Ynys Hywel is an Outdoor Education Centre situated in a magical valley. If gnomes and elves exist they live here. The Center is surrounded by old forests full of native trees and pine. Up on the hill some of the beech trees are a few hundred years old and their trunks are at least 8ft in diameter. The valley majestically curves around and follows the river, running down through the sleepy villages of Cross Keys and Risca. The cherry on the cake is the idyllic 12th Century whitewashed stone chapel just before you get to the Center. This is a great place for a walk. Keep your eyes peeled for the fossils in the mud-stone, these are 100 million year old trees and bushes. The views on the top of Machen ridge are stunning, they look over the Severn Estuary, Steep Holm and Flat Holme island. The Center itself runs outdoor activities for schools and youth groups. The staff are fantastically friendly and approachable. The activities include mountain biking, gorge walking, canoeing, hill walking, surfing, archery, bush-craft, orienteering, there's even a small on-site climbing and abseiling wall. read more

Understand Ynys Hywel has recently changed hands and is now run by an organisation called Family Life. They told me it is not for profit and they hope to offer respite weekends in the future for families with disabled children. Its great to see it is fully operational again. New owners have some interesting plans introducing new activities in 2019 so really looking forward to using the Centre later in the year. read more