Walkable from Sugar Loaf Mountain and close to the larger market towns of Brecon and Abergavenny, the small Welsh town of Crickhowell is the perfect place to come for those who want best of both worlds.

Initially a motte and bailey castle, then refortified in stone from 1242, Crickhowell’s popular twelfth-century castle is well worth a visit, the magnificent ruins of which can still be seen on the castle green today. Other of the castle’s notable features include the seventeenth-century stone bridge over the River Usk, complete with its famous odd arches, and the beautiful fourteenth-century parish church of St Edmund.

In late August, the uniquely independent and hugely popular Green Man Festival is held nearby in the Brecon Beacons, where festival goers can experience live music performances and DJ sets of genres ranging from psych, folk, indie and Americana to dance, electro and dub-reggae, alongside a wealth of literature, theatre, film, comedy, and even the odd ceilidh!

With a tourism information centre and a wealth of outdoor activities such as mountain biking, hillwalking, rock climbing, fly fishing, and para- and hang-gliding available in the surrounding area, plus a nine-day walking festival held in late February, there’s plenty here for those with a penchant for the outdoors. Crafts, art and antiques markets are in abundance in the area, and for the foodies among us, there’s a wide variety of food festivals and farmers markets to visit, and a healthy smattering of teashops, pubs and a la carte restaurants to sample. With all this, there’s something here to suit everyone on a self-catered Welsh cottage holiday.