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In this, the first of our new series of 'Two's Country', we set off for mid Wales to discover the unspoilt beauty of the Brecon Beacons. As the name suggests, hill tops within the Brecon area were used as beacons. Fires burning on top of Pen y Fan or Corn Du could be seen in fourteen counties. Pen y Fan means 'top of the peaks' and stands at 2,907 feet.
Not much remains of Brecon Castle in the centre of Brecon town. Built by one of William the Conqueror's men, Bernard de Neufmarche, it was eventually pulled down by the Brecon townsfolk who were so sick of civil unrest that they removed the one thing everyone was fighting over - the castle! The remains of the castle can be seen in the grounds of The Castle Hotel, Brecon.
Craig y Nos Country Park can be found on the A4067 south west of Brecon. Opened in 1976 the 40 acre park takes its name from 'Rock of the Night' and was once the garden attached to Craig y Nos castle, a Gothic style house that belonged to 1870's opera star Adelina Patti.
Tretower (meaning 'the tower') is on the B4558 east of Brecon just outside Crickhowell. Built by another of William the Conqueror's boys called Picard, the Motte and Bailey is still in fine condition, next to the tower is a 14th century fortified manor house owned by the Vaughan family which is superb, the site gives a perfect example of how life changed from castle to fortified manor to stately home.
Crickhowell (Crug Hywel - Howell's Cairn) is a stunning little spot. Its buildings span seven centuries, the oldest being Alisby Castle built in 1272 by a Norman with the fabulous name of Sir Grimbald Pauncefort. The streets of the town are full of fascinating architecture. Take some time to have a good look around, and don't forget to count the arches on Crickhowell bridge - from one side they count 12 and from the other 13!
Next came a spot for pony trekking. There are more than 20 centres for trekking in the Brecon area; we went to the Trans Wales Trail Rides Centre in Cwm-Forest farm near Talgarth. Telephone: 01874 711398
Llanthony Priory is a peaceful area of great beauty situated alongside the river Honddu near the Hereford and Gwent borders further up the B4423 from Cwmyoy Church. The Priory was built in 1120 by William de Lacy who had discovered the remains of a 6th century hermitage dedicated to St David. The name is a corruption of Llan-Ddewi-Nant-Honddu meaning the Church of St David on the river Honddu. The grounds are very nice and there is a real ale bar in the cellars of the Priory.
Y Gear, which means the fort, is a Roman fort just outside Brecon. Not much remains today (mainly because it was robbed of stone to build Brecon Castle), but you can see the full size of the fort and where its four gates were. Access to the fort is through a farmyard north of the A40 by Aberscir a few miles west of Brecon.
In Cilmery by the side of the A483 west of Builth Wells is a stone that marks the spot where the last true Welsh Prince died. Despite putting the shoes of his horse on backwards, Price Llywelyn finally met his end here and his head was taken to London.
And finally we went to the army base at Sennybridge on the A40 A4067 junction. This area is not open to the public and, after I'd been put through the SAS assault course, I wished it hadn't been open to me!
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