{"id":30156,"date":"2022-03-24T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-24T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=30156"},"modified":"2022-04-20T13:25:07","modified_gmt":"2022-04-20T13:25:07","slug":"exploring-the-dark-heart-of-wales","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/2022\/03\/24\/exploring-the-dark-heart-of-wales\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploring the dark heart of Wales"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Cambrian Mountains has some of the world\u2019s darkest skies. Jamie <\/strong>Carter <\/strong>takes its Astro Trail to see why Wales is a stargazer\u2019s dream come true<\/p>\n\n

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The majesty of the Milky Way from the Wigwam Holidays luxury campsite near Buith Wells<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Stargazing in solitude isn\u2019t always easy in the Cambrian Mountains. \u201cA few friends and I went up to the local Dark Sky Discovery Site to lie on blankets and watch a meteor shower, but there were so many sheep that we had to lie on the bonnet of the car instead!\u201d says Linda Reid, who runs Glangwili Mansion (glangwilimansion.co.uk<\/a>), a small luxury country house hotel in Llanllawddog in Carmarthenshire. \u201cThey must have thought we were the farmer coming to feed them.\u201d Back at Glangwili Mansion there\u2019s a feast, both gastronomical and astronomical, in the shape of the Stargazer Cabin in the lush hotel grounds. \u201cWe wanted to do something special so we created this cosy wilderness place with evening dining and spectacular skies,\u201d says Linda.<\/p>\n\n

Welcome to the Cambrian Mountains Astro Trail, a newly developed 80km-route around an undesignated rural landscape in Wales that covers Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Powys. Most stargazers visiting Wales will have heard about the International Dark Sky Reserves at Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons. \u201cIn Wales we\u2019ve got the three designated dark-sky areas, but the Cambrian Mountains trumps them all,\u201d says Allan Trow at Dark Sky Wales (darkskywalestrainingservices.co.uk<\/a>), who runs stargazing and astrophotography events. \u201cIts length and breadth is dark and it covers a massive swathe of our country.\u201d In the northeast of the Cambrian region is the Elan Valley International Dark Sky Park, one of the three areas in Wales accredited by the International Dark-Sky Association.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

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The Elan Valley offers spectacular dark-sky vistas<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n
Getting away from the lights<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

The trail through some of the UK\u2019s darkest night skies takes in nine of the UK\u2019s Dark Sky Discovery Sites (<\/span>darkskydiscovery.org.uk<\/a>) \u2013 six of them newly created \u2013 that are all Milky Way-class, with Bortle Class 2 night skies. \u201cThere were originally just three, including a couple of very remote, off-grid hostels in deep valleys called Hostel Dolgoch and Hostel Ty\u2019n y Cornel,\u201d says my host Dafydd Wyn Morgan, project manager for the Cambrian Mountains Initiative. \u201cAll were in Ceredigion so after some community engagement, we worked with Allan from Dark Sky Wales to create two to the south and four to the north in Powys and Carmarthenshire.\u201d The top priority was darkness, of course, but second came accessibility. \u201cI\u2019ve heard stories of people going to some of these places and turning back because it\u2019s just too dark for them,\u201d he says, insisting that everyone visiting any Dark Sky Discovery Site should visit during the day before to build up their confidence. \u201cIf you go during the daytime you can also enjoy the amazing landscape: after all we like to call the Cambrian Mountains an area of astounding natural beauty!\u201d <\/p>\n\n

What these new Dark Sky Discovery Sites have in common is car parks, an instantly recognisable yellow-and-black badge and, around the new Moon, inky black night skies. Some are high viewpoints overlooking barren landscapes, such as Llanllwni Mountain near Brechfa and Pont ar Elan, where you can park a car and go stargazing with little chance of passing traffic. There are other Dark Sky Discovery Sites that are ready to become iconic astrophotography locations, such as The Arch\/Y Bwa near Devil\u2019s Bridge\/Pontarfynach (pictured, below).<\/p>\n\n

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The Arch\/Y Bwa, near Devil\u2019s Bridge\/ Pontarfynach, makes a wonderful frame for an astrophoto <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n
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Go glamping on the Cambrian Mountains Astro Trail and stay at an \u2018Earth Conker\u2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n
Spoilt for choice<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

With so much choice it\u2019s impossible to choose the best place in the Cambrian Mountains to go stargazing, but there\u2019s a stretch between Pontrhydfendigaid in Ceredigion and the Elan Valley in Powys that\u2019s irresistible for anyone interested in wilderness locations and dark skies.<\/p>\n\n

At Pontrhydfendigaid is the new Coed y Bont Dark Sky Discovery Site \u2013 consisting of a car park, picnic table and shelter at the entrance to community woodland \u2013 that\u2019s very close to Strata Florida, a medieval abbey with an iconic entrance arch where generations of Welsh princes are buried.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

The Cambrian Mountains Astro Trail also includes numerous places to stay under the darkest of night skies. Under Starry Skies (understarryskies.co.uk<\/a>) has a barn and two delightfully secluded, off-grid wood cabins on an old dairy farm in Llansadwrn, while Chillderness (chillderness.co.uk<\/a>) on the Red Kite Estate near Llanafan-fawr hosts two aerodynamically designed glamping pods called \u2018Earth Conker\u2019 (pictured above) and \u2018Moon Conker\u2019.<\/p>\n\n

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The pump house at Elan Valley\u2019s Garreg Ddu Dam<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

If glamping isn\u2019t your style and you\u2019re after a landscape to explore and photograph by day and by night, head to the Elan Valley, the only International Dark Sky Park in Wales thus far and the only private estate in the world to have such a designation. This vast 180 square kilometres of reservoirs, iconic dams, woodland, moorland and rivers provides an adventure playground for <\/span>anyone after jaw-dropping nightscapes.<\/p>\n\n

The closest town, Rhayader, is about 10 kilometres away and is good for places to eat, but for easy access to the night sky it\u2019s best to stay on the Welsh Water\/D\u0175r Cymru-owned estate itself. \u201cYou can stay in Rhayader and get the best of both worlds, but for the ultimate experience stay on the estate itself because then you\u2019re already there \u2013 you can pop in and out and sleep with the curtains open and stargaze from the comfort of your bed,\u201d says Dafydd. Good choices within the estate include B&B at Penbont House (<\/span>penbonthouse.co.uk<\/a>) alongside Pen y Garreg Dam and self-catering at Hen D\u0177 (elanvalley.org.uk\/stay<\/a>), part of a 16th-century longhouse. The latter is on the way to the remote Claerwen Dam, the largest of the Elan Valley\u2019s six dams and a fine place to catch sunsets and starry panoramas. For a Victorian pump house in the foreground of a nightscape photograph, go to Garreg Ddu Dam (pictured, left, below).<\/span><\/p>\n\n

It is best to visit the area after heavy rain when the reservoirs spill over and the dams look like vast waterfalls. Before you arrive, check with the Elan Valley Visitor Centre (elanvalley.org.uk\/events<\/a>) for stargazing events. Some are held at an immaculate new wooden hut above the reservoirs, which is aptly named \u2018Cosmic Cwtsh\u2019 (cwtsh is Welsh for cuddle, but also hideaway). This has slide-out windows, which are perfect for positioning a telescope.<\/p>\n\n

Activities for all<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

Elan Valley is very well prepared for stargazers. At Craig Goch Dam there are information boards detailing everything from seasonal constellations to specialist binocular sights. Beyond is a remote mountain road above the reservoir to Pont Ar Elan, a new Dark Sky Discovery Site with spectacular views south towards Craig Goch or west across a landscape in which the the River Elan meanders. From here the old mountain road takes you west through the Ystwyth Valley where the self-catering cottage Esgair Wen and Tyllwyd Campsite (welshaccommodation.co.uk<\/a>) are ideal for stargazing.<\/p>\n\n

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St Justinian provides excellent stargazing opportunites from the Pembrokeshire coast<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Ystwyth Valley leads to another intriguing location on the Cambrian Mountains Astro Trail: Devil\u2019s Bridge, which is also called Pontarfynach.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

On its outskirts is an extraordinary monument, The Arch or Y Bwa, a masonry arch built in 1810 to mark the Golden Jubilee of King George III. It now has a car park and picnic area, which marks the start of walks around the Hafod Estate (hafod.org<\/a>), and an excellent new Dark Sky Discovery Site. Come in summer and you\u2019ll see the Milky Way streaming down behind the Arch. A few minutes\u2019 drive away is the Hafod Hotel (thehafod.co.uk<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n

Dark skies ahead<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

Almost nowhere else in Wales is as lightly-populated nor as dark as the Cambrian Mountains, but there are many other dark spots that stargazers can head to. \u201cOne of the best examples of a place working towards dark skies status is Pembrokeshire, where the streetlights go off at midnight \u2013 it\u2019s phenomenal,\u201d says Trow. One of the best locations in Pembrokeshire is St Justinian, which is about a 10-minute drive from St Davids. \u201cGo to the headland there in August or September and you\u2019ll have the Milky Way lined up with Ramsey Island right in front of you,\u201d says Trow. \u201cIt\u2019s a stunning location and one of the easiest places to photograph our Galaxy.\u201d Broad Haven South Beach is another good option for Milky Way-viewing, as is Pendine Sands near Tenby and Rhossili Bay on the Gower Peninsula. Both Pembrokeshire and Gower are going for International Dark Sky Community status.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

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Head to Bardsey Island for dark skies and wildlife<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

Meanwhile, the North Wales Dark Sky Partnership has Prosiect Nos (Night Project), a collaboration between Snowdonia National Park and three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB): the Isle of Anglesey, the Clwydian Range & Dee Valley, and the Ll\u0177n Peninsula. \u201cAll these areas are going for International Dark-Sky Association status over the next two years,\u201d says Dani Robertson, Dark Sky Officer for Prosiect Nos (discoveryinthedark.wales\/project-nos<\/a>), who recently unveiled a mobile observatory van to take binoculars, telescopes, head torches, camping chairs and even wildlife cameras into rural communities to help them experience their dark night skies. \u201cI\u2019m yet to find anywhere darker than the Ll\u0177n Peninsula,\u201d she says, singling-out Mynydd Mawr at its southern tip, though just a couple of miles across Bardsey Sound is perhaps the very darkest place in the country. \u201cBardsey Island is only inhabited by 12 people and there\u2019s no external light,\u201d says Robertson about this remote home to grey seals, puffins and the nocturnally active Manx shearwater. \u201cI would recommend staying there for a few nights to experience the night skies and the wildlife after dark.\u201d Called Ynys Enlli in Welsh, Bardsey Island (<\/span>bardsey.org<\/a>) is up for the coveted status of Dark Sky Sanctuary, only a handful of which exist around the world.<\/p>\n\n

With projects like these, it\u2019s plain to see that despite Wales having the highest percentage of protected dark skies of anywhere in the world, there\u2019s a lot more to come from the UK\u2019s \u2018dark-sky country.\u2019<\/p>\n\n

Find out more about the Cambrian Mountains Astro Trail at thecambrianmountains.co.uk\/<\/a> discover-dark-skies <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

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Jamie Carter <\/strong>is an astronomy and travel writer and author of A Stargazing Program for Beginners<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

<\/div>
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The Astro Trail by day<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s plenty to do in the Cambrian Mountains in daylight hours<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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Devil\u2019s Bridge\/Pontarfynach has enticed visitors since the 18th century<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One of the most popular areas in the region is Devil\u2019s Bridge\/Pontarfynach, which is about 19km east of Aberystwyth. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the ultimate destinations for anyone with an interest in the night sky,\u201d says Cambrian Mountains Initiative project manager Dafydd Wyn Morgan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s got everything you need, from accommodation, attractions and activities to places to eat and drink.\u201d There\u2019s a Victorian vibe here: Devil\u2019s Bridge Falls (devilsbridgefalls.co.uk<\/a>) in Rheidol Gorge has been visited since the 18th century, with William Wordsworth counted among the sightseers. Enter the turnstiles to reach the path, which also gets you the occasional view of three bridges built one on top of the other. Reach Devil\u2019s Bridge car-free via the Vale of Rheidol Railway (<\/span>rheidolrailway.co.uk<\/a>) from Aberystwyth \u2013 between March and November. Opposite the station is Sarah Bunton Chocolates (sarahbunton.co.uk<\/a>), whose goods include \u2018Dark Skies Chocolate.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During a trip along the Astro Trail you\u2019re likely to come across Hathren Dark Skies Galaxy Brownies (hathren.co.uk<\/a>), D\u00e0 Mh\u00ecle, Dark Skies Rum (damhile.co.uk<\/a>) and Radnor Preserves\u2019 Dark Skies Preserve (radnorpreserves.com<\/a>), which uses silver flecks in the gin distilled by In the Welsh Wind to represent star-studded nebulae.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Hafod Estate presents plenty of hiking and cycling opportunities<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Burn off the calories on the 200-hectare Hafod Estate (hafod.org<\/a>), a mecca for hiking, or by climbing Pumlumon Fawr, a 752m-peak in the Cambrian Mountains.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cyclists are also catered for. Rent a bike in Rhayader or from the Elan Valley Visitor Centre and set off on trails around the estate. Intrepid riders can tackle the mountain road between the Elan Valley and Aberystwyth (National Cycle Network Route 81), through the Ystwyth Valley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, bird-watchers can enjoy Cors Caron National Nature Reserve (naturalresources.wales<\/a>), a wetland with a boardwalk between Pontrhydfendigaid and Tregaron in Ceredigion, and the Gigrin Red Kite Feeding Station (gigrin. uk) <\/strong>near Rhayader where you can make use of your binoculars or a long lens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cors Caron National Nature Reserve is a paradise for bird-watchers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

Dark-sky locations in Wales<\/h4>\n\n

Discover the best places to stargaze with our map showing dark-sky locations and areas affected by light pollution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

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<\/p>\n\n

PHOTOS: DAFYDD WYN MORGAN\/CAMBRIAN MOUNTAINS INITIATIVE X 2, JAX10289\/ISTOCK\/GETTY IMAGES, TREVOR-MAYES\/ISTOCK\/GETTY IMAGES, PAUL QUAYLE\/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO, JAMIE CARTER, MAP: NATURAL RESOUCES WALES\/LUC\/WWW.LANDUSE.CO.UK, ALLAN TROW\/DARK SKY WALES,ADRIAN KINGSLEY-HUGHES\/ISTOCK\/GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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