Saturday 22 May 2010

Saturday's walk

Some of my Welsh poppies in the garden . . .


My husband and I had a lovely walk yesterday. We had to drive over to the next valley to have some work done on the car (oil change etc). Whilst it was being done we walked along the lane for an hour or so. It was hot. I mean, REALLY hot. There wasn't much shade. Most of the downhill bits were on the outward journey . . .

But it was a lovely walk and this was a lane we rarely drive along (haven't been along it for years now) and so walking it was a real joy. The car wasn't quite finished when we returned so we had a wander round the village.

Then it was back home to more gardening and more painting. I hope I never have to lift a paintbrush again once we've moved.

View across the fields. The little white cottage, top left, used to belong to friends of ours. A lovely peaceful spot at the end of a trackway.

The roadside banks are a mass of wild flowers right now. you should see Bluebells, Rose Campion, Cow Parsley and what my mum called "Shirtbuttons" - Stitchwort.
Looking across to the Black Mountain . . .

This beech tree was growing on a roadside bank and was absolutely huge.

Isn't this the most beautiful house? Many, many years ago I visited here with friends and have remembered it ever since. The Clematis montana rubens is superb.

It has a beautiful garden, with the stream running through it.

This was obviously the chapel pre-1838 . . .

The wording of this plaque conveys a sense of slight disgruntlement . . .

A little terrace of typical Welsh cottages.

I love the proportions of this cottage and the lovely jadey green paintwork.



The steps to nowhere. The old doorway has been changed into a window now, but once the male workers in this house who "lived in" would have used these steps to go to bed. Needless to say, any female servants had different accommodation . . .

6 comments:

  1. Whoa -- Calvinistic-Methodist church. Now that should stir up a hornet's nest! My husband -- a pastor -- is a non-aggressive Calvinist, but went to a Methodist Bible College. I was Anglican/Methodist. Over here we became evangelical congregationalists. Preach the same Gospel in all churches!

    You must have had a wonderful walk. I miss those long walks, but when we've been back we haven't been down too many lanes. You might be taking your life in you hands, because of the traffic. I remember May and June as often having the nicest weather over there, except when the queen was crowned in 1953 when we had snow in June!

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  2. It may surprise you to hear that Carmarthenshire in particular was an absolute hot-bed of warring factions in the 1800s - all sorts of different persuasions of churches and chapels, all vieing with one another for "customers".

    May always used to be a dependable month for weather - ALWAYS warm if not HOT like it is at the moment - all up the Western side of Britain. This week we are back to old times!

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  3. Photos of your walks always make me wish I could go along. I might even be able to keep up.
    I'm reading Fishlock's Wild Tracks--fascinating man--but I'll bet I couldn't keep up with him--Snowdon Ranger Path indeed!
    You must make properly painted walls one of your requisites when you find that retirement cottage, or you'll be using your painting muscles all over again.
    Have meant to tell you I'm appreciating your recent header photos--lovely shimmery green-gold light.

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  4. What a lovely walk! With the wonderful pics (which I took the time to enlarge and enjoy), I feel as if I were there. I love the cottages especially, though it does seem strange to have a house right on the asphalt pavement so to speak. No garden or yard around them? Oh, I do so need to just come see for myself! :-)

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  5. What a nice walk, the hedgerows are so beautiful at this time of the year.

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  6. What blue skies you have had and how green everything looks. Our fields are beginning to look dried out from lack of rain. I love the white house with the Montana rubens. Interesting Stairs to Nowhere!

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