Tomen-y-Mur West Practice Camp II

Roman soldiers trained here almost two thousand years ago, and you can still walk their parade ground. Tomen-y-Mur West Practice Camp II is essentially a flat stretch of moorland above Blaenau Ffestiniog where the Second Augustan Legion ran drills and built their fortifications - the earthworks are still visible if you know where to look.

It's genuinely rewarding for archaeology enthusiasts and anyone interested in Roman Britain, though I'll be honest: it's not visually dramatic. No standing stones, no dramatic ruins. What you get instead is the chance to stand where soldiers once marched, to trace the outline of their practice trenches with your eyes, and to understand how the Romans controlled Wales. The moor itself is lovely - wide open, windswept, proper atmospheric on a grey day.

You'll need proper walking gear and an ordnance survey map or GPS to find it reliably; it's not signposted. Allow an hour to explore once you're there, plus however long the walk takes from Blaenau Ffestiniog itself. Free to visit, obviously.

If you're basing yourself at Llechwedd Glamping nearby, this works as a morning walk before heading into the slate mines or exploring Snowdonia. It's not the sort of place that'll wow casual visitors - you need to be genuinely interested in Roman military archaeology to get much out of it. But if you are? It's worth the effort.