Bailey Einon

You'll find Bailey Einon standing proud above Llandrindod Wells, a proper piece of medieval Welsh fortification that doesn't get nearly enough footfall. It's a motte-and-bailey castle - basically an earthwork fortress from around the 12th century - and while there's not much stone left to clamber over, the views across mid-Wales from the top make the climb worthwhile.

The site itself is straightforward: a raised mound with defensive ditches, the kind of place that makes sense once you're standing on it and can see for miles across the Powys landscape. It's free to visit and you can wander up at any time, which means early morning light here is genuinely special - fewer people, better shadows on the earthworks.

Historyheads will find this rewarding because it's genuinely old and genuinely Welsh - no tourist trappings, just archaeology and landscape. Families with younger kids might find it a bit abstract; there's no visitor centre or interpretation panels, so you need some imagination to picture the timber palisades that once crowned it. Walkers, though, should add it to their route - it's a natural stopping point if you're exploring the hills around Llandrindod Wells.

Allow 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how many photos you want to take. If you're based at Disserth Caravan & Camping Park or Fforest Fields, both within easy striking distance, this makes a decent morning detour before heading into town for lunch. The real joy here is the solitude and the genuine sense of standing in centuries-old Welsh territory - no queue, no gift shop, just history.