the broader mid-Wales landscape with the valley of the River Ithon working its way through a pretty rocky landscape. Although the castle (right hand of foreground illuminated area) looks like a lower point on this ridge, the river runs in a steep gorge between. The fight against bracken must be being subsidised by somebody (well, us really).

In the C13th, this was the marching route between Hereford and Wigmore, seat of the Mortimer family, and central Wales and, guess what, it was fought over and the castle would have been an observation point and safe retreat from superior forces. See http://www.rcahmw.gov.uk/media/26.pdf for the full story