Castle Foel-Allt

Castle Foel-Allt sits on a hilltop near Presteigne, a proper slice of medieval Wales that most visitors drive straight past. What you're looking at are the earthen remains of a motte-and-bailey fortress - basically a steep artificial mound crowned with what would have been a wooden palisade and keep. The view across Powys from the top is genuinely worth the scramble up, though the castle itself is long gone, so you're reading the landscape more than exploring ruins.

This is one for history types and serious walkers rather than families expecting towers to clamber through. Kids under eight will lose interest after twenty minutes once they realise there's nothing to actually enter. The real appeal is the archaeology - standing on the mound, you can feel how strategically placed this thing was, controlling the approach to the river valley below. A good fifteen minutes to reach the summit, longer if you're the kind who likes to sit and think about Norman conquest strategies.

It's free to visit, assuming the landowner doesn't mind (and historically they don't seem bothered). No facilities whatsoever - bring water if it's warm. Best visited as part of a wider walk through the countryside rather than a destination in itself. If you're staying at any of the nearby holiday parks - Hush Hush Glamping, Rockbridge Park, or Presteigne Holiday Park - it's the sort of thing to combine with a morning ramble before heading to Presteigne town for lunch. Late spring through early autumn is ideal; winter weather makes the muddy track up properly treacherous.