It’s been a short time since we went and we are already booking up for 2027 but we can look back on 2026 in Brecon as being a very successful weekend, with a good variety of walks, great company and perfect weather.
Arrivals Day
People started arriving at the house on Friday lunchtime and soon were pottering down to town for a bite to eat. One particular coffee shop turned out to be a magnet for the Ramblers with at least 3 groups finding their way there at the same time. Some then went to explore the Cathedral while others went to the small local museum.
For those who don’t know, our weekends away are based on HF Holidays hotels. These are hotels specifically set up for the walking community and they have evolved over the years to provide a good standard of accommodation, tasty food to cater for all tastes and dietary requirements including a packed lunch for the day’s activities, and communal areas for social activities. We took over the whole of Nydfa House for the weekend. Novices were soon introduced into the administration HF require to pre-select the meal choices. We had a meal together then met to discuss the weekend’s activities over coffee.
Saturday
We organise our own walks, though if you go with HF Holidays independently there are many advantages to the guided walks they provide. The long walk was on the moorland underneath the Beacons, from the Visitors Centre up to the peak of Cefn Llechid, The climbs were steady and Pen y Fan (the main peak of the Brecons) loomed over us most of the way. Aside from a couple of non-walkers who explored the nearby historic railway, we had a full turnout on the walks.
The short walk was still a healthy 7 miles or so along the level towpath of the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal, along to a viaduct and back along the River Usk. (Brecon is at the mouth of the River Honddu which joins the Usk, hence the town’s Welsh name of Aberhonddu).
In the evening we had lively conversation over dinner, after sitting and chatting in the late afternoon sun in the lovely gardens. Then we had a quiz organised by Anne where we didn’t argue too much over the answers.
Sunday
On the Sunday the long walk headed across to Crickhowell and the shorter walk to the Waterfall area for the Four Waterfall Walk.
For a short walk, the Waterfall walk was quite challenging with some steep steps to view the waterfalls, but everyone loves a waterfall so a large group made their way around the sights.
Meanwhile, the long walk group took a couple of cars up to Crickhowell, a charming little village further downstream on the River Usk, The walk started across a peculiar stone bridge that has the claim to fame of having 12 arches on one side and 13 on the other. We got a little bit of canal walking before a steady ascent to the limestone quarry carved out along the side of the hill. The quarry has been abandoned for years and is now overgrown and returned to nature. The views of Table Mountain, a table-shaped hill above Crickhowell, and Sugar Loaf, a sugar-loaf shaped hill above Abergavenny were in view for most of the walk, looking across the valley. We contoured along an old tramway with the occasional scramble through the rubble of the old quarry. The target of the walk was The Lonely Shepherd, a standing stone on the end of the hill, looking across the valley towards Gilwern. The Lonely Shepherd is a cautionary tale of what happens when a husband complains too much about the other half enjoying themselves occasionally and not doing enough hoovering. After admiring the scenery some more, we had an easy descent then back across the bridge to Crickhowell.
In the evening, more afternoon chats and drinks, then a Sunday roast followed by a game of Killer Skittles. The HF hotels have large meeting rooms and they set up an indoor skittles alley. Killer Skittles was a nice simple game which required little skill and so everyone could join in.
Farewells
On the Monday after a leisurely breakfast, people headed off, some stayed for a bit more walking, others visited family or dropped in on gardens or places like Hereford on the way back.
It really was a great, sociable and lively weekend. Looking forward to the next one!