Llys-y-frân Reservoir Circular

Llys-y-frân is the big inland alternative when the coast is being blown sideways. It's a reservoir in the hills of mid Pembrokeshire, built in the 1960s by damming the Afon Syfynwy, with the Preseli ridge rising behind it and a country park wrapped round the shore.

The full circuit is around seven and a half miles and takes most people the best part of four hours. It's not hard walking, but it isn't a stroll either: the path runs in and out of every inlet, and the accumulated small climbs add up. Away from the visitor centre the surface is earth and roots, and it turns to mud after wet weather.

Going clockwise from the visitor centre takes you along the eastern shore, which has the better views — open water to your left, the wooded far bank ahead, and the Preselis on the skyline. The northern end of the reservoir is the quiet part: shallower, reedier, and the best of the birdwatching. Winter brings goosander, wigeon, teal and tufted duck; ospreys turn up on passage in spring and autumn and sometimes fish here. Buzzards and red kites are routine overhead.

The western shore runs through more woodland and is the slower going, with the path weaving among the trees. You come back over or near the dam, which gives the best single view of the whole reservoir.

The country park has been redeveloped in recent years with a new visitor centre, watersports on the water and a network of mountain bike trails through the surrounding woodland — worth knowing about if you're bringing teenagers who won't walk, and worth knowing about because you'll be sharing some of the paths.

The easier option. If seven and a half miles is too much, the stretch from the visitor centre out along the dam and onto the first part of the shore is surfaced, level and much more manageable — an easy out-and-back of a mile or two with the same view, suitable for most abilities. It's the section to do with young children or anyone who doesn't want mud.

Where to eat. There's a café at the visitor centre. Otherwise it's Haverfordwest or Narberth, both around twenty minutes away.

Fishing and boats. The reservoir is used for angling and watersports, both of which are managed and charged for separately — check current arrangements with the country park before turning up with a rod or a kayak.