It is home to independent pubs, restaurants and shops as well as spectacular dams and reservoirs - and it remains an important centre for a wide community.

As I navigated the rolling hills of mid Wales, the scenery began to subtly transform. The narrow, single-track roads meandered through steep valleys, skirting dense forests and crossing over ancient stone bridges that straddled swift streams.

After journeying past farmlands and small clusters of homes, I soon found myself in Rhayader, the first town on the River Wye. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Rhayader, with its stunning dams and reservoirs in the Elan and Claerwen Valleys, is an underrated market town that serves as a perfect base for biking, hiking and wildlife spotting in a relatively unknown part of the UK that's a

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