What To Do
There are plenty of outdoor activities for you to try out, both close by and in the surrounding area. From kayaking to hiking or simply visiting the local town, you will not find yourself short of fun and enjoyable things to do during your stay at Valley Yurts.
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Kayaking, Canoeing, Horse riding, Mountain biking
There are several places to rent canoes and kayaks along the stunning River Wye, the 5th longest river in the UK and known as an area of outstanding beauty. Hires can be guided or you can rent as a family or individually and choose the length of the river you would like to navigate. Canoe Hire:
- WYe Valley Canoe https://www.wyevalleycanoes.co.uk/
- Want to Canoe http://https://canoehire.co.uk/
There are also several outdoor activity and pony trekking centres for a more adventurous day out offering various packages to suit all ages and abilities. Treads & Trails offer activities, guiding and instruction for groups & individuals who love being outdoors. Whether you are interested in walking in the Brecon Beacons, or Mountain Biking throughout Wales.
- Electric/ manual Mountain bike hire (they will deliver on site) https://www.drovercycles.co.uk/ a wonderful way to explore the hilly area!
- Horse riding centre https://www.ridinginwales.com/
Waterfalls Country
This area is known for the beautiful lakes and waterfalls. For a lovely day out there are many to choose from, our favourite is the four falls walk, approx 1 hour away, you can takes a packed lunch and walk the family friendly trail seeing four waterfalls along the route, one of which you can walk behind and see what it is like to be inside the fall. (but you don’t have to get wet!)
Walking in Herefordshire
http://www.kingtontourist.info/Kington Tourist Information
The nearby town of Kington hosts the increasingly popular walking Festival. There are many local walks of varying lenghs and gradients. Being Wales there are of course a lot of sheep so dogs that are not familiar with sheep would have to be kept on a lead through fields with livestock.
There are a number of walking events in the surrounding area and slightly further afield throughout the year. Read More
Some of our personal Favourites are:
- Nash Woods in Presteigne : What 3 words ///spaceship.skippers.kinks
- Burfa woods near Kington :What 3 words ///weeps.lectures.quiet
- Gilwern woods in gladestry : What 3 words ///caravans.lung.pelting
- A bit further away but srtunning is Pant y Llyn: parking what 3 words ///candles.talents.intrigued then walk to ///nagging.amicably.coconut
- Offa Dyke Path (the circle) : what 3 words //prepares.vans.struck
Offa’s Dyke
Offa’s Dyke Path is a 177 mile (285 Km) long walking trail. It is named after King Offa who ordered it to be constructed in the 8th century, probably to divide his Kingdom of Mercia from rival kingdoms in what is now Wales. Only a mile from Valley Yurts is the start of a section of the trail which leads from Gladestry to Kington. The trail rises to over 400 metres on Hergest Ridge with dramatic 360 degree views. On a clear day Pen y Fan can be seen to the south, the Malverns to the east and the hills of Shropshire to the north. The summit of Hergest Ridge has an old racecourse which is exactly a mile around. This area was also the inspiration for Arthur Conan Doyle’s Hound of the Baskervilles and Mike Oldfield’s second album Hergest Ridge. The walks leads into the pretty market town of Kington, with pubs, cafes and shops.
(1.2 miles away)
Relax with Friends and Family
One of the main joys of glamping is to be able to relax with friends and family away from the distraction of everyday life and activity. With your own firepit and outdoor cooking area and ten acres of private land, there is no need to go anywhere at all! We provide some simple recipes to give you some suggestions of how to use the cooking area. Recipes. We also have a badminton/volleyball net, slack line, games room with table tennis and a selection of other games. If you fancy a local walk, a beautiful hill right behind us which is a bit of a climb but absolutly worth it when you get to the top, with views across the county.
We have a wood fired pizza oven which you can book in advance, along with all the home made ingredients for margarita pizzas and make an evening of getting the pizza oven up to temperature, rolling your dough and watching the pizzas bubble and cook in less then a minute! Pizza night video
Hay on Wye
Known for its world famous literary Book Festival, the Hay Festival celebrates great writing from poets and scientists, lyricists and comedians, novelists and environmentalists. Founded in 1987 the festival attracts writers, filmmakers, comedians, politicians and musicians from all over the world. Read More
The town itself is stunning with so many independent shops, cafes and pubs to expore. Hay Castle has been recently renovated which is well worth a visit. It has views across the town, lovely grounds, a cafe and of course a book shop.
Market Day is Thursday morning with a selection of stalls selling local produce, gifts, antiques and yummy food.
(11 miles away)
Castles
Wales has more castles than any other country in the United Kingdom! Total castle numbers vary from over 500 to 641, depending on who you talk with, but either way, you won’t have to drive far between castles. Below are a small selection but there are lots more…
Local Pubs and Restaurants
There are plenty of local pubs and restaurants in the area, our own lovely local is the Royal Oak pub in Gladestry, run by a lovely local couple, the Oak does very tasty home cooked pub food at reasonable prices, best value roast we know! You can walk to it from our site (1.1 miles). There is a garden and dogs are welcome. Booking is always advised. https://www.facebook.com/TheRoyalOakGladestry 01544 370586
Another of our favourites is The Harp https://www.harpinnradnor.co.uk/ a short drive away in Old Radnor. A pretty independently owned pub, with ancient slate floors, oak beams and of course a huge open log fire. The views from the pub garden stretch accross the valley. The food is home-cooked and locally-sourced. Booking essential. 01544 350655
The Roast Ox is another great local pub, a 15 minute drive and lovely food. https://www.roastox.co.uk/ 01497 851398
The Cattle Shed at Penhros Court is a lovely cafe and restaurant, great for breakfasts, lunches and evening meals. very children and dog frieldly. https://www.penrhos-court.co.uk/dining/ . 01544 230007.
If you want a meal for a special occasion then we recommend Dunkertons Cider Barn in Pembridge. amazing food, the kind you wouldn’t cook yourself!
Another special place is Off Grid gourmet [http://offgridgourmet.co.uk/ It’s a very special experience all round, with local food; cooked, outdoors and seated in a beautiful barn. It’s fairly expensive but quite unique and you can bring your own drinks.
It is always best to book ahead for any meals out, especially for larger groups.
Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park
National Park is a wonderful place to spend some time during your visit. There are paths and trails for walkers, runners, cyclists, mountain bikers, horse riders and wildlife-watchers. There’s a brilliant range of organised activities on offer, from gentle recreational pursuits like photography and walking to more adventurous activities such as paragliding, rafting and abseiling. Nestled into the southern slopes of the Fforest Fawr massif, west of Merthyr Tydfil, Waterfall Country is one of the most beautiful and popular parts of the Brecon Beacons National Park and the Fforest Fawr Geopark, with steep, tree-lined gorges and an abundance of tumbling water.
(11 miles away)