A country of green hills, hospitality and lovely melodies, it is the land of King Arthur, converted to Christianity by the Romans, unconquered by the Normans and never fully discovered by the "tourism army". This area with its majestic mountains and fertile valleys was in past times a refuge for the Celts, while today it is the home of the Welsh Cob, a tough endurance-bred horse.
Black Mountains
The Black Mountains lie in the far east of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Sounding as though conjured by Tolkien they are in fact far from foreboding although in places there is no doubt a wild, restless beauty to them. From hilly green grazing fields the land climbs to become open moorland with windswept peaks.
The main villages in the Black Mountains are Tretower with its 13th century castle and Crickhowell, the latter being more of a town and a better base if you want to explore the countryside and take advantage of the good walking. Table Mountain (1481ft) and Pen Cerrig-calch (2302ft) are both popular climbs.
For the most part the Black Mountains are far less busy than the rest of the Brecon Beacons and so can make for a more pleasant experience than battling mid summer crowds.
Our riding tours take us deep into the unspoiled countryside, passing small villages, castles and monasteries, and then continue high up into the Brecon Beacons while enjoying a fascinating view over Mid-Whales' mountains along the Irish Sea.