Y Golfa

Y Golfa is a delightful Mid-Wales hump that serves as the ultimate gatekeeper for the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway. While technically a 'hill', it possesses the ego of a mountain, demanding steam engines grovel at its feet while golfers lose balls in its heather.

• •The hill is the site of the Welshpool Golf Club, where the fairways are so steep that your short game requires the mountain goat-like balance of a Sherpa.
• •The legendary 'Golfa Bank' sees heritage steam trains laboring up a 1-in-29 gradient. It’s a mechanical struggle so dramatic you’ll feel guilty for not getting out to push.
• •Historically, the area served as a strategic lookout over the Severn Valley, though these days the only things being watched are errant tee shots and the occasional red kite.
• •Despite its modest height of 341 meters, the summit offers panoramic views stretching across to the Shropshire Hills, assuming the Welsh mist hasn't decided to settle in for the day.
• •Be warned: the local sheep have lived alongside the golf course for so long they have developed a professional indifference to flying projectiles and judging your swing.