Llyn Clywedog

The reservoir sits in a fold of Mid Wales moorland, about three miles north of Llanidloes, looking far more natural than you'd expect from something built by engineers in the 1960s. Water stretches out grey-blue between steep, tree-clad banks, with the Clywedog River feeding into it from the north. It's the kind of place where you come for the walk rather than to linger by the shore.

There's a decent circuit around the water - roughly five miles if you fancy the full loop, though shorter stretches work just as well. The eastern bank path is the easiest bet, climbing gently through mixed woodland with decent views across the water. On a clear day you get proper sweeping prospects over the Cambrian Hills beyond. The western side is rougher, steeper, less polished - more rewarding if you're after actual solitude rather than a Sunday constitutional.

Walkers will get the most from it. Families with young kids might find the walk a bit relentless, though the short sections are manageable enough. There's nowhere to buy food or drink on site, so pack what you need. The lake is free to access and open year-round, though autumn and winter offer the best light and the quietest hours.

If you're based at Red Kite Touring Park or Clywedog Riverside just down the road, it's an obvious morning or afternoon stop. Combine it with Llanidloes itself - a proper old market town with decent pubs - and you've got a solid day. Don't expect drama or crowds. What you get is honest Welsh walking country, water views that don't shout, and the kind of peace that's increasingly rare.