The Llangattock Escarpment in the Brecon Beacons National Park, Powys, Wales

© Interfoto/DanitaDelimont.co

An otherworldly scene. Views across the valley

Named after the nearby village of Llangattock, the extraordinary Llangattock Escarpment wouldn't look out of place in the mythical world of JRR Tolkien's Middle-earth. But you don't have to use your imagination to experience this dramatic setting. The three-mile-long cliff-edged plateau can be found in the south-east corner of the Brecon Beacons National Park, overlooking the tranquil valley of the River Usk and across to the higher peaks of the Black Mountains in South Wales. The limestone cliffs of the Llangattock Escarpment bear the scars of intensive quarrying from the 18th and 19th centuries, leaving behind a magical landscape of grass-covered spoil heaps.