Welshpool

The narrow gauge railway whistle echoes across the valley as the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway steams through countryside that feels properly Welsh, despite being technically just over the border. Welshpool sits in that lovely liminal space where Wales meets England, and you'd be forgiven for thinking you're firmly in Welsh territory given the bilingual signs and the rolling hills of Powys stretching in every direction.

Sylfaen station marks one end of the heritage railway that's been chugging along since Victorian times, though these days it's more about the scenic journey than practical transport. The town itself has that market town feel - a bit sleepy midweek but coming alive on market days when the high street fills with proper Welsh farmers and their prize sheep.

Y Golfa and Pen-Y-Golfa offer cracking walks if you don't mind a bit of a climb, with views that stretch across the Severn Valley on clear days. The Dingle Nurseries and Garden provides a gentler outing, while the surrounding woods - Ty-brith Wood, Llanfair Wood, and Graig Wood - offer plenty of proper rambling territory. Llyn Ddu sits quietly in the landscape, the kind of lake that's lovely for a peaceful afternoon even if it's not exactly Lake District dramatic.

Getting here is straightforward enough - the A483 runs right through, and you're only about 20 minutes from the main Shrewsbury-Aberystwyth railway line. For exploring this corner of the Welsh Marches, staying at one of the holiday parks dotted around the area makes perfect sense. You get the countryside setting without being completely cut off, and both the heritage railway and the network of footpaths are right on your doorstep.