Close to Brecon, Crickhowell and Hay-on-Wye, Talgarth is an ideal base for visitors wishing to explore the Brecon Beacons National Park on foot, whether it’s the high peaks or the lush green valleys of the Wye and the Usk which capture the imagination.
Melin Talgarth Mill will be the Festival Hub, providing a meeting and information point for the duration of the weekend.
Here are our top picks but be sure to visit the site for more info...
Friday 2nd May - 19.00 Tom Sharpe Exhibition at The Town Hall
The 2014 festival starts with a free event. Tom Sharpe was a curator at the National Museum of Wales for 35 years, and has taught at Cardiff University since 1986. He has curated a number of highly regarded geological and Antarctic exhibitions and was involved in the planning of events to mark the centenary of Captain Scott's South Pole Expedition.
This event is followed by pizza nibbles and a glass of wine at the opening reception at The Bakers’ Table at Melin Talgarth Mill.
Saturday 3rd May - 09:00-17.00 WALK Crickhowell to Talgarth
Not for the faint hearted! This strenuous walk starts at Crickhowell and follows the westerly ridge of the Black Mountains. The route provides spectacular viewpoints of the Brecon Beacons, Sugar Loaf and the ridges and plateau of the Black Mountains.
Sunday 4th May - 10:00 - The Mill Race
The race starts and finishes at Felin Talgarth Mill in the town's historic square. The route winds for ten miles around the catchment of the Mill's River Ellywe and takes in breathtaking views of the Wye valley and the Black Mountains. Walkers, joggers, fun runners, and more serious racers are all welcome - offering a chance for someone to be the first name on the honours board for the "Talgarth Ten"!
Sunday 4th May - 10:45 - 16:45 - Lest We Forget
To commemorate the centenary year of the start of World War I, this walk around Talgarth and surrounding countryside takes the names of WWI soldiers commemorated on the town war memorial as its inspiration. The walk includes many sites known to these soldiers-their neighbourhoods and visiting home of Reuben Williams, a shepherd's son, killed in the war. Then the Community Choir will sing appropriate songs at The Bethlehem Chapel.
Read more about the National Park's connection with WWI here.
Monday 5th May - 10.30-14.00 - WALK Ice Age Legacy
Lots to choose from but one of the day’s highlights will be an opportunity to join James Cresswell – a local geologist and polar expedition guide on this fascinating walk across Llangorse Hill. Listen to James use his polar experience to describe how both this Welsh landscape and lake were formed by glacial processes of the last Ice Age. The walk ends with a cream tea at a local farmhouse.
Read more about Geoworld Travel here.
This year, there will also be a short programme of evening events, including a pub quiz and a hand-on fossils event. There are walks specifically for children (accompanied), walks that welcome dogs, and generally something for everyone!
Read about the huge success that was last year's festival here.
