Cefn Brith-Isaf

The walk up Cefn Brith-Isaf near Welshpool rewards you with views across the Severn valley that stretch for miles on a clear day. It's not particularly high - around 1,400 feet - but the exposed ridge means you feel far more elevated than the numbers suggest, with open moorland on either side and proper rolling countryside spreading out below.

You'll spend a couple of hours on this one, give or take. The approach is straightforward enough, though it gets a bit windswept near the top so dress accordingly. History buffs will appreciate that you're walking over land that's been grazed and shaped for centuries, though there's nothing dramatic in the way of ruins or monuments to break up the walk.

It's the sort of place that works brilliantly for families who don't mind a decent hike and walkers wanting something accessible without being trivial. On weekends it can get a bit busy - it's popular with locals from Welshpool for obvious reasons. Go midweek if you want relative peace.

If you're based at Pandy Camping down the road, this is an excellent half-day outing that fits perfectly into a walking holiday in Mid Wales. The moorland gets particularly atmospheric in autumn when the light turns golden late in the afternoon. The real appeal here is the solitude and the genuinely good views rather than any specific feature or attraction - it's walking for its own sake, which is exactly what this area does best.