Keeper's Pond, Blaenavon

Keeper's Pond, or Pen-ffordd-goch, is a small mountain pool sitting high on the flank of the Blorenge above Blaenavon, with sweeping views over the head of the valleys and the Sugar Loaf beyond. It is a genuine local favourite - easy to reach, with a car park right beside the water and open moorland in every direction, giving huge, uncluttered sightlines that are ideal for flying. The pool itself makes a neat foreground, and the backdrop of ridgelines and the World Heritage industrial landscape of Blaenavon gives real character to aerial shots. The catch here is airspace sharing: the Blorenge is one of the most popular paragliding and hang-gliding sites in Wales, and pilots launch from the slopes nearby, so you must give way, keep low, and never fly if canopies are in the air. This also lies within Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, which asks drone users to follow a considerate voluntary code around walkers, livestock and ground-nesting birds. There are no airfield restrictions. At over four hundred metres the site is exposed and the wind can be strong and gusty, and cloud drops fast, so pick a clear, calm day. Come early for still water and reflections before the paragliders and walkers arrive.