Plan your trip

Turn to Walk 20 in this issue for a linear route from Devil’s Bridge to Aberffrwd, catching the steam train back.

Devil’s Bridge is on the A4120 10 miles east of Aberystwyth, which has a mainline station. The Vale of Rheidol Railway then steams up to Devil’s Bridge (rheidolrailway.co.uk) or the T22 bus (Mon, Wed, Fri only, must book 24 hours ahead on 01970 633555). See traveline.cymru for more info.

WHERE TO STAY

Country Walking stayed at the hotel at Penrhos Park (01974 202999, penrhospark.com) near Aberystwyth, a complex which also has lodges, caravans and log cabins. Rooms are comfy, clean and vast – with space for a sofa, table and kitchenette, and they all come with an ensuite bathroom too. Doubles from £119pn, 4-berth caravans from £255pw, cabins from £405pw.

The bar at Penrhos serves big portions of pub classics like gammon, egg and chips (£12), plus pizzas (from £9), and delicious veggie options like a vegan edamame salad bowl (£10). In Devil’s Bridge, you can tuck into a Devil’s Beast Burger at the Hafod Hotel (thehafod.co.uk) with views of the gorge, or head to Sarah Bunton Chocolates (sarahbunton.co.uk) opposite the station for sweets and Welsh ice cream.

iWALK HERE GETTING HERE WHERE TO EAT MORE INFORMATION

Find all you need to know about the area at visitmidwales.co.uk or call Aberystwyth tourist information on 01970 612125.

COUNTRY WALKING

Unsurprisingly for a place as sparsely populated as this, central Wales has inky dark skies and glitter bright stars, and offers some of the best seats for the spectacle. It’s the remotest hostel in Wales, seven miles from the nearest village, and one of two in the area owned by the Elenydd Wilderness Trust. The walk in from the south is gorgeous, tracing the twisting course of the and the old farmhouse is a comfy base for when you’ve had your fill of gazing at the night sky. Dorm beds from £14, rooms from £50, whole hostel from £200pn. See elenydd-hostels.co.uk

hafod.org

COUNTRY WALKING