In America, we expect National Parks to be uninhabited and wild and used for hiking or backpacking. But, in Great Britain, things are a bit different. Their national parks are more about conserving landscapes and allowing traditional farming to continue. We visited the Llangeli Valley Farm in the Brecon Beacons National Park near Abergavenny, Wales.
A traditional Welsh hill farm with about 250 sheep wasn’t earning enough so the farm has diversified into raising raptors for aerodynamics research at Oxford University, hosting a cell phone tower, renting out a holiday cottage, and is exploring adding a wind turbine. With each change, the farmer must obtain permission from planning authorities who are trying to maintain the look and integrity of the landscape.