Tuesday 9 March 2010

Monday's walk, part I

A left-over photo from the Green Castle Woods walk showing beautiful sulphur-yellow lichen on a young tree.

I can see the sea! View from the top, near Horeb x-roads, showing the "bump" topped by Llansteffan Castle, and the sea beyond it. look at the back of the photo, in the middle, and you will see a stepped bit. That's it.

Panning a little further West. Taken on Monday on route to Brechfa for the Jumbo Oats.

At about this point my son started sighing heavily as I had stopped the car several times for "photo opportunities". This is looking towards Abergorlech, hidden in the valley bottom. The edges of Brechfa Forest are on the left.

A very beige picture of the countryside around the steep little lane down into Brechfa.

The icicle tree!! I stopped on a VERY steep hill to take this. Think that the farmer must (as many of his fellow-farmers do in this neck of the woods) have run a alkathene pipe across the road and hanging over tree branches to get water to the fields t'other side of the lane and it has a leak . . .


First flowers of Saxifraga oppositifolia (Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage). This was growing on the side of the path into Dinefwr Park. I had to go to Llandeilo, so after dropping my son off, I parked up and walked to the castle.

View across the beautiful parkland towards Dinefwr Castle.

Empty belltower of Llandyfeisant church. It is set in a little hollow, surrounded by a yew grove, and with a stream pouring out of the hillside. I have always had the feeling that it was a sacred grove and well, before it was Christianized. It of course served the Big House (Dinefwr castle) as their place of worship.


The little church looks so forlorn, now it is becoming overgrown with ivy and moss. I don't know when it was last in use, but when we first came here it was open to visitors, but now the gates are barred.


A sad memorial to Rachel Davies, who died on her 17th birthday . . .

One of the smaller windows.

A very "green" roof in all senses!

Corner of the churchyard with snowdrops.
On Monday the weather was so wonderful (sunny but cold . . .) and I had to drop our son off in Llandeilo, so I parked up and walked across the park to Dinefwr Castle. This is part I of the walk, ending at Llandyfaelog Church, where I sat and took notes for "pomes" - have worked on the poetry since getting home, but not finished yet.

5 comments:

  1. What gorgeous views and I loved the icicle tree!!
    The church in its dilapidated state makes me so sad and the grave stone of Rachel Davis was heartbreaking, and reading further down the grave stone it seems her eldest sister Alison also died aged 28..
    The church looks as if was once very beautiful and the roof looks as you say very green indeed!!
    Loving your walks.....
    Love Jane xxx

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  2. I loved the photo expedition this morning! I loved the patchwork hills...the old church...the icicle tree...all of it! Lovely post indeed...

    Blessings,
    Dianne

    http://www.patacakebabies.com/wordpress

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  3. I'm glad you all enjoyed the first part of the walk. Part II tomorrow, which includes the Castle and views.

    Aromatic - glad to see you "out and about" again. I saw about her sister too. I should imagine that their father, the Reverend, was starting to doubt his faith by the time he lost Alison as well.

    There were also two headstones of a young man and woman who died within a month of one another, probably paid for by their employer, as it mentioned their names and ages, date of death and "servant at Dinefwr Castle". No individuality even in death . . .

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  4. Just having a catch up after a few days away. Beautiful and atmospheric photographs. So much history bound up in every one of them.

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