Scenery - Part 2

National Trust Attractions That Are Within Easy Reach

Picton House Dinefwr National Trust attractions

National Trust Attractions Within Easy Reach

With so many different National Trust attractions within easy reach of our cottages, you will never be short of things to do. From Gold Mines and castles to beautiful beaches and mountain valleys, none of these places os more than an hours drive away. We’ve listed them in order of proximity to us so you can easily choose how far you want to spend travelling.

Dolaucothi Gold Mines

Just 18 minutes drive away, the Dolaucothi Gold Mines are ancient Roman surface and underground mines located in the valley of the River Cothi, near Pumsaint, Carmarthenshire. These mines are believed to be the only known Roman gold mines in Britain, and they have a history that dates back over 2,000 years. The Romans are thought to have extracted gold from this site as early as the first century AD. There are also lovely walks to do on the surrounding estate which is accessible for free.

Check opening Times & Prices: Dolaucothi Visitor Information

Llanerchaeron

Just 20 minutes away from our cottages is the lovely National Trust Llanerchaeron.
It is home to an elegant Georgian villa, designed by architect John Nash in 1790, complete with a walled garden, farmyard lake and wild parkland. It has remained unaltered for over 200 years. The walled garden was built in the late 18th century and is still producing fruit and vegetables. The fruit trees are amazing shapes! The parkland has beautiful woodland walks. We love to follow the old railway line track to Aberaeron (2 and a half miles) for a spot of lunch. It is a lovely pretty walk through the woods and open fields and along the river.

Opening times & prices: Visiting Llanerchaeron

Dinefwr Park and Castle

Dinefwr National Trust attractions Mid West Wales

Dinefwr is about 40 minutes drive from the cottages. It 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. The surrounding countryside offers outstanding views. Go in May for the bluebells! See more pictures and details on our blog post: Best Things to do at Dinefwr

Opening times & prices: Visiting Dinefwr

Penbryn Beach

Penbryn is about a mile long stretch of golden sand with caves to explore at one end at low tide. It is around 1/4 of a mile down the road from the car park or take the beautiful woodland walk from behind the Plwmp Tart cafe. This is longer at 1/2 a mile and is steep in places but is totally enchanting! The Wales Coast Path leads from the beach in both directions and offers gorgeous views across the bay. The remote location and lack of light pollution make this an ideal spot for stargazing – Penbryn Beach is a designated Dark Skies Discovery site.

The drive to Penbryn is about 40 minutes from the cottages. See more here: Walking at Penbryn

Hafod Estate

Hafod Estate is a historic landscape located in the Ystwyth Valley, near Cwmystwyth, Ceredigion. It is about 50 minutes drive from the cottages. The estate offers a network of walking trails that allow visitors to explore the diverse landscape, including woodlands, waterfalls, and viewpoints that provide breathtaking panoramic views of the Ystwyth Valley and the surrounding countryside. It is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) due to its unique and diverse habitats.

Find out more: Hafod Estate Information

Abergwesyn Common

Abergwesyn Pass - National Trust in Mid Wales

This is one of our favourite spots in the Cambrian Mountains – Abergwesyn Pass. It is known as one of the most epic driving roads in Wales but it is worth stopping a while to take in the breathtaking scenery and the amazing tranquility. There are no crowds – this part of Wales is still relatively unknown. The river Irfon flows along the valley and we’ve seen Peregrine Falcons on the cliff face above. You must navigate the famous Devil’s Staircase to get to Abergwesyn – but that is part of the fun!

Abergwesyn is around 60 minutes from the cottages, depending how often you stop to take in the amazing scenery. How to get there.

Mwnt

Mwnt Beach is around 1 hour from the cottages and is situated between the towns of Cardigan and Aberporth, on the Cardigan Bay coastline. It is nestled within a designated conservation area, known for its rugged cliffs, sandy beach, and rich biodiversity. Watch out for dolphins in the sea and rare Choughs flying overhead. Mwnt is on the Wales Coast Path, and has breathtaking views along the walking trails. In Spring the Gorse is so beautiful and smells delicious. Overlooking the beach is the historic Mwnt Church, which dates back to the 14th century.

Find out more: Visiting Mwnt

Cilgerran Castle

This striking medieval 13th-century fortress is perched on a wooded hill overlooking the spectacular Teifi Gorge – about 1 hour from the cottages. It offers beautiful panoramic views over the surrounding countryside. You can also combine your visit to the castle with a trip to the Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve and Welsh Wildlife Centre.

Opening Times & Prices: Visiting Cilgerran Castle

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

20 September 202313 February 2025Days Out, 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 September 2024Walks

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/

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 May 20211 August 2023Walks

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.

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

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

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!

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.

Tag: Scenery