exploring Builth Wells itself. There's no visitor infrastructure at the summit, so bring water. Free to walk, naturally, and accessible year-round though muddy in winter.