Wales is great. i'm lucky; i've got a house tucked away in north wales which is perfect for biking weekends and thats allowed me to get my skills/confidence over 18 years and many smashed bikes. i took my mate last october and he loved it; it's just that if theres something more local then he can gain confidence and i know he'll enjoy it more and we can do bigger rides when we go back to wales.
unfortunately work commitments (and girlfriends) usually stop us getting there as often as we'd like. thats why some local practice will pay dividends (and i won't be leaving my mate behind on the downhills or singletrack) and make the weekends away proper good. Chicksands looks good too.
subaqua, some OS grid references would be well good if possible.
VamP, cycling shorts in the snow is nuts
don't get me wrong lukesdad, i'm not a trail snob! aston hill looks fun but i suppose you have to go and really check it out. some videos on you tube looked promising, thats all. a fun day out on the bike is all thats needed...
thanks for all your feedback guys