Zena - Part 3

25 May 20232 September 2024Days Out, Gardens

Cae Hir Gardens – a Feast for the Senses

Just a 20 minute drive from Coedmor Cottages is gorgeous Cae Hir Gardens. They have been an RHS Partner Garden for 18 years and are one of the original Magnificent 6 – the ‘Great Gardens of West Wales’.

Whether you’re a keen gardener, nature enthusiast, or looking for a serene escape, you can easily while away hours exploring. It’s a place where you can immerse yourself in the wonders of nature, discover unusual plants, and find peace in the tranquility of a beautifully crafted garden.

The colours are really stunning in the sunshine. There are some rare and unusual specimens to discover.

As you explore the winding pathways, you’ll be treated to a variety of stunning features and plantings. From vibrant flower beds to manicured lawns, Cae Hir Gardens offers a feast for the senses at every turn.

Working with Nature

The gardens have been designed in a naturalistic style, blending harmoniously with the surrounding landscape. The Wild Garden is one of my favourite parts of the garden. Nature is allowed to flourish. Situated in a beautifully secluded spot at the very bottom of the garden, it runs adjacent to the ‘Bran’ – a delightful, winding stream.

Rounding off your Visit

If you are inspired by the garden’s plants, some of them are available to buy in the on-site nursery.
And the best way to round off your visit is to visit “Y Sied” tearoom. Treat yourself to a home-baked scone or cake with a pot of tea or the local Teifi Coffee . 😋 If the weather is warm, you can also try the locally produced Conti’s Ice Cream – made right here in Lampeter. Entry to the nursery and tearoom are free so you can pop in even if not touring the gardens.

Opening Times

The gardens open at 10am and close at 5pm daily through the season which runs from April 1st to October 31st. More information and current prices can be found on their website: Cae Hir Gardens

Check available dates for our cottages: Romantic Holiday Cottages for Couples

11 November 20222 September 2024Days Out

Our Visits to Cenarth Falls Through the Seasons

Cenarth Falls is a picturesque waterfall on the River Teifi located in the village of Cenarth. It is on the border of Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire. The Teifi is one of the longest rivers in Wales. It cascades over a series of rocky steps to create Cenarth Falls. The waterfall is particularly stunning during times of heavy rainfall when the water flow is at its peak.

The village is such a pretty place with a lovely riverside walk and plenty of cafes for a cream tea.

There are boardwalks along the riverside making the walk easy and accessible. There is a circular walk you can do along the river, then up through woodland and back through the village to the car park.

The area is also well-known for fishing, and the River Teifi is abundant with salmon and sea trout.

In addition to its natural beauty, Cenarth is also famous for its history, with a long-standing tradition of coracle fishing. Coracles are small, round boats made of wicker and coated with tar or bitumen. Fishermen have used these unique vessels for centuries to navigate the river and catch fish. The National Coracle Museum by the river is worth a visit.

There is a Car Park at the Falls. Parking is £3 per car for all day parking (9am – 6pm). Cenarth is easily reached in around 30 minutes from Red Kite & Woodpecker Cottages.

We’ve visited Cenarth three times this year and each time has been so different. First time in May there had been so little rain that the falls were small and you could see much of the underlying rock.
In September they were perfectly flowing. This week after so much rain they are a force of nature, so powerful! Whenever you visit, Cenarth is very pretty.

Here’s a Reel I made for our Instagram showing the different seasons.

19 August 202223 January 2024Cottage Life, Lifestyle

Hay Baling Wild Meadow by Hand in 2022

Last week was mostly spent cutting Wild Meadow and baling the hay… by hand🤗

Yes we are a bit crazy. But it was mostly great fun. Last year’s wheelie-bin baler has been upgraded 🎉

Leigh built a new baling box that made things much easier & quicker. Just as well – last year we only baled the hay from Picnic Meadow which was about 20 bales. This year we managed 106 bales altogether!

The hay smells amazing but it is really prickly and gets EVERYWHERE 😳

So if ever someone suggests “a roll in the hay” to you, just say no 😂

14 June 20222 September 2024Walks

Great Summer Walks in Long Wood Community Woodland

Long Wood Community Woodland is just 10 minutes away from Coedmor Cottages in Llanfair Clydogau.

there are 325 acres of woodland which is being managed by the local community. The aim is to restore the non-native plantation areas of the woods to native broadleaved species whilst managing the woodlands as a community resource.

It is so peaceful and often we are the only ones there when we visit. The views of the Cambrian Mountains are just stunning on a clear day.

The main track through the woods goes all the way to Lampeter if you fancy a proper walk.

Find out more on the website: Long Wood Community Woodland

2 January 20212 September 2024Cottage Life, Walks

New Year in the Snow 2021

We were expecting to have a quiet, uneventful New Year’s Eve this year with Wales being in lockdown and having to cancel our cottage guests. But we woke up to the most stunning sight on New Year’s Eve morning.

It had snowed overnight…and was still coming down quite fast. This was our first proper snow since we moved here in March so we were very excited to see the change in the landscape.

Leigh and Ziggy heading down our driveway.

Our Tree Tunnel looks amazing with a covering of snow.

The beech trees seen from the other side – magical.

Woodpecker Cottage in the snow

The view down our lane…looks like we are locked down in more than one way today!

Lampeter below us looking like Hogsmead. 🧙‍♀️⚡️

The pine forest on the hill opposite the cottages.

On New Year’s Day we went for a longer walk up in the hills behind the cottages. We have permission for ourselves and our guests to walk here from the farmer who owns the land.

The track behind our cottages leads up the hill.

You get even more panoramic views from the very top of the hill behind us.

Walk even further into the next field and you have views in a different direction…and the snow is even deeper up here.

A magical Winter Wonderland a little further over the hills.

We were the first ones to walk on the snow…apart from the foxes, hares and rabbits that had left their tracks. We walked to the top of the hill behind us and then round into the field behind that where there is a byway that goes even higher. The snow got deeper the higher we went.

This is just about a 40 minute walk from the cottages’ front doors. Feels like you could be in Scandinavia.

Walking further down the track you come to the road which then leads you in a circle back to the cottages. The hill back up is steep at the end, but it is worth it! This circular route we took was 5 miles altogether, starting and finishing at the cottage door.

The view from the track back up to the cottages.

What a fabulous start to 2021 – lets hope once the lockdowns are over and the virus is under control we can welcome more guests to share the beauty of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire with us. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Check out our cottages here: Winter Holiday Cottages for Couples.

31 July 20202 September 2024Beaches, Days Out

Visiting Amazing Aberporth Right After Lockdown

Monday 6th July 2020 was the first time we were allowed to travel more than 5 miles from home in Wales since the week after we moved here in March. We were so excited to be visiting Aberporth to explore the lovely beaches. It was really quiet with just a few families and surfers. So lovely to feel the sea breeze on our faces! The drive is very picturesque too and it only took us 40 minutes from Red Kite & Woodpecker Cottages.

Aberporth lies at the southern end of Cardigan Bay about six miles north of Cardigan and ten miles south of New Quay. It overlooks two sandy beaches both with European Blue Flag status.

Dyffryn Beach is to the west of the headland and Dolwen Beach to the east. Aberporth Beach is often used to describe both of these beaches together.

The beaches both have soft golden sand and shelve gently into the sea. They were both pretty quiet when we were there which is unusual for July. Probably because tourists weren’t allowed to visit until the following week .

Visting Aberporth. — View of the pretty houses in Aberporth from Dyffryn beach.

We went in the afternoon when it was low tide, so there was more space to walk and we got to explore the rocks and rock pools. 🦀 🦐

We walked on Dyffryn Beach as we had Ziggy with us – dogs aren’t allowed on Dolwen in the Summer months.

Visiting Aberporth - Dyffryn Beach — Ziggy loves the beach!

Dyffryn Beach is dog friendly all summer.

We also had a wander up the hill into the town and then walked down through a small wooded area back to the beach. A very pleasant stroll with views over the beaches.

Visiting Aberporth, Cardigan Bay. — View from the top of the hill back down to the beaches

Sculpture on the walk back to the beach.

Dyffryn Beach from the walk back down from town.

We couldn’t go onto Dolwen beach as dogs aren’t allowed in Summer.

Visting Aberporth - Dolwen Beach. — The steps down to Dolwen Beach

Dolphin Sculpture overlooking the Beaches – Sightings are common in this area.

The shops and cafes were still closed when we visited this time, but we went back a couple of weeks later and it was much busier with tourists and everything was open. We enjoyed a lovely salted caramel ice cream 😋

Aberporth - Dolwen Beach. — So quiet for July

Yes!! The joy of being able to have a day at the beach after lockdown!

I’m pretty sure we will never again see Aberporth so quiet in July…but come the Autumn when the crowds of tourists get smaller, we think it will be a great place to walk and chill out for an afternoon.

Author: Zena