Ceredigion - Part 2

20 September 202328 March 2024Days 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.

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.

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

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.

2 August 20232 August 2023Walks

Coed y Foel Woodland Walks

We took a drive out to Coed Y Foel Woodland Nature Reserve a couple of days ago for a walk (about 25 minutes from the cottages). It’s a really beautiful woodland and is a mixture of established broadleaf forest with a more open “nursery woodland”.

There is a small car park with a few more spaces out on the quiet road.

The older part of the forest is mostly oak and the newly planted part is a mix of hazel, alder and other native species.

There is a pretty steam running through the valley – Ziggy enjoys a cooling dip there.

It’s a moderately challenging walk but very peaceful and quiet and there are several circular routes you can take to make it more or less challenging. At this time of year there are lots of bilberries to snack on as you walk too!

There are information boards to show you the trails and the route is way marked (although not clearly in some places).

Here’s a little Reel I made for Instagram 😊

See more of our Instagram Reels here:

https://www.instagram.com/coedmorcottages/

25 May 202319 October 2023Days 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 202223 January 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.

14 June 202223 January 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

31 July 202019 October 2023Beaches, 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.

Tag: Ceredigion