Nestled amid the rolling hills near Llangynidr, Crickhowell is the secluded area of Wern. There are a handful of properties scattered around in this little slice of paradise, which is so small it doesn’t even classify as a village and is in fact a hamlet.
Wern might be one the most striking places to live in the whole of Wales set in the Black Mountains and Brecon Beacons National Park, with views all around the beautiful Usk Valley. And it’s so peaceful that locals describe it as being the perfect place to live if you are an introvert.
It’s just over an hour’s drive from the Welsh capital (one hour and 15 minutes by car) but it feels as though you could be anywhere. Three miles away from the nearest shop, Wern is well and truly a unique spot and the people with homes there are experiencing a quieter way of life compared to most of us in cities and busy towns.
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The cottages look like they’re from the Christmas popular film The Holiday -Credit:Google
Locals can hear lots of natural noise from their homes – including the sound of sheep -Credit:Google
Residents say Wern is a ‘great place for introverts’ -Credit:Google
Edmund Wood has lived in Wern since 1985. Originally from Bradford-on-Avon in Wiltshire, he used to go to the area with his parents as a child and fell in love with the landscape, enjoying camping and walking holidays in the Brecon Beacons and as soon as he was old enough made the move to base himself here permanently.
Now running two holiday cottages in the area, the Bwthyn and Crawnon River Cottage with his wife, the pair have also gained a firm grasp on other people’s perspective of Wern when they come to stay. Edmund said: “We do have these Airbnb properties here and the majority of people who come to stay here come from larger towns or cities and they specifically say they come to have an escape from that.”
Describing the area and the long road, Afon Crawnon, which runs through the valley, Edmund said: “It’s a no through road so it doesn’t really go anywhere and is a narrow country lane so doesn’t get a lot of passing traffic. When people aren’t used to it and do go down it for the first time they are a bit surprised. But it is a predominantly farming community here and there’s not much happening.
Y Wern Dyffryn Crawnon -Credit:Edmund Wood
It’s a striking setting during the winter, with many spots in the area making you feel like you could be anywhere in the world -Credit:Edmund Wood
“We have lots of wildlife here and sheep and cattle with owls at night and people have seen otters in the stream nearby. There’s lots of badgers and foxes and a real sense of tranquility.”
But while the area is a haven for wildlife, the people living here also get to enjoy the perks of the area and all it has to offer. As well as breath-taking views and picture perfect cottages and nearby farmhouses, life here is also about being there for each other.
Edmund noted: “There’s a very strong sense from people living in the valley that there’s a shared interest in community. You feel like you can call on people to help if you need to. I also remember speaking to a neighbour a little a while ago who basically said ‘we live here for a reason’ and the reason she was referring to was that it’s a great place for introverts.”
The landscape itself has been shaped by faming since the 1500s according to locals, and while there are still plenty of working farms, there are lots of different and interesting characters around the valley including an artist, a retired professor, a man who provides rural internet broadband services and a former professional cyclists who now runs cycling holidays.
There are still some farmers who are from generations who have been stayed here, as Edmund describes it: “The majority of people who come in are from the outside.” He added: “People do like it when they visit. The reviews we get are from visitors who consistently talk about it being better than they expected or it being more peaceful than they expected and it’s just a very peaceful place.
“It is quiet but there are still plenty of sounds around from the stream which we can hear constantly as it’s very close to our house and we can hear the sheep which you can also see from the window. So it’s not silent but it is I suppose a kind of natural sound.”
A view of Tor y Foel from Dyffryn Crawnon -Credit:Edmund Wood
Edmund’s favourite place in the area is Tor y Foel, located on the eastern flank of Talybont Resevoir. The summit at 551m is said to provide panoramic views around the valley as well as the River Usk, right across to the Black Mountains and the Brecon Beacons. He noted: “I’ve regularly walked over to it as I travel with my wife some of the way to Brecon, where she goes to work.
“It’s definitely worth seeing particularly in the early morning and is a really lovely place to visit. It’s a high point with a 360 view and is just a really nice place to visit.”