New Pool

The water at New Pool sits proper still on a grey Welsh afternoon, the kind of place that makes you wonder why it isn't rammed with swimmers every summer. This modest lake, just a few miles inland from Aberystwyth, is exactly what it says on the tin - a reservoir that's become a spot for walkers and folk after a bit of peace away from the Ceredigion coast.

You can walk the perimeter, which takes a good hour or so depending on your pace and how often you stop to look at the water. It's gentle terrain, nothing strenuous, which means families with younger kids can manage it without complaints. The views are understated rather than dramatic - moorland sloping down to the water's edge, a few conifers dotted about. Some days it's lovely; other days it just feels a bit flat and remote.

Freely accessible as far as we could tell, though there's precious little infrastructure - no cafe, no facilities, just you and the water. That's either a bonus or a drawback depending on what you're after. If you're camping at Gwerniago or glamping at Forester's Retreat, both within easy driving distance, it's a solid morning walk to work an appetite up for lunch. Don't expect to spend more than two hours here total, but that's rather the point. It's the kind of place you visit when you want to step off the path briefly, not because anything dramatic happens there.