The Flying Scotsman Shepherd’s Hut

An oak-framed hut at Onnen Fawr Farm, west of Brecon

The Flying Scotsman is one of the huts at Onnen Fawr Farm at Cray, in the hills west of Brecon on the road towards the upper Tawe. It sleeps two, with a loft up an oak ladder. Guests on Booking.com score it 9.4 out of 10.

Inside the hut

A curved varnished pine ceiling braced with a black steel tie rod, oak framing and pale green panels with animal prints on them. The bed sits in an alcove under an oak headboard with a fawn throw and white pillows, tartan curtains at the windows and a white-painted drawer unit built in underneath. There is an oak drop-leaf table, a solid oak dresser with plates stood on edge along the shelves, and an oak ladder climbing to a railed loft above.

The kitchen and the wood burner

This one cooks properly. There is a gas hob and an oven, an oak worktop with a sink, and an open oak rack of white plates and cups. The wood burner stands with its stainless flue running up the wall and a bucket marked Kindling beside it, so the hut heats itself on a cold night. A glazed door at the end opens straight onto the farm track.

The deck and the barn

A tall sliding door with a venetian blind opens onto a timber deck, with a lilac-painted metal table and two chairs on it and a rope handrail. Beyond that a smooth green hillside dotted with sheep and hawthorns goes up to open moor. The Mallard and the Orient Express, the other two huts, stand further along the same field. The barn is shared by everybody staying on the farm. It is a tall corrugated building on the farm, fitted out with yoga mats, kettlebells and gymnastic rings hanging from the beams. There is also a squat rack, an exercise bike, a rowing machine, tractor tyres, a table tennis table and a pool table. It is somewhere to go when the cloud comes down, and in this part of Wales that is worth planning for. Breakfast on the deck — a loaf, a jar of jam and two enamel mugs on the lilac table — is the other picture people take here.

The Roman camps on Trecastle mountain

Take the mountain road from Trecastle towards Llandovery and, near the top, on open ground north of the road, you come to Y Pigwn. There are two Roman marching camps here, one built inside the other — the larger about fifteen hectares, the smaller nearly ten — and they are among the best-preserved temporary camps left in Wales. They were thrown up in a night or two by soldiers on the move between the forts at Brecon Gaer and Llandovery, and the Roman road they were guarding still runs over the mountain top. The banks are low and you need a clear day to read them, but the setting does the rest.

Getting here

Cray is on the A4067. Brecon is about twelve miles east for the market and the supermarkets. Sennybridge, four miles off, has the nearest shop. There is no station nearby, so bring a car — and the lane onto the farm is rough in places.

Good to know

How many does it sleep? Two, with a loft above.

Is there a wood burner? Yes, with kindling supplied.

Is there a cooker? Yes, a gas hob and oven.

Is there a hot tub? Yes.

Is there anything to do in bad weather? Yes — the farm barn has a gym, table tennis and a pool table.

How far is Brecon? About twelve miles.

Is there parking? Yes, on the farm.

What does it cost? From around £206 a night for two.