Words & Photographs by Liz Schaffer
The moment I first crossed the border into Wales on a grey December morning back in 2019, I was enamoured. My friend and I were driving over the Gospel Pass - a scenic stretch of road that connects food-besotted Abergavenny with book-loving Hay-of-Wye - and I was struck silent, lost in the subline scene around me.
It didn’t take long to realise that, throughout Wales, there's no shortage of stunning landscapes. In this country, the past is etched into the terrain, present in its market towns, myth-shrouded ruins and weather-worn peaks. You’re aware of all that has come before, of the reverence and pride that has rippled down through the generations; passed from the Druids, to the Celts, and bolstered by the warriors of old. You can’t help but be dwarfed by such landscapes.
Since that first awe-inspiring trip, I've returned to Wales whenever I can, with my most recent journey taking the form of a winter road trip. And if you’re equally passionate about castles, feasts and soul-soothing ways to unwind, I suggest reading on for a route worth following.
The First Stops
Road trips require a car, so pick one up in Cardiff, Wales' capital city - which conveniently comes with a well-connected train station and international airport. While the city is famed for its Victorian and Edwardian Arcades (full of independent stores and restaurants, and built following the city’s original medieval layout), it's Cardiff Castle that I find most fascinating. One of around 600 across the country, the castle was founded by William the Conqueror (who built atop an earlier Roman Fort). It's perhaps best known for its Victorian Apartments, which were restored and revamped over a 19 year period for John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute. His love of nature, eccentric personality and spiritual leanings resulted in a story-packed visual smorgasbord that hours simply slip away in.
From here, the adventure really begins. Set off for Tintern Abbey, a striking Cistercian ruin by the Wye River, stop for a long lunch at The Angel in Abergavenny, a Georgian coaching inn turned boutique hotel, and then partake in a G&T amidst the ruins of the 12th-century Llanthony Priory, looking out across the Vale of Ewyas Hills.
Your endpoint is Hergest Lee Hideaways, two stunningly-designed, eco-friendly wooden cabins found in the petite hamlet of Burlingjobb - an escape that works equally well for couples and families. Surrounded by forest, farmland and the rolling Radnor Hills, these cabins are packed with everything you need to rest and restore - deep bathtubs, hidden bedrooms, mid-century style furnishings, stacks of books and locally-sourced art and antiques aplenty. Designed and built by co-owner Paul Gent, the cedar-clad Lean-To (with its covetable floating double staircase) and the curved Cabin (which mirrors the shape of Hanter Hill, just across the fields) are not spaces you’ll want to leave … especially if snow happens to fall while you sleep and you wake to a winter wonderland.
Heading Out
If you are able to tear yourself away from Hergest Lee, then pop over to Hay-on-Wye, a postcard-perfect border town that was crowned the world’s first Book Town back in 1962. It is adored today by the literati and is home of the Hay Festival, an annual celebration of books and ideas that aims to inspire audiences and encourage change through a world-leading series of talks and events. Visit any time of the year though for Hay's 26 bookstores, Thursday Market (which has been running for more than 700 years), view-boasting castle, and restaurants like Tomatitos Tapas Bar and Chapters, which was recently awarded a Green Michelin Star.
Another day trip can be made to Farmers’ Welsh Lavender, a hilltop lavender farm and distillery with sprawling gardens and a pond for wild swimming in Builth Wells Or, if you’re feeling active, set off along a section of Offa's Dyke Path, a 177-mile national trail that follows an ancient earthwork along the Wales-England border.
Crossing the Country
The next part of your winter odyssey involves driving across Wales. You can take this slowly by booking a room at the sustainability-focused, dog-friendly Felin Fach Griffin, an ochre-hued dining pub with rooms. This is a great base from which to explore Bannau Brycheiniog, a 520-square-mile national park revered by walkers, cyclists and wild swimmers who come in search of hiking routes and waterfalls. It’s also Wales’s first International Dark Sky Reserve - which is reason enough to stay for a night or two.
Alternatively, pop into the Griffin for an excellent lunch, and then continue on for a bit of castle spotting. There’s Tretower Court and Castle, a lore-packed structure that was built by the Picards (daring Normans turned imposing Welsh lords) and extended and fortified during the War of the Roses, before being abandoned and taken over by tenant farmers in the 1700s.
And then there's Carreg Cennen, a regal ruin crowning a towering limestone crag. Parts of the castle date back to the 13th century, although many believe that it stands atop an Iron Age hillfort, and it's regularly hailed as one of Wales' most romantic locations. Standing atop it, encircled by snow-dusted fields and hills, I could see the allure - no wonder Turner painted it so often.
A Final Feast
We've all got places that call us back time and again - beloved boltholes that immerse us in nature, come with lashings of character and remind us how important it is to take things slowly. For me, this Welsh hideaway is fforest farm in Cardigan. Part farm, part Japanese-inspired forest retreat, it is made up of a collection of bell tents, geodesic domes, cedar cabins and a restored Georgian farmhouse, and comes with a sauna, plunge pool, woodland walks and Y Bwthyn, a tumbledown cottage that was rebuilt, stone by stone, into Wales’ smallest pub. I was back here for their Winter feast, one of fforest's many seasonal events. Taking place over a weekend, festivities begin with fireside pizzas and culminate in a multi-course communal dinner in their gorgeously decked out cedar barn, the space full of foliage, long tables, Welsh fabrics, candlelight and excellent company. It's a gathering where strangers leave as friends and you'll be thinking about the hyper-local fare long after you leave.
Unfortunately, all journeys must come to an end, and while fforest may have you feeling that you're at the end of the world, Cardiff is only a few hours' drive away. To summon up the courage to brave the motorway, I suggest a few final detours: To Mwnt, a pristine beach found along the 870-mile-long Wales Coast Path; Pentre Ifan, a Neolithic tomb built from the same bluestones used to construct Stonehenge; and Cardigan to refuel at Pizzatipi, a riverside pizza restaurant, or Crwst, a bakery and cafe that makes the country's best doughnuts.
Of course, there are many other ways to extend the odyssey. Head north into the snowy wilds of Eryri National Park, or continue into Pembrokeshire if a morning in Mwnt sparks your passion for coastal walks. Save Anglesea for the summer and Gower's trails for spring, and know that whenever you visit, falling in love will be inevitable.
If you're after some more in-depth travel ideas, check out Slow Travel Britain, a book we created with Hoxton Mini Press that shines a light on 22 mindful journeys you can embark on across England, Scotland and Wales.
