The Elan Valley () is a

river valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains and typically containing a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over a ...

situated to the west of

Rhayader Rhayader (; ; ) is a market town and community (Wales), community in Powys, Wales, within the Historic counties of Wales, historic county of Radnorshire. The town is from the source of the River Wye on Plynlimon, the highest point of the Cambri ...

, in

Powys Powys ( , ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county and Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county in Wales. It borders Gwynedd, Denbighshire, and Wrexham County Borough, Wrexham to the north; the English Ceremonial counties of England, ceremo ...

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

, sometimes known as the "Welsh Lake District". It covers of lake and countryside. The valley contains the Elan Valley Reservoirs and Elan Village, designed by architect Herbert Tudor Buckland as part of the same scheme. Elan Village is the only purpose-built

Arts and Crafts The Arts and Crafts movement was an international trend in the Decorative arts, decorative and fine arts that developed earliest and most fully in the British Isles and subsequently spread across the British Empire and to the rest of Europe and ...

Model Village A model village is a mostly self-contained community, built from the late 18th century onwards by landowners and business magnates to house their workers. "Model" implies an ideal to which other developments could aspire. Although the villages ...

" in Wales. It is also famous for its picturesque scenery. Over 80% of the valley is designated as

Sites of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...

, and a popular cycle trail, the Elan Valley Trail, makes a loop from

around the reservoirs. Part of the trail overlaps with a spur of National Cycle Route 81 (''Lon Cambria''). As of 2015 it is an International Dark Sky Park.

References

External links

Sustrans Routes2Ride: Cycling in the Elan Valley

Sustrans map and description for Route 81, Lon Cambria

Official site by Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water and the Elan Valley Trust

City council to fund water museum
at

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...

, 26 July 2006
Abandoned communities ..... Elan Valley

www.geograph.co.uk : photos of the Elan Valley and surrounding area
{{coord, 52, 15, 44, N, 3, 35, 19, W, source:dewiki, display=title Valleys of Powys Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Ceredigion Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Radnor Elenydd Cycleways in Wales Cycleways in Powys Dark sky preserves in Wales

See also

References

External links