Court-y-Gaer Hillfort, Felin-Fach

The ramparts of Court-y-Gaer rise unexpectedly from the Powys landscape near Felin-Fach, about three miles south of Brecon. This Iron Age hillfort sits on high ground with proper commanding views across the Beacons - the kind of spot where ancient inhabitants would have clocked trouble coming from miles away.

Walking the outer banks takes twenty minutes or so. The earthworks are still substantial, though you're reading the landscape as much as seeing dramatic ruins - it's archaeology for people who enjoy thinking rather than gawping. The interior is largely open grassland now, so there's room to poke around and try to imagine the roundhouses and activity that once filled it.

This isn't a destination in itself. Rather, it's the sort of thing that makes sense as a morning detour if you're based at one of the nearby campsites - Bryndu or Pencelli Castle are barely twenty minutes away - and you're already exploring the Brecon Beacons. History types will find it worthwhile. Families with young kids might manage fifteen minutes before boredom sets in, unless you're the sort who enjoys telling them about Iron Age fortifications.

Access is free and there are no facilities to speak of - no visitor centre, no café, no charges. Wear decent boots if it's been wet; the ground can be boggy. The real value is in the walk itself and the views rather than dramatic remains. Well worth a stop if you're in the area, but don't plan a day around it.