Valley View Pod

A pod with its own hot tub, above Rhayader

Valley View Pod sits at Gellilas, in the parish of St Harmon a few miles north of Rhayader, on a wide lawn that looks over a post-and-rail fence at sheep and away to the hills. It sleeps two, and dogs are welcome. Guests on Booking.com score it 9.8 out of 10.

Inside the pod

It is bigger inside than a pod usually is. The kitchen and living room are one open space under a curved pine ceiling. White fitted units hold a sink, a dishwasher and a fridge, with a kettle, a toaster and a coffee machine on the top, and a rust-coloured sofa faces a television. Tall arched doors fold back onto the patio, so on a fine day the whole end of the pod stands open to the fields. There is a small dining table with two chairs and a patterned rug on the floor.

The bedroom and the shower room

The bedroom is separate rather than a bed in the corner, which is unusual at this size. It is panelled in cream boards with varnished pine curving over the top, a double bed across the end, a small window above the headboard and a shelf with a pottery sheep on it. The shower room is its own room too — a quadrant shower with sliding glass doors, a wall-hung basin, a WC and a heated towel rail, on a wooden floor.

The hot tub and the patio

The hot tub stands on the flags with its controls on the rim, and what you look at from it is a wire fence, sheep and a long line of hills — nothing else. The patio is large and properly laid, with a wrought iron table and four chairs, a cast iron fire bowl and young trees on the lawn beyond. There is a bench built out of peeled branches at the far side of the grass. The pod sits up on a brick plinth, so the view carries over the hedge.

The Elan Valley Trail

The best half-day here costs nothing but the effort. The Elan Valley Trail starts at Cwmdauddwr, on the far side of the bridge from Rhayader, and runs a little under nine miles up to the top of Craig Goch reservoir. It is laid on the bed of the old Birmingham Corporation Railway, the line built to carry stone and men up to the dam works. That makes it almost flat and almost entirely free of traffic. The surface is tarmac as far as the Garreg Ddu viaduct and crushed stone after that. It passes four reservoirs and climbs over the Rhayader Tunnel, which is now a wildlife reserve and a roost for several kinds of bat. You can hire bicycles at the Elan Valley Visitor Centre, which is on the route and does tea.

Getting here

Rhayader is about two miles south-west and has the shops, a butcher and several pubs round its clock tower. The nearest railway station is Llandrindod Wells, about twelve miles south-east on the Heart of Wales line. The pod is up a lane, so take the last turning slowly.

Good to know

How many does it sleep? Two, in a separate bedroom.

Is there a hot tub? Yes, on the patio, for your use only.

Are dogs allowed? Yes.

Is there a proper kitchen? Yes — sink, dishwasher, fridge, kettle, toaster and a coffee machine.

Is the shower room private? Yes, inside the pod.

Is there parking? Yes, free, on site.

How far is the Elan Valley? The trail starts about two miles away at Cwmdeuddwr, on the western edge of Rhayader.

What does it cost? From around £110 a night for two.