Mid Wales

United_Kingdom

Mid Wales (Welsh: Canolbarth Cymru) is in the United Kingdom.

  • Aberystwyth. (Ceredigion)
  • Brecon. (Welsh: Aberhonddu) (Powys)
  • Builth Wells. (Welsh: Llanfair ym Muallt) (Powys)
  • Cardigan. (Welsh: Aberteifi) (Ceredigion)
  • Hay-on-Wye. (Welsh: Y Gelli Gandryl) (Powys)
  • Lampeter. (Welsh: Llanbedr Pont Steffan or Llambed) (Ceredigion)
  • Llanidloes. (Powys)
  • Llanwrtyd Wells. (Powys)
  • Machynlleth. (Powys)

Aberystwyth. ([[Ceredigion]])

Brecon. (Welsh: Aberhonddu) ([[Powys]])

Builth Wells. (Welsh: Llanfair ym Muallt) ([[Powys]])

Cardigan. (Welsh: Aberteifi) ([[Ceredigion]])

Hay-on-Wye. (Welsh: Y Gelli Gandryl) ([[Powys]])

Lampeter. (Welsh: Llanbedr Pont Steffan or Llambed) ([[Ceredigion]])

Llanidloes. ([[Powys]])

Llanwrtyd Wells. ([[Powys]])

Machynlleth. ([[Powys]])

Brecon Beacons National Park. (Welsh: Bannau Brycheiniog)

Mid Wales is the sparsely-populated heart of Wales, covering more than a third of the total area of the country but containing only around 1/15 of its population, with the university town of Aberystwyth being one of only few settlements of any significant size. It stretches from the fringes of Snowdonia in the north to the edge of industrial South Wales, and from the English border to the Irish Sea.

Much of the region consists of the remote upland area of the Cambrian Mountains. They are not high by UK or international standards - the highest point is Pumlumon Fawr, at 752 metres or 2,467 feet. But they are wild and remote, with only a few small villages and isolated farms, and crossed by only a handful of roads; the land is largely useful only for sheep-farming and forestry. Several of the valleys were also flooded in the 1950s and 1960s to create reservoirs mainly serving England, which proved controversial at the time. The mountains also act as a barrier between the more English-speaking county of Powys in the east and the predominantly Welsh-speaking county of Ceredigion to the West. The areas towards the English border and are lower-lying, more fertile and more heavily populated, particularly in the valleys of the rivers Severn, Wye and Usk, all of which rise in the mountains. While the scenery of mid Wales may not match the rugged grandeur of Snowdonia, it has an appeal of its own: softer and greener, yet much emptier and less given over to tourism.

As elsewhere in Wales, English is universally understood. Welsh is, though, widely spoken in western Powys and in Ceredigion, and predominates in many parts of the latter. Visitors will not be expected to speak Welsh, but respect for the language and at least an attempt to pronounce place-names and so on correctly goes a long way with Welsh-speakers.

Work on organic farms - Wales is home to many communes and organic farms, and WWOOF can arrange for volunteers to work for free at some of these place in exchange for room and board. It is an excellent way to experience life in the Welsh countryside, make friends and, at the same time, learn a little about organic farming.

Glyndŵr's Way. 135 miles (217 km) path in an extended loop through Powys between [[Knighton]] and [[Welshpool]].

  • North Wales
  • South Wales
  • West Midlands (region)

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