Wales, Day 2

Starting in the Hafren Forest near the sources of the Wye and Sevren rivers (which then take different routes to the same place!), we begin our walk of the Wye Valley.

If this were a travel blog, I’d tell you about the walk and the locals we met along the way, but this is a beer blog, so I’ll tell you about the village and pub at the end of the day.

Twelve miles of walking through forests, moors and pastures brought us to the village of Llangurig.  Llangurig has the distinction of being 1) the highest village in Wales (we love getting high); 2) situated at the very center of Wales; and 3) the first or last village of the Wye Valley, depending on which way you’re walking it.  For us, it was the first. 

                                   Llangurig is off in the distance

The parish church dates to before 550 A.D., though little if anything remains of the earliest building.  Parts of the present building date to the 12^th – 15^th centuries, but most is from extensive additions in the late 1800’s.

                       We stayed at the Old Vicarage B&B.

For dinner and pints, we popped over to the Black Lion pub.  Built in the 16^th century as a shooting lodge, it was partially rebuilt in 1888.  It sits prominently in the heart of tiny Llangurig.

 The center of any village in Wales is the post office (center left).  I'm standing in the road at the entrance to the Black Lion.

Low ceiling, dim lighting, picture-adorned walls, decorative brass plates - a typical Welsh pub.  Nice head on the Welsh Bitter.  Rich, smooth and sweet.