Category: Walks

Walks

Walk up Esgair Fraith

Our cottages are only 5 miles away from this brilliant vantage point, so we visit often.  The summit of Esgair Fraith is 415m – it is in the foothills of the Cambrian Mountains and has a Bronze Age cairn at the top. 

There are a few different routes to take to get there, but it is only 15-17 minutes drive.

Routes to drive to Esgair Fraith

It’s not a long walk if you park by the old Roman road of Sarn Helen.

Sarn Helen parking

Just a 5 minute walk up the track, through the gate (or over the stile) and then climb the grassy path to the cairn at the top of the hill. Red Kites, Buzzards and Skylarks will be sharing the view with you.

Track to the bottom of the hill
Track from the road up to the stile.
Stile to the hill track
Go over the stile or through the gate
Grassy track
Climb the grassy path.
Cairn on Esgair Fraith
The cairn at the top of the hill.

On a clear day you can see the western edge of the Brecon Beacons to the east. To the south you can see the highest peak of the Preseli Hills in Pembrokeshire. You can see the sea at Aberaeron to the west. Look northwards to see the Cambrian Mountains and the foothills of Snowdonia. 

Western view to the sea
Looking west you can see the sea!

If you are lucky you may even get to see RAF jets fly by – this has happened to us a couple of times.

Brecon Beacons viewpoint
Look east to see the Brecon Beacons
Dark Clouds from Esgair Fraith
Even on a cloudy day the view is dramatic.

If you want to explore more, head back down the track towards Sarn Helen.

track down to Sarn Helen
Looking back down the track towards the road.

There is another historic site on the other side of the Sarn Helen road which is only a few minutes walk. Careg Y Bwci ( The Goblin Stone) is a site of national importance. Thought to have originally been a Bronze Age burial chamber with standing stone circle, it was then probably used as a Roman signal station – like something from Lord of the Rings!

careg y bwci
stone circle
The Goblin Stone and remains of a stone circle at Careg Y Bwci.

Both sites can be visited in less than a couple of hours – although you may want to stop and sit a while to take in the amazing views – taking a picnic is recommended! If you want to stretch your legs further, there are brilliant walks through the neighbouring Clywedog Forest Plantation too.

Cottage 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.

Our view 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!
View of the hillside opposite us.
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.

Cottage Life, Walks

Our Daily Walks in the Hills During Lockdown

During lockdown we have had plenty to keep us busy but we have also set aside time to explore the countryside around the cottages. In Wales, lockdown rules are especially strict and at the moment we are only allowed to go out once per day for exercise and it has to be very close to home – no driving to get to a beauty spot for walking.

Ziggy doesn’t appreciate the scenery but does enjoy snacking on sheep poop.

Just as well that we live in such a gorgeous place then! ? At this time of year when the meadows behind our cottages are empty or just have sheep, the farmer who owns them doesn’t mind us walking up the hill to get some exercise…and more stunning views. As you get higher even more of the landscape opens up.

The meadow we walk up to get to the top of the hill.
View from the top of the hill

Right at the top is an old abandoned slate quarry and the panorama is so amazing from up there it is worth the effort to climb the hill.

View from the top of the Quarry
On a clear day you can see for miles and miles.

The gorse bushes are now blooming and the colours are unreal. ? We have been blessed with some perfect weather and the bluest of skies. It is so calming spending time just taking it all in and stopping to look at the colours and smell the flowers. Did you know that gorse flowers smell like Pina Colada? ?Why did I never know this before? It is quite an intoxicating aroma – very coconutty!

These colours are straight out of the camera(phone) no adjustments!

Being surrounded by nature does make you slow down – it is so therapeutic. We have so many different birds around us. Red Kites and Buzzards circle overhead and the songs of the robin, coal tit, willow warbler and wren are so musical. We even have a resident hare that visits the farmland behind our picnic meadow – we see him most mornings if we are out early enough.

The view from the bottom of the hill on the way back to the cottages.

We have discovered a few different circular walks that you can do right from the cottages so if you want to stretch your legs and connect with nature when you come to stay we can give you directions…or you can just explore and find them for yourself!

Enjoying the morning sun in the Picnic Meadow.

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