Drysgol, Mound

Explorer Tom Garreg Lwyd above the Wye valley is a Powys hill with a name shared by several others, which is one way to keep a visitor alert. This one lies between Rhayader and Llangurig, east of the A470, with Bryn Titli wind turbines on moorland to its northwest. Find the right grey rock and the valley opens below you. The hill reaches about 498 metres and is a separate place from the higher Garreg Lwyd in the Black Mountain farther south. A ridge of short grass and rock rises above the road, while the upper ground connects to tracks near the wind farm. Red kites are often seen in the wider Rhayader country. The turbines are a modern landmark, but the sweep of the Wye valley gives the height its older sense of place. A walker who crossed this exact summit used a track from the A470 side, then left it near the turbines for vague paths to the rockier top. The account describes fences, a public footpath on the eastern descent and fine views over the valley. It is a useful report, not a signed visitor route. Check the rights of way on a current map before following any line across enclosed ground or near working wind-farm tracks. Park only in a safe lawful place away from the fast A470 and farm entrances. Expect uneven moor, gates and exposed weather, and give turbines and service work plenty of room. Bring a map and turn back if a path fades or a gate marks private land. The hill is a quiet outing for a careful walker, not a roadside viewpoint reached by guessing across fields.

Explorer Tom Gilfach Nature Reserve sits in the Marteg Valley near Rhayader, an old hill farm where meadow, oak wood, river and open slope all meet. It still has grazing animals, so the place feels lived in rather than pressed flat for visitors. Tom says he asked a cow to lead his walk; it insisted on a lunch break first. Radnorshire Wildlife Trust manages this 166-hectare reserve and marks walks from its welcome car park and old farmyard. The Marteg Valley Trail follows the river, while the Wyloer Hill Walk climbs steeply for views across the Cambrian Mountains. A shorter easy access path begins near the farmyard. The old longhouse is privately rented and closed to visitors, but its byre has information, refreshments by honesty box and a toilet. Gilfach is known for dippers, pied flycatchers and redstarts, with salmon sometimes seen leaping in the Marteg. Choose a waymarked route and let the landscape change pace: water below, then meadow or wooded slope above. Tom claims he offered a dipper swimming lessons; the bird vanished under the river before he finished speaking. The Trust currently warns that cows with calves are grazing and some fields or paths may close. Give them space and keep dogs on leads, as the operator asks. Gilfach is open all year, though individual paths and facilities can change. Check the Trust's current notices and map at the entrance before setting off, and respect the longhouse's private use. The shorter paths give a good taste of the reserve; the hill route needs more effort and suitable footwear. Come for birds and river, then notice the old farm still holding the valley together.