We woke up on Tuesday morning to a beautiful day. Throwing the curtains open we soaked up the vista of green rolling fields dotted with sheep and clumps of woodland scattered haphazardly over the landscape.
Green valley farmhouse
We were on the northern edges of the Brecon Beacons National Park in a wonderful farmhouse that we had rented for just five days. With Sue and I was our friend Larraine. My son William and his girlfriend Laura also joined us for several of the days. We had traveled up the previous day battling the M25 in the morning and picking up William from Abergavenny train station on the way. By the middle of the afternoon we were just miles away from our destination but finding it difficult to navigate the narrow country lanes.
But find it we did and what a wonderful delight it turned out to be. Downstairs were two big (and I mean big!) living rooms each with a log burning fire, and a spacious, well equipped kitchen. Upstairs there were four large bedrooms each with a double bed and a large bathroom with shower. Adjacent to the house were some outbuildings that held amongst other things wood for the stove and at the back was a delightful little garden with pond.
'Cous-cous' the resident cat.
The house was approached via a long steep driveway at the end of a narrow lane. It was three and a half miles from the nearest B road down some of the most tortuously winding country lanes that I had ever driven on. Sometimes the lane would go through areas where the trees leant over to create the impression of an enclosed tunnel of branch and leaf whilst at other times the lane opened out onto an open vista across the velvety countryside. At one point the lane passed straight through a farmyard and elsewhere the lane passed through a section where the hedges were so high that it was like driving through a maze. The setting for the farmhouse could not have been more secluded and magical.
But perhaps the most surprising and delightful aspect of the farmhouse was that it had a resident cat who went by the name of cous-cous. He was without doubt the most affectionate cat that I have ever encountered and loved nothing more than being stroked or sitting in your lap or being carried like a baby. Whenever we went out we looked forward to returning, partly in the knowledge that we would soon have two roaring wood burning fires going but also because cous-cous would be there to greet us.
Swing bridge on the canal
On the Tuesday we explored the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal driving to Taybont where we joined the towpath and walked the few miles to Pencelli before turning round and walking back. The canal turned out to be very interesting. Originally known as the Brecknock and Abergavenny canal it was built between 1797 and 1812 making it one of the oldest canals in the country. For 23 miles out of its total 33 miles length it is completely flat, which is surely something of an engineering feat in such hilly terrain. Our walk started at a delightful swing bridge in Talybont and we passed several more on the way. The weather stayed dry although the towpath in places was very muddy. We saw a heron by the canal side on our return leg and a red kite gliding through the air above a field.
Bails of bracken
The following day we woke to find the world covered in mist that hung about the valley floors and any hollows and dips in the countryside. After a slow start we drove back to Abergavenny to drop off William at the train station so that he could catch a train into Cardiff to meet up with old university friends. Then we drove onto the Brecon Beacons Visitors Centre. After a substantial meal Sue and I headed off for a walk across the rather strange common that has been created by centuries of selective grazing. The bracken that would otherwise cover the area was harvested by local farmers who rolled the bracken into bails such as you would normally associate with hay or straw. Our walk took us up a steep incline to a high point called Twyn y Gaer that commanded magnificent views across the countryside to the Black Mountains and Sugar Loaf Mountain near Abergavenny. It was a stiff pull up the hill and we had to stop several times but there was a tremendous sense of achievement at reaching the summit and the reward of the views.
At the café Sue and I purchased two large wooden mushrooms roughly carved out of tree trunks. An odd acquisition no doubt but we felt that they would be a pleasant addition to our garden at home.
The 'Big Pit' coal mine in Blaenavon
The weather which had been so pleasant and mild turned wet and windy on the Thursday. The blue sky had disappeared behind a thick blanket of cloud that covered the heavens from horizon to horizon. The inclement weather put pay to any thought of country walks and so instead we made our way to the ‘Big Pit‘ coal mine in Blaenavon. This turned out to be a marvellous treat. The big pit mine was closed as a working mine in the 1990’s and reopened in 2004 as the National Coal Museum offering underground tours and exhibitions including a restoration of miners baths. The underground tour was free and we joined other tourists escaping the damp weather on an amazing journey below into the world of the miner. I have been underground in several mines and caves but never a coal mine. Our guide ‘Rob’, himself and ex-miner, was able to provide us with an in-depth insight into the hard life of the coal miner and the history behind the mine. It was a truly fascinating visit and I would happily recommend it to any one visiting the area. Blaenavon itself is a world heritage site that has many other attractions including an old iron works.
After a brief lunch at the Miners canteen we drove back to Abergavenny train station to pick up William and Laura. Then it was home to a cup of tea and blazing fires!
The inland sea of mist!
Friday was our last day and we were rewarded with bright blue skies. The weather was warm enough for me to sit outside with just a shirt and jumper. I took the opportunity to take a walk along the country lanes and up a ‘permitted path’ to another wonderful viewpoint. Over in the distance I could make out a valley completed filled with dense mist so that it looked for all the world like an inland sea! Here was a perfect spot for reflection. Overhead several red kites swooped through the air and in the distance could be heard the sound of gunfire from the nearby army range. I also spent some time drawing in the garden.
After dinner we regretfully started on our way home, heading for the M4 to make our way back to London, carrying wonderful memories of our little respite in a truly beautiful part of Wales.
