Llyn Brenig was nothing but a brown road sign somewhere off the A5 on the Denbigh moors until I googled the place on a whim. I was probably at work, probably daydreaming about the wilderness, highly likely fed-up with the grind and in need of escape.

Llyn Brenig is owned and managed by Welsh Water, there is a lovely visitor centre, playground, trails, walks, mountain biking and there is even a sailing club. Wales Trails had to check this gem out…

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So, on Saturday of Easter weekend we headed off, bike rack on the car, kids in the back, flask full and picnic packed.

The plan was simple. We would meet my sister, go mountain biking, have play at the excellent adventure playground, enjoy a world beating picnic with my Mum, brother, sister-in-law and their gorgeous three-week-old baby girl – oh and keep our eyes peeled for the resident Osprey.

Llyn Brenig is an easy drive from Cerrigydrudion, just beyond Betws-y-Coed. Parking is just £2 all day or free if you’re not that worried about being close to the visitor centre.

Saturday was busy, though there were still a few parking spots. We got there at about 11.30 just in time for the lunchtime café rush.

Our plan was biking, we chose the Brenig trail around the lake – 9.5 miles of pure bliss and for the most part, solitude. The trail is nice, easy riding on good quality surfaces. The children who are 5 and 7 enjoyed it for the most part. There is a pull up at the furthest end of the lake which proved a little too much for my son – he’s only 5, has no gears and was pretty unimpressed with the hill – however we got up eventually and the ride down was fun and fast especially for a fearless 5-year-old boy.

There are a number of marked routes from 1m upwards, some of the longer mountain bike itineraries take in nearby Llyn Alwen – Mr N has already set his sights on a 25m itinerary which we’ll save for a childfree day.

You can’t go wrong on the trails, they are clearly marked and very easy to follow. The visitor centre and café are excellent although the closing time of 4.30 on Saturday was a little premature.

Picnic-wise Llyn Brenig is a beautiful spot, away from the mail facilities there are plenty of picnic tables, some with direct access to the lake foreshore. On our bike ride I’m sure I detected an aroma of sizzling sausages or maybe bacon, next time maybe we’ll bring our Coleman stove and cook up bacon and sausage baps.

In the end we didn’t see the Osprey, but we did make memories and we are certain to be back.