Once, flashes of light from great blast furnaces illuminated the hills of Monmouthshire at night, roaring along to the thud of monster steam hammers.
Now, all is quiet in the Brecon Beacons, save for the tramp of the hiker’s boot, the whistling wind and the whirr of cyclists.
Apparently, Shakespeare was inspired to write A Midsummer Night’s Dream after a visit to the caves at Cwm Clydach or Clydach Gorge.
Enjoy a view of the river as it descends almost 700ft over little-visited waterfalls and cascades, leading to the eerie ruins of Clydach Ironworks and an old iron tramway bridge, beneath which a hardy few enjoy peaceful swims.
See more of Secret Britain
Warkworth Hermitage, Northumberland: A hermit's solitary refuge after an unspeakable tragedy
The Warkworth Hermitage is a cave where a hermit lived as penance for an accidental double killing. Annunciata Elwes explains
St Lythans chambered long barrow, Vale of Glamorgan: A place to make a Halloween wish
Annunciata Elwes looks at the myths and legends surrounding St Lythans chambered long barrow.
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Utterly wonderful country homes for sale across Britain, from a 10-bedroom mansion to a Devon hideaway, as seen in Country LifeFrom an irresistibly charming house in Devon to a 400-year-old commutable home in Hertfordshire, here's our pick of some of the best homes to come to market via Country Life in the past week.
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Baby, it’s cold outside (even if you have a natural fur coat): How our animals brave the winter chillWhen the temperature drops, how do Britain’s birds, beasts and plants keep the cold at bay? John Lewis-Stempel reveals Nature’s own thermals.
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St Patrick’s Chapel ruins, Heysham: The mythical Lancashire ruins with a heavenly viewAnnunciata Elwes takes a look at St Patrick’s Chapel ruins, a Morecambe Bay landmark.
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Suisnish, Isle of Skye: The atmospheric ruins of a Clearance villageBeauty now reigns in a tragic spot where hundreds of villagers suffered during the Clearance
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Covehithe beach, Suffolk, where the cliffs crumble like cakeThe most eroded beach in Britain has a post-apocalyptic feel.
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Royston Cave, Hertfordshire: A mysterious site full of sacred energyOur Secret Britain series continues with a Hertofrdshire cave whose true nature remains unknown.
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John Bunting War Memorial Chapel, Scotch Corner: The painstaking transformation of rubble to War MemorialAnnunciata Elwes celebrates the effort that turned a derelict house into a memorial.
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The Garden of Cosmic Speculation: The surreal space where Lewis Carroll and Willy Wonka meet Capability BrownSurrealism, philosophy, nature and gardening come together at the Garden of Cosmic Speculation, as Annunciata Elwes explains.
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The Airman’s Grave, Ashdown Forest: A touching and little-known memorial to victims of war and fateA wartime tragedy in East Sussex's Ashdown Forest is among our Secret Britain picks, as chosen by Annunciata Elwes.
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St Lythans chambered long barrow, Vale of Glamorgan: A place to make a Halloween wishAnnunciata Elwes looks at the myths and legends surrounding St Lythans chambered long barrow.
