Saint Mary's Church

Saint Mary's Church sits quietly on the outskirts of Brecon, and if you're camping or caravanning in the area - there's no shortage of sites within a couple of miles - it's absolutely worth a wander. The building itself is solid, dignified Welsh church architecture, the kind of place that's been watching over the landscape for centuries. You'll get a proper sense of the Powys countryside from its grounds.

It's not a showstopper in the way that, say, a ruined castle might be. There are no gilded treasures or dramatic stories to tell back at the caravan. What you get instead is a genuine slice of local history and a quiet spot away from the main drag through Brecon. The interior is worth ten minutes if the doors are open - look for any original features that survived whatever renovations came its way.

Families with young kids might find it a quick photo stop rather than a destination in itself, but walkers tackling the Brecon Beacons area will appreciate the peaceful approach. It works well as a breather during a longer ramble around Mid Wales. Admission is almost certainly free, as is the case with most parish churches open to the public.

If you're based at Bryndu or Cranberry Moss, both close by, treat it as a gentle leg-stretch rather than a major outing. Pair it with a proper walk in the hills proper, and the church becomes a nice human-scale counterpoint to all that dramatic landscape.