Tag: Carmarthenshire

Days Out, Fauna & Flora, Walks

Splendid Isolation in the Cambrian Mountains

Our romantic holiday cottages are located in the foothills of the Cambrian Mountains Area of Astounding Natural Beauty. You can even see the highest mountain – Pumlumon Fawr – in the distance from our meadows.

Cambrian Mountains - Pumlumon Fawr

The natural beauty of the plateaux, valleys and gorges of the Cambrian Mountains is equal to and often greater than some British national parks. Although distributed among three counties – Powys, Ceredigion & Carmarthenshire – the Cambrian Mountains are geographically one area, and form the main watershed of Wales. 

Cambrian Mountains

The rivers Severn, Wye, Elan, Irfon, Tywi, Cothi, Teifi, Ystwyth, Rheidol, and Twymyn all have their sources here. There are only a few roads across the mountains and they are acknowledged as some of the most scenic routes in Britain.

Cambrian Mountains - Hafod Estate
Hafod Estate
Cambrian Mountains - Abergwesyn Pass
Abergwesyn Pass

The walker is king in the Cambrian Mountains and you can find many routes online, such as the ones on Walking Britain. The landscape is vast, but not featureless. There are plenty of lakes and reservoirs that will make you feel like you could be in Canada! 

Cambrian Mountains - Llyn Clywedog
Llyn Clywedog

Interesting features like Strata Florida, The Teifi Pools, Vale of Rheidol Railway and Devil’s Bridge mean that you can easily spend a week or more exploring the area. 

Cambrian Mountains - Strata Florida
Strata Florida
Cambrian Mountains - Claerddu waterfall
Claerddu Waterfall, Teifi Pools
Cambrian Mountains - Vale of Rheidol Railway.
Vale of Rheidol Railway
Cambrian Mountains - Devil's Bridge
Devil’s Bridge

There are also amazing wildlife habitats like Cors Caron Nature Reserve which has great walking trails and is recognised internationally as an important wetland reserve.

Cambrian Mountains - Cors Caron
Cors Caron

And no visit to the Cambrian Mountain is complete without stopping off at the most remote phone box in the UK! You can even post letters from the post box there (we have seen the postie collecting mail from it). 😂 To find it, the What3words is ///campsites.guarding.brain

Cambrian Mountains - Phone Box

Of course, one of the outstanding features of the Cambrian Mountains is the Dark Skies. There are a number of Dark Sky Discovery Sites within easy reach of our cottages.

Cambrian Mountains Dark Skies stargazing

The Cambrian Mountains are such a special place and still relatively unknown. They are unspoilt and always quiet and peaceful – sometimes you will hardly see another soul all day! Don’t miss out on exploring this astoundingly beautiful area if you stay with us.

Cambrian Mountains - Llandewi Brefi
Cambrian Mountains
Cambrian Mountains
Cambrian Mountains - Tregaron Road Cwm Berwyn
Days Out, Walks

Best Things to do at Dinefwr National Trust

Visiting Dinefwr National Trust – a historic estate located in Carmarthenshire. Dinefwr is known for its grand mansion, extensive parkland, and rich history dating back many centuries. The estate encompasses Dinefwr Castle, Newton House, and a large area of parkland that has been designated as a National Nature Reserve. It is about a 40 minute scenic drive from Red Kite & Woodpecker Cottages. There is a large car park which is free to NT members or £5 for a full day for non-members. The easiest way to find it is with What3Words : Compelled : Trailer : Park

Newton House, Dinefwr, Carmarthenshire, National Trust

Newton House

A Georgian mansion that was built within the estate during the 17th century. It served as the home of the Rhys family, who were descendants of the Lord Rhys. The mansion is a prime example of Georgian architecture and is surrounded by beautiful gardens. It is open to the public and offers visitors a glimpse into the estate’s history. Entry to the house is currently £9 per adult for non NT members.

Dinefwr Signpost © Coedmor Cottages

There is so much to do at Dinefwr. You can explore the castle ruins, tour Newton House, enjoy walks through the parkland, and appreciate the stunning views of the surrounding countryside. The estate offers a combination of history, architecture and nature.

Dinefwr Castle, Carmarthenshire, Days Out, National Trust

Dinefwr Castle

A medieval fortress that sits on top of a hill overlooking the River Tywi. It has a strategic location that allowed its occupants to control and monitor the surrounding landscape. The castle has a long history, with its origins dating back to the early 12th century. Over the years, it was the seat of the Lord Rhys, a powerful Welsh prince, and played a significant role in Welsh history during periods of conflict with the English. You can visit the castle for free and the views over the Tywi Valley are stunning.

Views from Dinefwr Castle of the Tywi Valley © Coedmor Cottages
View from inside Dinefwr Castle Turret © Coedmor Cottages
Views from Dinefwr Castle © Coedmor Cottages

Parkland and Nature Reserve

The parkland surrounding Dinefwr is known for its natural beauty and diverse wildlife. The estate’s landscape includes woodlands, meadows, and the picturesque Dinefwr Deer Park. The park is home to a herd of fallow deer that roam freely, adding to the scenic charm of the area. The estate’s parkland has been designated as a National Nature Reserve, emphasising its ecological importance.

Rare Breed Cattle at Dinefwr © Coedmor Cottages
Fallow Deer at Dinefwr © Coedmor Cottages
Bluebells at Dinefwr Castle © Coedmor Cottages
Walks At Dinefwr Estate © Coedmor Cottages

The walks around the estate are beautiful in all seasons. Late spring is especially lovely when the bluebells are out.

Bluebell time at Dinefwr Estate. © Coedmor Cottages
Dinefwr Map

Here’s a handy map showing all the different areas. There are plenty of picnic areas scattered through the estate and also a cafe for refreshments. You can definitely spend a whole day exploring! Find out more on the NT website: National Trust Dinefwr

Photos 1,2,4,6,7, 9 & 12 – © Hawlfraint y Goron / © Crown copyright (2023) Cymru Wales. All other photographs © Coedmor Cottages.

Days 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.

Cenarth Falls in September.

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.

Cenarth riverside walk
Falls at Cenarth
Cenarth Riverside Walk

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

Cenarth Falls in November

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. 

Cenarth Falls and Coracle Museum

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.

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.

Big Wilderness Cycling Adventure

Big Wilderness Cycling Adventure

Spectacular Cycling Route














Information

Location: Circular Route to Llyn Brianne

Website: Big Wilderness Cycling Adventure

Description

Since Carmarthenshire hosted the start of the 2018 Tour of Britain it has become known as the “cycling hub of Wales”. Cycling is on the rise as the county has invested in the activity so that more visitors can saddle up and enjoy the breathtaking views. To coincide with the Tour of Britain, the county launched new cycle routes to give visitors the opportunity to explore the big hills and bigger views.

One of the most spectacular routes is the Big Wilderness Adventure. This is a circular route that actually passes just a 5 minute cycle ride from our door! The route is plotted to start and finish at Llandovery, but if you stay with us you can start and finish right from your cottage. It takes you to Llyn Brianne – there is challenging climb up to the lake followed by an incredible road around the perimeter with fantastic views.

https://vimeo.com/287218462

This ride is not for the faint-hearted – it is 65 miles with a difficulty rating of 7/10 but the scenery makes the ride worthwhile (the journey to Llyn Brianne one of our favourite drives). The road follows the reservoir around the edge, constantly changing in elevation with incredible views and sweeping descends around every corner.

After Llyn Brianne the route starts to feel more remote as it skirts the Cambrian Mountains. There is barely a house or car in sight, but with this emptiness comes incredible beauty that is seen nowhere else short of the Scottish border.

The route takes in a large portion of wild, uninhabited terrain so it is worth taking what you think you will need with you and not relying on shops along the route.

There is an abbreviated version of the route if you want to shorten it – it still takes in the best bits up to Llyn Brianne but is 8 miles shorter and there is also the option to not go all the way to Llandovery to save even more miles.

If this route is too much of an adventure, then there are lots of other routes in the area to check out starting at just 10 miles – see them all here: Road Cycling in Carmarthenshire.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/390978043

Dolaucothi Gold Mines

Dolaucothi Gold Mines

History and Nature Trails








Information

Location: Pumsaint – 9 miles – 18 Minutes drive

Website: Dolaucothi Gold Mines

Description

These unique gold mines are set amid wooded hillsides overlooking the beautiful Cothi Valley and have a 2000 year history. Between 70 AD and 80 AD, the Romans began the first extensive mining of Dolaucothi, creating large open-cast workings and digging several tunnels to exploit the gold veins. The most active period of mining at Dolaucothi in the Victorian/Edwardian Age occurred around the turn of the 20th century and carried on sporadically until the 1930’s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA2NacrE2qM

There are lots of activities to take part in. You can pan for gold, take a self-guided audio tour of the Roman Goldmines, explore the 1930’s sheds and machinery, shop for Welsh Gold jewellery or take an underground guided tour. These tours take visitors right into the Drift Mines, perched on the hills above the Mine Yard. There are 5 underground tours per day to the Victorian and Roman mines and these take about 1 hour. The season runs from 1st April to the end of October. The site is run by the National Trust and opening times vary through the seasons so check online. Entry price is currently £10.50 for adults.

If you don’t fancy going down the mine or you want to spend longer exploring the area, there are also a number of nature trails to follow ranging from very easy to challenging. These are open all year round and are a haven for a multitude of wild birds as well as red squirrels and pine martens.

Just 10 minutes walk away is the Dolaucothi Arms pub – voted Rural Pub of the Year by BBC Countryfile in 2019. It offers a traditional pub menu in the Winter and a Mediterranean style menu from April to September. N.B. the pub is closed on Mondays and opening hours change in the winter months so check their website.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSUWrYuPL_4

Contacts