19th, 20th and 21st November 2025, I visited Mid-Wales on a photography trip with two friends, staying at the Cwn Chwefru Lake Cottages near Rhayader and the amazing Elan Valley Project, great value and a beautiful setting, perfect for photographers of all types with amazing landscapes and wildlife nearby (please see the full galleries of photos from the trip through the link at the bottom).

The first night we went up to the Craig Goch Dam (above) at the Elan Valley Project for some astro-photography with a bit of ‘light-painting’ using torches, it was my first attempt but my two friends are accomplished and experienced with this type of photography so I basically copied their technique, I was very pleased with the results though and even captured the Milky Way! This area is well known for its particularly clear skies, I’ve never seen so many stars!

The next day we went up to the Caban Coch Dam by the visitors centre and took a trek down to the bottom and over to the other side, there were also great scenes of the local landscape.

After that we drove up to the Garreg Ddu Dam and the Nantgwyllt Church.

Then to the Claerwen Dam for some late afternoon photography followed by some more night time astro-photography.

On the way back we stopped at the Nantgwyllt Church again.

The next day we went to the Sellybridge Military Firing range on the recommendation of the folks at the Cwn Chwefru Lake Cottages followed by a great drive through the landscapes for a five mile trek at the Four Falls Trail near Ystradfellte in the Brecon Beacons.

The Cwn Chwefru Lake Cottages are in a beautiful setting too, I took some photos of the scenes and the adjacent lake (see the gallery through the link below).

I highly recommend this great value accommodation for a trip to the area, the cottage we stayed in was fantastic with room for four, a full kitchen, bathroom and lounge, they even have an onsite indoor swimming pool and a sauna!

More details can be found here: Cwn Chwefru Lake Cottages