Elan Valley Dam Open Days 2023

The Elan Valley is a great day out at any time, but on open days you can visit the inside of one of the dams between 10am and 4pm.

The dates for 2023 are as follows:

  • Tuesday 30th May
  • Tuesday 25th July
  • Tuesday 1st August
  • Tuesday 8th August
  • Tuesday 15th August
  • Tuesday 22nd August
  • Tuesday 29th August
  • Spooky Dam Open Day* Sunday 29th October
  • Spooky Dam Open Day* Monday 30th October
  • Wednesday 27th December

* Disclaimer: The dam will be decorated and made to be spookier than usual! This may involve spooky noises and things to make you jump. Costumes are optional but also encouraged!

This is your chance to venture into the Pen y Garreg Dam and up to the central tower. You’ll enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the Reservoir wall – and learn about the feat of engineering that made Elan.

We recommend booking ahead either online or from the Visitor Centre shop. Take the receipt from the shop as proof of purchase if you buy on the day. You can also buy entry at the dam, but you must have the correct change for your party.

We can print our guests’ online tickets here at Wye View.

Entry is £5 for adults and £1 for those aged 18 and under, with half of all proceeds going to WaterAid. 

Park at Penbont car park (adjacent to the Penbont  House Tea Room) and take a walk through the woodland, up the steps to the dam entrance.

There are steps inside the dam which may be wet and in some areas there are low light levels. Children should be carefully supervised at all times.

Please check the Elan Valley events page for any late changes to this schedule.

Wales is now at Alert Level 0

From Saturday 7th August legal restrictions on the number of people who can meet indoors and holiday together have been removed.

All business premises can now open – there may still be additional procedures to help keep visitors and customers safe, for example table service or pre-booking of attraction tickets: always check before travelling.

Note that the rules on face coverings in Wales are different to those in England: you must wear a face covering (if you are able to) in all indoor public places, for example supermarkets and public transport, with the exception of hospitality premises (e.g. pubs and restaurants).

You can read a summary of the current restrictions on the Welsh Government website.

In response to the coronavirus pandemic we have changed our booking policy to give our guests peace of mind. Read more about Our Covid Promise.

Grace & Adrian.

Updated 7th August 2021.

We are open again!

We have now reopened to accommodate guests travelling from Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Note that under the Welsh regulations, up to six people can holiday together in self catering accommodation.

All outdoor visitor attractions were allowed to reopen from the 26th of April, and the majority of indoor attractions are now also open. There may be additional procedures to help keep visitors and customers safe, for example table service or pre-booking of attraction tickets: always check before travelling.

Note that the rules in Wales are different to those in England: you must wear a face covering (if you are able to) in all indoor public places, for example supermarkets and public transport.

You can read a summary of the current restrictions on the Welsh Government website.

In response to the coronavirus pandemic we have changed our booking policy to give our guests peace of mind. Read more about Our Covid Promise.

Grace & Adrian.

Updated 17th July 2021.

Nature News June 2021

A week of glorious weather at the end of May brought all of the trees and shrubs into full leaf and the rhododendrons are all in flower now. We currently have a wonderful display of bluebells around the top bench, and the woodlands have a blue carpet of them as you drive past Cwm Belan on the way to Llanidloes.

Sightings in and around Wye View in June:

  • Chiffchaff
  • Cuckoo
  • Great tits
  • Pied wagtails – a pair are nesting, we think that they have eggs.
  • Red kites
  • Tawny owl (heard, not seen)
  • Great spotted woodpecker

Vale of Rheidol Railway Reopening

We are delighted to hear that the Vale of Rheidol narrow gauge steam railway will be reopening from the 24th of May 2021. Initially there will be two trains a day, with four trains on busier days. They have published a timetable for 2021, although the railway reserves the right to vary the published timetables with or without notice.

All trains start and finish at Aberystwyth, it isn’t possible to join the train elsewhere (not even Devil’s Bridge) and only return tickets are available.

Face coverings are required indoors, on platforms and on the trains (unless exempt), with a maximum group size of six from up to two households.

Tickets should be pre-booked using the link on the Vale of Rheidol Railway website.

Nature News May 2021

After nearly three weeks of mostly dry but cold weather we have had a couple of heavy rainstorms and the stream has filled up again. All of the trees are either budding or in leaf and flowers are beginning to open on the rhododendrons.

Our daffodils finished flowering at the beginning of the month and have been replaced with many self-set yellow primroses. Our bluebells are also starting to open along with a few tiny orchids.

On the subject of bluebells, there is now a good display of them at the RSPB Ynys-Hir Nature Reserve on the Dyfi valley. Check the website for opening times and recent sigtings. There are also osprey nesting at the near-by Dyfi Osprey Project, and there is a live stream of their nest.

Sightings in and around Wye View in May:

  • Chiffchaff
  • Cuckoo (heard, not seen 11/05/2021)
  • Great tits
  • Pied wagtail
  • A whole squadron of sparrows
  • Five red kites
  • Buzzard
  • A pair of thrushes
  • Male blackbird
  • Tawny owl (heard, not seen)

Reopening after the Alert Level 4 Closure

Wales entered alert level 4 on the 20th of December 2020 to control the spread of coronavirus.

The Welsh Government has announced that provided that Covid-19 rates do not increase, on Saturday the 27th of March stay local restrictions will be lifted to allow people to travel within Wales.  Self-contained holiday accommodation will re-open for one household for guests travelling within Wales. 

We will now accept bookings for arrivals from the 27th of April, but only for guests travelling within Wales.

We hope that from the 12th April guests from England will be able to travel to Wales. It is not yet clear what the rules will be with regards to household restrictions, and we will update this page when we have more information.

In response to the coronavirus pandemic we have changed our booking policy to give our guests peace of mind. Read more about Our Covid Promise.

You can read the reopening announcement on the Welsh Government website.

Grace & Adrian.

Updated 13th March 2021.

Alert Level 4 Closure

Wales entered alert level 4 on the 20th of December 2020 to control the spread of coronavirus.

All accommodation businesses are required to close for the duration of the alert. We have contacted the guests we had booked for the alert level 4 period and made arrangements to re-schedule their stays or refund.

We hope to re-open and welcome guests in April 2021. There may still be restrictions on travel to and from Wales when we re-open; we will discuss this with our booked guests as and when announcements are made.

In response to the coronavirus pandemic we have changed our booking policy to give our guests peace of mind. Read more about Our Covid Promise.

You can read the most recent statement from the First Minister on the Welsh Government website.

We look forward to welcoming guests, old and new, to Wye View as soon as permitted.

Grace & Adrian.

Updated 24th February 2021.

Reopening After The Firebreak

We are delighted to announce that on the 9th of November 2020 we reopened Wye View following Wales’ firebreak lockdown.

We are now able to welcome guests from across Wales to stay in our self catering cottages. There are no travel restrictions within Wales.

From Friday December the 4th our English guests are permitted to travel between Tier 1 and Tier 2 locations in England and Wales, but travel from Tier 3 locations is not still allowed.

Travel between the whole of Northern Ireland and Scotland’s Tier 3 and Tier 4 locations is not permitted.

All travel restrictions within the UK will be suspended between 23 and 27 December to allow people to meet members of their Christmas bubble. People travelling to and from Northern Ireland will be able to travel the day before this period starts and the day after.

You can find answers to frequently asked questions about the new rules on the Welsh Government website.

We look forward to welcoming returning and new guests – book now for Christmas and the New Year!

Coronavirus Firebreak

A short, sharp firebreak will be introduced across Wales to help regain control of coronavirus. This means that a series of restrictive measures will be in place from 6pm Friday 23 October until 12:01am Monday 9 November 2020.

All accommodation businesses are required to close for the duration of the firebreak. We have contacted the guests we had booked for the firebreak period and made arrangements to re-schedule their stays or refund.

We plan to re-open and welcome guests from Monday 9th November. There may still be restrictions on travel to and from Wales when we re-open; we will discuss this with our booked guests as and when announcements are made.

You can read more about the firebreak on the Welsh Government’s Coronavirus firebreak: frequently asked questions page.

What’s Open, What’s Not

Updated Thursday 20th August 2020.

We are seeing a gradual re-opening of tourist destinations and hospitality businesses across Mid Wales. This is a short list of what we know to be open, and what is still closed at the moment. Please tell us of any changes, and please call ahead or check social media before travelling, because opening times may change at short notice.

Please remember that here in Wales the 2m social distancing rule remains in force and we ask you pay extra special attention to respecting others when out enjoying these activities, including in the car park areas where it is so easy to forget!

To find out more about the rules in Wales:  https://gov.wales/coronavirus-regulations-guidance

Vale of Rheidol Railway

The Vale of Rheidol Railway will not be reopening this summer. It should be re-opening in 2021.

Website.

The Elan Valley

The valley is open for visitors, and parts of the visitor centre have reopened:

  • The Visitor Centre cafe is now open for indoor seated table service.
  • The playground has re-opened.
  • There is a new Grab and Go section in the gift shop with snacks and drinks. 
  • The main toilets remain closed, but Temporary toilets are available at the Visitor Centre and at Claerwen Dam and Craig Goch Dam.
  • There is a a catering trailer ‘Y Gegin’ at the visitor centre, currently cash only.
  • Bike hire available for advanced bookings only. Call 01597 810 880.

The car parks are now all open, but you must book your car parking ticket here: https://eola.co/w/939/activities/car-park-charge You will need to print out your receipt and display in your vehicle: we can print our guests’ tickets at the farmhouse.

The dam open day dates have been changed, for more information see our post.

Website.

Penbont House Tearooms

The tearooms have reopened, with all seating outdoors on the picnic benches, but under a gazebo. The menu is limited, and afternoon teas are pre-ordered and takeaway only.

Website.

Great Oak Cafe

Great vegetarian cooking! Open 10am to 2pm, outside seating at rear.

Facebook page.

Aisha’s Cafe and Restaurant

A new restaurant in Llanidloes, serving Moroccan cuisine and tapas. Lunch time 10am to 4pm Tuesday – Saturday and evening opening Thursday / Friday Saturday. Order for takeaway or outside seating.

Facebook page.

Powis Castle

The castle, garden, courtyard and cafes at Powis Castle are now open daily. The Clive museum remains closed. You will need to book your visit in advance. Check What’s On for the latest information and to book. You may be turned away if you arrive without a booking. We can help our guests with printing their ticket.

Website.

Hafren Forest

The car park, trails, picnic area and toilets have reopened.

Website.

Hafod Estate

The car park and the walks are now open again.

Website.

Gilfach Nature Reserve

Open but with the following restrictions:

  • The Byre and the toilets are closed.
  • The bird hide is closed.

Website.

Bwlch Nant Yr Arian

Currently open:

  • car park
  • walking trails
  • running trails
  • mountain bike trails and skills park
  • horse riding trail and corral
  • orienteering trails
  • picnic area
  • play area
  • bike wash

Still closed:

  • visitor centre building and external decking area
  • café (but there is a limited takeaway service 11am-4pm)
  • toilets (temporary toilets are available in the meantime)
  • bird hides
  • red kite feeding at 3pm (they will not be feeding the red kites at a specific time each day to help prevent large crowds of visitors)

Website.

Centre for Alternative Technology

Now open for pre-booked visits.

Website

We’re Good To Go

The easing of the Covid-19 restrictions in Wales has progressed at a slower, more cautious rate than in England, but the Welsh Government has told us to prepare to re-open self catering accommodation from Saturday the 11th of July, subject to a final decision on Thursday the 9th of July.

We have been working hard to make sure that we are ready to reopen. Here are some of the steps we have taken:

  • Carried out a risk assessment based on specific guidance for self catering accommodation.
  • Adopted new cleaning protocols for deep cleaning between each let, including correct use of disinfecting products approved to EN14476, safe disposal of waste, and a minimum gap of 24 hours between lettings.
  • Provided additional cleaning materials and hand sanitiser in each cottage.
  • Moved to a contactless arrival and departure system.
  • Updated our welcome guide and local information for guests.

We have applied for and been awarded the ‘We’re Good To Go’ COVID-19 industry standard and consumer mark to reassure our guests that we adhere to Government and public health guidance.

We have also committed to Airbnb’s enhanced cleaning protocol – a rigorous set of cleaning standards developed by Airbnb with leading health and hospitality experts for the times of COVID-19 and beyond.

We are now taking bookings for all of our cottages for arrivals from Saturday the 11th of July 2020.



Covid-19 Statement

The Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (Wales) Regulations 2020 came into force from 4.00p.m. on Thursday, 26 March. They require us as a holiday accommodation provider to close until permitted to reopen by Welsh Ministers.

The closure or “lockdown” has been extended twice and currently runs up to and including the 3rd of July 2020. Welsh Ministers may decide to extend it further. Note that the regulations are not the same as those in force in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

We have contacted our guests booked to stay with us during the closure period offering them alternative dates later this year or in 2021. We will continue to review the situation, and our forward bookings, as the situation changes.

Guests booked through our agents will be contacted by the agency concerned and offered alternative dates. Guests booked through Airbnb will have their bookings automatically cancelled by Airbnb.

If you are affected, and would like to discuss your booking, please don’t hesitate to get in touch by telephone on 01686 440205, by email to bookings@wyeview.com or by using our contact form.

Statement from Wye View concerning non-essential travel

We have reviewed relevant guidance from the UK government, Visit Wales and Powys County Council, and sought advice from our booking agencies and our insurers to determine our response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last night, the UK government published a document Guidance and advice to avoid non-essential travel in the UK for people planning to visit holiday premises during the pandemic, stating that “Essential travel does not include visits to second homes, camp sites, caravan parks or similar, whether for isolation purposes or holidays.”

In line with policy announcements from other members of our industry we have stopped taking new bookings for the period to Thursday 4th June 2020 and we are asking that any guest with a booking in one of our cottages due to arrive between now and Thursday 30th April 2020 defers their booking and moves it to a date later this year or to some time in 2021.

These dates may, of necessity, be extended, in which case we will make a further announcement.

We will contact all booked guests individually to discuss this decision in the next few days.

For Wye View Limited,

Adrian & Grace Ince.

New Year, New Website

Happy new year to all of our guests!

We started the new year with a new website; a fresher look and feel, plus a new booking system which shows you the full price of your stay when you make a booking enquiry.

We always want our guests to get best value for their stay, so we have introduced short break pricing for stays of three or more nights – starting any day of the week. Remember that if you book direct with us here at Wye View there are NO BOOKING FEES!

We would welcome any comments or suggestions for the website – leave a comment or drop us an email.

Grace & Adrian.

Wye View Receives Four Stars Again!

On the tenth of December our cottages were inspected by Visit Wales for our grading renewal – a little earlier than expected, but the Quality Advisers try to fit their visits into the quieter periods before Christmas and Easter.

We had just finished some changes – all cottages now have cooker hoods and brand new gas hobs in the kitchens, and we have updated the satellite TV receivers too.

We are delighted to report that once again we have achieved a four star self-catering award for all four of the cottages! We have also been re-awarded the “Walkers Welcome” and “Cyclists Welcome” certificates.

Visit Wales Four Star Self Catering Accommodation

Visit Wales assess the quality of every aspect of the business on a scale of 1 to 5; these scores are totalled and a score for the whole business is calculated. The Quality Adviser also checks for consistency in key areas of the business, to ensure that excellence in one area alone doesn’t give an artificially high grading. Finally, they check that all of the facilities and services required to meet the grading level are present; that’s everything from the quality of the mattress to the number of teaspoons!

Sometimes we are asked by guests why we aren’t awarded five stars – after all, we get a lot of five star reviews. Visit Wales do score us fives on quality, cleanliness, etc. but five star cottages are expected to be bigger, and have full sized bathrooms – so unless we undertake some significant building work, we can only achieve a four star award!

We are looking forward to another year of hosting our lovely guests here at Wye View.

Grace & Adrian.

Natural Mid Wales Map

We have always described ourselves as being in the heart of the beautiful Mid Wales countryside, and the new Natural Mid Wales map shows just how much wildlife we are surrounded by!

Natural Mid Wales Map
Natural Mid Wales Map

The nearest nature reserve – Gilfach RWT – is just down the road from us, and you really can see salmon leaping in late autumn. There is usually a pair of Red Kites soaring high above the cottages, and a combination of leaving the grass long and regular winter feeding means that we have a many wild birds in our grounds.

You can download and print a bigger version of the map, and of course there is a copy in the welcome folder of each cottage.

Perseid Meteor Shower 2018

The Perseid meteor shower is due to peak around the 12th to 13th of August this year. Because there is a new moon, the night skies will be nice and dark meaning that we should be able to see shooting stars over Wye View again – provided that there isn’t too much cloud of course!

The meteor shower is an annual event, and is caused by the Earth moving through particles of the Swift-Tuttle comet which burn up in our atmosphere and look to us like fast moving shooting stars. Because they appear to come from the Perseus constellation, they are called the Perseids.

Sharp-eyed watchers have already reported some Perseid meteors this year, and the combination of little cloud cover, the new moon and our wonderful dark skies here in Mid Wales should mean that there will be plenty to see in the nights around the peak.

In past years we have driven to the heart of the Elan Valley, near the Pen-y-garreg dam, where at midnight there are no lights visible for miles around – and seeing the stars reflected in the reservoir and the milky way overhead is breathtaking.

 

 

 

Upper Severn Valley Scarecrow Festival 2018

The Upper Severn Valley Scarecrow Festival returns this year between Friday 27th July and Tuesday 31st July.

Last year saw dozens of novelty scarecrows, spread along the roadside between Glan Y Nant and the Hafren Forest, made by residents of the villages in support of the Welsh Air Ambulance.

Worth a look, especially if you are planning a visit to the forest or a drive around the Clewedog reservoir.

Four stars again!

Visit Wales re-assess the grading of self catering cottages every two years, to make sure that standard are maintained. We are delighted that we have been awarded four stars again, with the assessor commenting on our high standard of housekeeping! We have also been included in the Cyclists Welcome and Walkers Welcome schemes – we will be posting more about that soon.

Hinterland Filming Location Map

Are you a fan of the Hinterland (Y Gwyll) series on BBC Wales and S4C? The third (and final) series returns to BBC Wales on Wednesday 5th of April at 9pm. If you live outside Wales, tune to channel 964 / 976 (HD) on Freesat, or 952 / 978 (HD) on Sky.

The series is shot in and around Aberystwyth and the Cambrian Mountains, and many of the stunning rural locations are shown on this interactive map of the area – it has been updated for the new series.

Hinterland Location Map
Hinterland Location Map

Many of these locations are within a 30 minute drive of Wye View, and this map provides a great excuse for a drive through the Cambrian Mountains!

Virtual Walk Around Bwlch Nant yr Arian

Natural Resources of Wales have spent many hours carrying the Google Street View Trekker backpack around the paths of Bwlch Nant yr Arian. The result is a high-quality 360 degree Streetview of the paths around the site, so you can see the fantastic views of the Cambrian Mountains and plan your visit!


There is a gallery of all of the Natural Resources of Wales Street Views or you can go straight to the map for Bwlch Nant yr Arian and drag the yellow man from the bottom right corner to one of the trails on the map.
Bwlch Nant yr Arian features walking, mountain biking and running trails, and new this year is an MTB skills track – opens 4th March 2017.
It is also worth planning your visit around the 2pm (3pm during British Summer Time) Red Kite Feeding – down by the lake you can typically see 80 or more Red Kites diving down to pick up food. The feeding only lasts around 15 minutes though, so make sure you are on time!

Maintaining and Improving

We have been busy making some changes to the cottages to help maintain our high feedback scores and improve our guests’ experience. Here’s what we have been up to.

Last year we renewed the slate roof over Wye and Severn Cottages. This was to install insulation and repair broken slates, and where possible level out the bumps & dips in the roof. Most of the slate was reused, but we did have to purchase reclaimed Welsh slates for around 15% of the roof to match. The result is much cosier and more energy efficient cottages.

We have also begun pointing the walls – in some cases they are in their original 150-year old state, so this is well overdue!

Throughout all four cottages we have replaced the carpeting with a more neutral, tweed beige carpet. We think it looks great and hope that you agree!

We have updated the WiFi network with new equipment to improve link stability.

In Elan, Severn and Wye Cottages we have repainted the skirting boards, architrave and banisters, which we think lightens the rooms. We have also redecorated the walls and ceilings upstairs in Hafren, Severn and Wye – and we will be doing the rest in Spring / Summer 2017. While we were decorating, we spotted “1847” carved into a roof truss in Severn Cottage – this is almost certainly the year that the barn was built.

Part of our 4 star Visit Wales grading is based on an assessment of the look and feel of the cottages; we hope that you agree that the changes we have made are positive and will help us maintain our standard.

Visit Wales Four Star Award

Visit Wales Four Star Self Catering
Visit Wales Four Star Self Catering

We are delighted to announce that Wye View has achieved Visit Wales four star awards for all of our self catering cottages.

The assessment uses the British Common Standards for Self Catering, which requires that all critical areas of the property – cleanliness, public areas, bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchen must each achieve a grade commensurate with the overall rating.

We have worked hard over the past year improving equipment and decoration in the cottages, and are delighted that we have reached our target of four stars!

Top Gear at the Claerwen Dam

Top-Gear-Landrover-ElanIn September 2014 the Top Gear crew visited the Elan Valley to film an item about the Landrover Defender. Richard Hammond uses the Landrover with a winch to a make a heart-stopping ascent of the Claerwen dam in the Elan valley, recreating an advert from the 1980s for the Landrover 90.

Six dams were built as part of the Elan Valley project which started in 1893, although Dol-y-Mynach, also on the River Claerwen, was never completed. Today the dams provide 360 million litres of water a day to Birmingham. The Elan Valley offers spectacular views and can be reached in around 15 minutes from Wye View – well worth a day out!

You can see the Top Gear programme at 8pm on Sunday the 15th of February.

Picture from the Elan Valley website.

Geminid Meteor Shower

Visitors to Wye View may have the opportunity to see the Geminids meteor shower, on Saturday 13 December from around 9pm – subject to weather. With some of the darkest skies in the UK, this remote part of mid Wales is the perfect location for amateur astronomers to observe this shower. Wrap up warm and watch the skies!