Elan Valley

#4141 among destinations in the United Kingdom

Nature, Natural attraction, Valley

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Facts and practical information

The Elan Valley is a river valley situated to the west of Rhayader, in Powys, Wales, sometimes known as the "Welsh Lake District". It covers 70 square miles of lake and countryside. ()

Area: 70 mi²Coordinates: 52°15'44"N, 3°35'19"W

Location

WalesUnited Kingdom

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Day trips

Elan Valley – popular in the area (distance from the attraction)

Nearby attractions include: Rhayader Castle, Willow Globe Theatre, Claerwen, Elan aqueduct.

4.1 miNE
Forts and castles
Rhayader Castle, Rhayader
105 min walk • Rhayader Castle is the remains of a motte-and-bailey castle in the town of Rhayader, Powys, Wales. The available documentary sources are not clear enough to distinguish between this site and the castle mound across the river and one or the other was probably built by Rhys ap Gruffydd, Prince of Deheubarth, in 1177.
4.4 miE
Concerts and shows, Theater
Willow Globe Theatre, Rhayader
111 min walk • The Willow Globe Theatre is an open air community theatre in Powys, Wales. It is a scaled-down version of the Globe Theatre in London, about a third of its size in diameter and similar to the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park in London.
4.1 miW
Nature, Natural attraction, Lake
Claerwen
106 min walk • The Claerwen reservoir and dam in Powys, Wales, were the last additions to the Elan Valley Reservoirs system built to provide water for the increasing water demand of the city of Birmingham and the West Midlands.
0.4 miW
Aqueduct
Elan aqueduct
11 min walk • The Elan aqueduct crosses Wales and the Midlands of England, running eastwards from the Elan Valley Reservoirs in Mid Wales to Birmingham's Frankley Reservoir, carrying drinking water for Birmingham.
4.3 miW
Lake, Dam
Elan Valley Reservoirs, Rhayader
110 min walk • The Elan Valley Reservoirs are a chain of man-made lakes created from damming the Elan and Claerwen rivers within the Elan Valley in Mid Wales.
4.7 miSW
Nature, Natural attraction, Mountain
Drygarn Fawr
119 min walk • Drygarn Fawr is a mountain in the county of Powys, Wales. It is one of the highest summits in Mid Wales standing at 645 metres or 2114 feet above sea level. It lies to the south of the Elan Valley Reservoirs.
4.2 miNE
Vernacular architecture
Old Swan, Rhayader
109 min walk • The Old Swan is a former historic public house at the centre of Rhayader, Powys, Wales. The buildings are timber framed and while there is a datestone of 1683, it is very probable that it is late 16th century, if not earlier.
4.6 miNE
52°17'56"N • 3°29'50"W
Gigrin Red Kitr Feeding Centre, Rhayader
118 min walk • Farm
4.8 miSW
Nature, Natural attraction, Mountain
Gorllwyn
123 min walk • Gorllwyn is a subsidiary summit of Drygarn Fawr, located on a remote moorland plateau of the Cambrian Mountains. The summit is grassy and is surrounded by peat bog. There is a shelter cairn and a trig point.
6.1 miNE
Sport, Sport venue
Cwmythig Hill
155 min walk • Cwmythig Hill is a motocross circuit situated approximately 2 miles from the town of Rhayader, Powys. As the name suggests, the circuit is predominantly a hillside circuit, with steep, natural hills mixed with man-made supercross inspired table-top jumps, along with a 'wall of death' banked hairpin turn.