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We recently went to an amazing wedding of our friends Anna and Ben at Lake Vyrnwy in Powys in Mid Wales staying at the Lake Vyrnwy Hotel. What an amazing location! Not knowing that something so nice was on my doorstep was quite an eye opener.

so 2 weeks after, we decided to go back there and walk the circumference of the lake which is approx 12 miles long. There is a road that goes all the way around so it was pretty good terrain to walk on but being tarmac it was pretty hard going on the feet. There are plenty of places around the lake to pitch up and enjoy a packed lunch if you don't fancy one of the cafes in the area,

Before the lake was made, in its place was the village of Llanwddyn, it included a post office, a pub and a church. People still lived in the village as the dam was being constructed, and down the valley in front of the new dam the Liverpool Corporation built the new village ready for when the valley was going to be flooded. In all two chapels, three inns, ten farmhouses, and 37 houses were all to be lost under reservoir.

Along with all the other buildings behind the dam this also was demolished, though no new Hall was built. The old village can still be seen during drought conditions when the reservoir is very low, and the foundations of several buildings still survive.

The village has been relocated and is now at two locations: on a slope adjacent to the dam, and at the bottom of the valley below the dam. The new village was built approximately 2 miles away and still keeps the name Llanwddyn

The Lake is a beautiful place to visit and has lots to do there, you can hire bicycles from the cafe over the other side of the dam and the area is also Nature Reserve too. The RSPB has several bird hides around the lake aswell.

If your feeling flush the Lake Vyrnwy Hotel is a gorgeous place to stay, we paid £175 per night for the room at the wedding but it had a king size 4 poster bed, large room with nice leather and oak furniture and a huge balcony which looked directly over the lake.. Stunning to wake up to in the morning. The hotel also has a spa and its own pub. Worth every penny.

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