Cilgerran Castle

Cilgerran is the most dramatically sited castle in the county: two massive thirteenth-century drum towers on a wooded crag where the Teifi gorge narrows, high above the river where coracle fishermen still worked within living memory. Turner painted it; so did half the Romantic movement, and the view up from the gorge explains why.

It's cared for by Cadw on behalf of the National Trust, compact enough for an hour, and sits at the top of Cilgerran village — the pub is a two-minute walk. Directly below, the Teifi Marshes and the Welsh Wildlife Centre fill the rest of the day: otters, kingfishers and water buffalo on the marsh, with a fine treetop café.

Check opening times on Cadw's site. Combine with St Dogmaels Abbey and Poppit Sands for the full far-north day out.