Llyn Rhuddwyn

Drive through the narrow lanes around Llanymynech and you'll stumble on Llyn Rhuddwyn, a proper Welsh reservoir that sits quietly in the Powys hills without the crowds you'd find at more famous lakes. It's a decent spot for a walk - the perimeter track takes you a good hour or so, with views across the water to the surrounding moorland. Nothing dramatic, but it's got that gentle, restorative quality that makes Mid Wales worth the drive.

The lake itself is working infrastructure - a reservoir, not a tourist attraction with facilities - so don't expect cafes or visitor centres. What you get is simplicity. Anglers come for the trout. Walkers use it as a quiet break between longer routes. In summer, the banks stay relatively peaceful, though weekends can bring a handful of families with the right idea about getting outdoors. Spring and early autumn are your best bets if you want solitude.

It works well as a half-day addition to a stay at Tanat Holiday Park, just five miles away. You could easily combine it with a walk in the broader Powys countryside or a visit to Llanymynech itself. The lake won't keep you all day - it's honest about what it is - but that's rather the point. Sometimes you want a landscape without the tourism machinery around it. This delivers that.