Standing at the head of the spectacular Mynach Falls, the Hafod Arms started life as a small hunting Lodge in 1787, before being enlarged into a Swiss style chateau in 1839 by the 3rd Duke of Newcastle. There can be few more splendid locations in Britain.

In recent years the Red Kite, with its impressive 5 foot wingspan, has returned in force to mid-Wales, thanks to a sustained programme of reinstatement, adding yet another gentle attraction to this outstandingly beautiful area.

At night the muted rumbling of the falls provides a mysterious background to otherwise quiet surroundings. From the windows of the restaurant it is possible to see down the Rheidol Valley, perhaps with an ear cocked for the steam-whistle of the small gauge steam train as it completes the final stages of its long uphill haul from Aberystwyth, 12 miles down the line.

The food is homely and without pretension. A keenly priced a la carte menu could include herring sautéed with tomato, lemon and garlic, roast leg of Welsh lamb with mint, leek and red pepper stuffing, followed by almond meringue with banana and toffee sauce, and coffee. Service was charmingly friendly.

The menu changes almost daily, offering up to five or six choices of each course, with carefully considered variety. A wine list bears the stamp of Tanners of Shrewsbury, always a good sign, with three very credible house wines, the whole list at prices that are a positive incentive to over-indulge. Should you do so - and we did, by arrangement - the rooms are comfortable, many enjoying the same spectacular views into a part of wild Wales that still remains not over-visited and intensely natural.

As a setting for short breaks, romantic trysts, conferences and private parties The Hafod Arms has a great deal to commend it.