Elan Valley

Birmingham's corporation dammed the Elan and Claerwen between 1893 and 1904, building four dams in ornate Victorian masonry with towers and spillways designed to look impressive rather than merely functional, and a further dam at Claerwen followed in 1952. Water still flows to Birmingham by gravity through an aqueduct about a hundred and seventeen kilometres long, with no pumping, arriving at a rate governed by a fall of about half a metre per kilometre. The reservoirs drowned farms, a school and two houses associated with the poet Shelley, and the displaced residents were not compensated in the way that would be expected now. The estate covers around seventy square kilometres of moor and oak woodland, holds red kites, and was designated an International Dark Sky Park in 2015.

What you actually see

• The ornate dams - Victorian masonry with towers, built to be looked at.
• The gravity aqueduct - water reaching Birmingham without pumps over 117 kilometres.
• The dark sky park - designated in 2015 for the quality of its night sky.
• The red kites - a strong population over the moor and woods.

When to go

April to October for walking and cycling the valley trail; the dams overflow most impressively after heavy rain, when water sheets down the full face. Autumn and winter for stargazing, when nights are long and clear spells give very dark skies.

Honest expectations

The valley road is narrow, winding and slow, with limited passing places. Facilities are few beyond the visitor centre. The dams are only spectacular when overflowing, which does not happen in dry spells. Phone signal is poor throughout.

Nearby

Rhayader is at the valley mouth; the Cambrian Mountains rise west.