Bryn Teg

The walk up Bryn Teg from Brecon is short but proper steep - you're looking at maybe 45 minutes to the summit if you've got reasonable legs. What makes it worth the effort is the view. On a clear day, you can see right across the Brecon Beacons, and the peak itself is just high enough at 1,678 feet to feel like you've actually climbed something without needing mountaineering boots.

It's a straightforward fell walk, the kind that works brilliantly for families with older kids or anyone after a quick leg-stretcher rather than a full day expedition. The path is well-trodden and marked, though it does get boggy after rain - proper bog, mind you, the sort that squelches. The summit's a bit windswept and cairn-topped, nothing fancy, but that's rather the point. You get up there, catch your breath, enjoy the Powys landscape spreading out below, and you're back in Brecon within a couple of hours for lunch.

If you're staying at one of the nearby parks - Cefn Cantref or Pencelli Castle are both solid options, rated highly and within easy reach - this works as a cracking morning or afternoon outing. It's free, of course, and needs no booking. The real draw is that it's accessible without being trivial. Not dramatic enough for serious hikers after a proper challenge, but absolutely the right height and difficulty for a family holiday or anyone wanting to tick off a Beacons peak without spending all day on it.