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).
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.
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.
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.
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 from the road up to the stile.Go over the stile or through the gateClimb the grassy path.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.
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.
Look east to see the Brecon BeaconsEven on a cloudy day the view is dramatic.
If you want to explore more, head back down the track towards 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.
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.
Dyffryn Beach
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 from above
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.
Dolwen Beach
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 .
View of the pretty houses in Aberporth from Dyffryn beach.The beaches are popular with surfers.
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. 🦀 🦐
Limpets and barnacles galore!Rock Pools.
We walked on Dyffryn Beach as we had Ziggy with us – dogs aren’t allowed on Dolwen in the Summer months.
Ziggy loves the beach!Dyffryn Beach is dog friendly all summer.Ziggy enjoys getting his paws wet.
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.
View from the top of the hill back down to the beachesSculpture 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.
The steps down to Dolwen BeachDolphin 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 😋
So quiet for JulyYes!! 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.
When we were planning our Big Move to Wales we did some exploring around the area and the beaches and harbour towns of Cardigan Bay were one of the deciding factors in us choosing to move to Lampeter. So for our first trip out in March 2020 we really wanted to take Ziggy for a walk at Penbryn Beach. We had been before in September when we had our second viewing of the Cottages so we already knew what a magical place it is.
Penbryn in September the day after we decided to buy The Cottages
“Social Distancing” was already in force but we weren’t yet in lockdown, so we were allowed to head to the beach for our daily exercise. Penbryn is looked after by the National Trust, so there is a proper car park which you pay a couple of pounds for and this goes towards the upkeep (and there are loos there too). The beach is a walk downhill – you have two choices here. You can walk down the road or go through the woodland. We chose to go the road route as we wanted to get to the beach asap.
Only Ziggy’s second time at the beach…ever!
As you reach the beach there is a stream that runs right down into the sea. Ziggy couldn’t wait to get wet…he loves water but won’t swim – he panics if he goes out of his depth. When we lived in Reading we were so far from the sea that we only took Ziggy to the beach once. He loved it, but couldn’t understand why the water tastes so bad ? At Penbryn he went crazy running on the sand – he loved the wide open space…and we were virtually the only ones there.
Penbryn in March – gorgeous soft sand.
The beach is about a mile long so you can have a decent walk along it. There is a cave to explore at the right hand side of the beach if you visit at low tide. At very low tide there is another beach further around the headland, but beware as there is no other way to get off this cove so if the tide turns you could be stranded!
Cave at Penbryn
We took the scenic route back up to the car park through the enchanted valley. It really is a wonderful walk although it is quite steep in places. But there’s no rush. Take your time and enjoy the meandering pathways that take you through woodland and fern-clad terrain with a stream babbling below you.
Then just as you thought it couldn’t get any better, you come upon a bridge and a waterfall! Seriously, if fairies are real, this is where they live.
Penbryn Waterfall
Penbryn is about a 40 minute scenic drive from our cottages. If you want to make a full day of it you can also get onto the Wales Coast Path from Penbryn in both directions and offers gorgeous views across the bay. We like to visit the Plwmp Tart Cafe next to the car park for a spot of lunch or a cake after our walk.
The remote location and lack of light pollution make this an ideal spot for stargazing in the summer months – Penbryn Beach is a designated Dark Skies Discovery site and dusk is a great time to see seals and barn owls in the area.
Penbryn’s Claim to Fame is that it was used for a scene in the James Bond “Die Another Day: movie! You can see why in the clip below – it looks stunning.
