<![CDATA[Penygelli Apartments - Days out Blog]]>Fri, 22 May 2026 14:26:00 +0100EditMySite<![CDATA[Dyfi Osprey Project (33 Miles)]]>Tue, 27 Jul 2021 10:00:56 GMThttps://www.penygelli.co.uk/days-out-blog/ospreys
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Mid Wales is home to some of the rarest species of birds and animals in the UK, these include Ospreys, Red Kites, Otters, Beavers and Dolphins!

Just by looking out of your apartment window you will often see Red Kites and Buzzards flying overhead and this time of year is the best time where you can see the young honing their hunting skills and hear them calling to one another.

The Dyfi Osprey Project (near Machynlleth) has this year (2021) finally been able to open it's brand new visitor centre at Cors Dyfi Nature Reserve, the project has been a 4 year plan, but finally the centre is now open!

Reservations can be made via their booking system and remembert hat places are limited to keep staff, volunteers and visitors safe. Information on how to book here

Since 2000 The project have been supporting and conserving the Osprey population in Wales. In 2016 the project set up a 4K camera where you can watch the nest live on youtube: Live feed below 👇 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqzfIaLbWts

A little about Ospreys:
Ospreys became extinct in the UK in 1916 and didn't return to breed until 1954 in the Highlands of Scotland but unfortunately this pair were persecuted and didn't breed successfully again until 1959.

The birds that have returned to the UK to breed have not been reintroduced but are suspected to be from Scandinavia  that colonised naturally, but there may have been a chance that a small number managed to survived unrecorded between 1916-1954.

The Ospreys in the UK are carefully guarded to protect them from illegal egg collectors and many nests, including those in Mid Wales deploy a 24 hour surveillance system.

Today the Osprey population in the UK is slowly recovering with 270 breeding pairs in Scotland, 20 in England and 4 in Wales.

Identifying an Osprey:

Colour - Brown & White
Length - 56 cm
Wingspan - 1.6meters
Weight: 1.5kg
Average Lifespan - 9 years 
When to see them - March - September
Diet - Fish
Migration - They migrate to West Africa during the winter and satellite tracking has shown them to fly 430km in just one day! 
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]]><![CDATA[Elan Valley > Scenic Drive > Devils Bridge]]>Mon, 26 Jul 2021 14:36:51 GMThttps://www.penygelli.co.uk/days-out-blog/elanvalley-devilsbridge
​How about a day out over to Rhayader and the Elan Valley Reservoirs, then across the B4518 which was voted by the AA as 'One of the 10 best scenic drives in the world! 😲, from there you can drop into Devils Bridge and visit the waterfall, then meander your way back across the Cambrian Mountains back to your accommodation @ Penygelli 😁

Elan Valley: The dams, reservoirs and 73 mile aqueduct of the Elan Valley were built a hundred years ago to supply desperately needed clean water to Birmingham. It was an epic feat of civil engineering set within an area of outstanding scenic beauty.
Today, the dams and reservoirs provide a lasting amenity in their own right for visitors to enjoy as well as safeguarding the natural habitats of numerous species of flora and fauna.

Devils Bridge: Devil's Bridge Falls is a spectacular waterfall attraction at Devils Bridge in the heart of the Cambrian Mountains. It is one of the 'Must See' natural features in Wales, located 12 miles inland from the coastal town of Aberystwyth.

The 300ft Mynach Waterfalls are set deep withing the ancient wooded gorge and have attracted many thousands of visitors since the 18th century, including William Wordsworth who wrote about the “Torrent at the Devil’s Bridge”. Today, Devil's Bridge Falls Nature Trail provides a unique opportunity to see this great natural feature in the Mynych (translates as the 'Monks River'), a tributary of the larger Rheidol River, which runs in a deep, wooded valley towards Aberystwyth and the Cardigan Bay coast.

Please note that the Nature Trail Walk is a challenging walk that contains many steep steps and so is not suitable for everyone.and sensible shoes must be worn. All dogs must be kept on the lead and if your dog is large then it may struggle to enter through the turnstile with you. The steep steps are also difficult for dogs with short legs and you may end up having to carry your pet.

Tearooms & Gift shop are at entrance to walks and are open from Mid Spring to October

Rhayader to Devils Bridge Road:

​Many of the fantastic scenic drives in Mid Wales are set against panoramic and breathtaking backdrops and fantastic for motorists who love to explore places off the beaten track and the mountain road from Rhayader to Aberystwyth crosses the spine of the central Cambrian Mountains.

Described by the AA as “one of the 10 best scenic drives in the world”, expect spectacular scenery as you travel the watershed of the Cambrian Mountains. En route, you will pass the fabulous Elan valley reservoirs with its dramatic lakes and dams, the Cwmystwyth mine workings which are arguably one of the most important historical mining areas in Wales.and you will be sure to see the magnificent red kites which soar above this mountain route.

Leaving Rhayader, the B4518 route links the Elan Valley dams and upwards across the central Cambrian Mountains before desending to Cwmystwyth. From there take follow the B4574 to Devil's Bridge where you can travel on to the university town of Aberystwyth on the Mid Wales coast.

On the way explore the Devil’s Bridge Falls and discover the Vale of Rheidol steam train journey between Devil’s Bridge and Aberystwyth following the Rheidol Valley all the way to the centre of Aberystwyth on the Mid Wales coast.
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]]><![CDATA[Pistyll Rhaeadr > Lake Vyrnwy]]>Wed, 21 Jul 2021 23:00:00 GMThttps://www.penygelli.co.uk/days-out-blog/pistyll-rhaeadr-gt-lake-vyrnwy
​Pistyll Rhaeadr is a stunning waterfall in the Berwyn Mountains, just 34 miles from Penygelli Apartments

At 240ft (80m) high Pistyll Rhaeadr is Britain's tallest single-drop waterfall and falls in three stages over a cliff face into the River Rhaeadr below. Easy reach of the car park, but be warned the road is narrow and single track for about 5 miles until you reach the car park and cafe. the falls you can see from the cafe and there is a little gate to take you to the water. Take your trunks if you fancy a swim! 

Car park: £5.00
Toilets : 40p

If you fancy a different road back from Pistyll Rhaeadr you can head across over to Lake Vyrnwy where you have some fantastic walks, an RSPB nature reserve and the Lake Vyrnwy hotel if you fancied a spot of lunch before travelling back to us in the afternoon
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