Open Garden Day at Llysdinam

 

Llysdinam House is about 8 miles from us here and I  have long admired it up on its bluff, as we've driven past.  It is set in 20 acres of beautiful gardens and has been owned by the Venables family (now Venables Llewellyn) for over 180 years.  In fact, Lady Delia Dillwyn-Venables-Llewelyn (1910 - 2006) was a great influence upon the romantic and naturalistic style of the present gardens.  She gardened until shortly before her death at 96.

    Ragged-Robin, I know your ears will have pricked up at the words Llysdinam and Venables and yes, there is a strong Kilvert connection here.  He was staying here in August 1873, when the Venables* family went  to Garth Flower Show, Dog Show, Poultry Show, Bqazaaar and Athletic Sports (mustn't miss any out) and Kilvert took himself off to visit Llanleonfel church (there is a post about it when I visited earlier this year).  (*The Rev. Richard Lister Venables was the Vicar of Clyro, so effectively Kilvert's boss).

In September 1874, he wrote:  "Went to Llysdinam.  I never had a lovelier journey up the lovely valley of the Wye.  A tender beautiful haze veiled the distant hills and woods with a gauze of blue and silver and pearl.  It was a dream of intoxicating beauty.  I saw all the old familiar sights, the broad river reach at Boughrood flashing round the great curve in the sunlight over its hundred steps and rock ledges, the luxuriant woods which fringe the gleaming river lit up here and there by the golden flame of a solitary ash, the castled rock-towers and battlements and bastions of the Rocks of Aberedw, the famous rocky wooded gorge through the depths of which the narrow mountain stream of the Edw rushed foaming to its Aber to meet the Wye, the house of Pant Shoni gleaming white through the apple-laden orchard trees, the green Castle Mount, Llanvareth Church half hidden by its great dark yew, the sudden bend of the river below Builth, the Yrfon mouth above the little ancient town, and last but not least the grey-towered house of Llysdinam sitting on its green sunny hill backed by dark woods, and looking towards the river and mountains of the South."

    His description of the beautiful Wye valley, which we regularly drive on our way to Hay or Brecon, sums it up perfectly.  We are fortunate indeed.  The house of Pont-Shoni (Sioni now) which he mentions is the one Tam and I went to an Open Garden Day at last year.

Bits of Newbridge-on-Wye peep through the trees.  Builth is 6 miles in this direction.

A tremendous long herbaceous border which reminded me of the ones at Powis Castle.

Especially for Sharon (Morning's Minion) as she loves Irises.

A splendid Honeysuckle hugs a warm wall in a corner of the walled garden.

There were woodland walks too but I went straight to plant sales!  Unfortunately they had had a Big Plant Sale only the previous week (didn't know about that one) and so the choice was not as good as it might have been.  Next year . . .

Lots of beautiful Paeonies too - there was a yellow one at the back.

Huge Calla aethiopica Lilies.

Bet they don't have cats - this is Nepeta (Cat nip).  I have mine in a planter, in the hope of deterring the cats, but it has been rolled on and enjoyed and is only an inch or so high yet!

Exotics in the heated greenhouses.

A very healthy orange tree.

Lots of Pelargoniums.  I was envious of the selection, but am gradually adding to mine here (which are planted in the borders).  I bought one at Llysdinam - Geranium magnificum, which has been planted in the Lavender bed.

Regal Pelargonium "Springfield Black".  I would love one (but they aren't cheap!)

The long heated greenhouse had a huge fig tree, grape vines, and lots of things a bit on the tender side.  It was lovely in there.  I have greenhouse envy!

I wasn't there too long, but it made a nice break and I really enjoyed the Kilvert connection, imagining him sitting in the shade of a tree with a book, or strolling and talking, or playing croquet.  

Llangasty-tal-y-llyn church

 

I visited here about a month ago but took such lousy pictures I needed a return visit.  This lovely old church nestles on the shore of Llangorse Lake, near Brecon.  It is an ancient site - dating back to the earliest of Christian times, when it was established around 450 AD and dedicated to St Gastyn, a Celtic saint who reputedly discipled all of King Brychyn's many children.  (King Brychyn's court was at Talgarth, at the roots of the Black Mountains).  Like many others in the Victorian period, the church was rebuilt, c.1848 - 1851.  I think churches had been allowed to fall into a dreadful state of disrepair when so many of them needed rebuilding!  The popular Gothic Revival Early English style of architecture was used and sadly I think very little of the Medieval church survived. As ever, Coflein gives a good appraisal.

The font, which had a lifting cover - the design is described as octagonal, heavily moulded with quatrefoils.  I wonder what happened to the Medieval one?  Rubble in the building walls I suspect.

The Mothers' Union banner, beautifully embroidered.

The stained glass includes works by Clayton & Bell (1872).  Each of the windows had brass memorial plates dedicated to the Raikes family who lived at Treberfydd Manor house, a short walk away.

The Treberfydd Estate was purchased in the 1840s by Robert Raikes, who was a Tracterian (I had to look it up too!) and according to Coflein, the building features an almost complete Tracterian interior, designed by J LPearson (who was also responsible for the beautiful school next door).

Beautiful hand carving.

The windows are figures set in grisaille (black line on colourless glass).

The stencilling and painted ceiling were beautiful, and there were decalogues painted alongside the chancel arch.

Such attention to detail - beautiful wrought iron spirals and hearts.

As you can see, the Raikes family were well represented in the Military, and apart from those in the Army, other members were very high up in the Admiralty.  The family had mining interests in Africa, and a few years back there was a clearance sale after one of the family members had died, and we bought a few pieces (ceramics and currency bracelet) from the auction.

 

The beautiful school.  Now used as accommodation by the family.

Have a lovely Jubilee weekend.  We are keeping a low profile and watching the racing.

Malvern Day exhaustion

 

It was Malvern Fleamarket yesterday.  I was awake at 4 a.m.and up before 5, out the door before 5.30 a.m.  I took the trolley to carry anything cumbersome in, but oh boy, dragging that across the grass was tiring.  Everything hurt today!  Not sure what you would do with the skull above (Water Buffalo I believe) but I know these sort of trophies still have a demand.

Above and below: a lovely Victorian hand-pieced crazy quilt with yards and yards of Feather stitching.  £250 if you please.

Wonkey taxidermy.

This is the stall in the Avon Hall that Keith and I have always enjoyed, so I take photos to show him what he's missed.

I asked how much the chair back left was, thinking £250 would be tops, as it has character.  They obviously thought it counted as a primitive/naive chair and the price was, wait for it, £2,200!!!  I was good, and didn't laugh in his face.

Below: what I would have loved to give house room to.  A very weathered lion sculpture.

One thing that did come home - I picked it up thinking it was tin (as they normally are) but by golly, it was cast iron!  It's a Bund tin and probably French.

I was back by lunchtime, as I only went round once, but goodness, I was absolutely bushed, but had to carry on emptying the kitchen cupboards as the kitchen has been delivered today (Monday).  I had a 14 hour working day and by the time I crawled up to bed, my brain felt like a loose bundle of jigsaw pieces.  I have had to rest today.  No option.  Tea was chip shop chips again. I'd had it.

Wrens delivered the kitchen and I was incredibly impressed by the skill of the driver as the lorry was the size of a double decker bus and yet he managed to reverse it in through our gateway - right hand down a bit reversing and not much room in the lane.  One step further along with that, and tomorrow I have to set my alarm to get an appointment to see the GP, as no phone call today, and Keith is really fretting about no medication and his symptoms worsening again.

Beyond Weary

 

Chocolate apple cake and Scotch rolls.  First baking I've done in ages.  Like a lot of things, his has gone by the wayside since moving here.  Last year was a real first for things I'd NOT made which I had made regularly in the past.  

Aquilegias which have grown since I pulled the weed membrane up - probably seeds dormant in the ground for 15 years or so as the membrane was totally perished.  I've never seen such large flowers - about 2 inches across.

    Yesterday we drove across two counties for K's appt. with the private specialist.  We got a diagnosis and one is not normally delighted to get the diagnosis we got, BUT there is treatment and we are no longer in the dark over what is happening. It was money well spent and I am grateful for being in a position to afford it. Watch this space.  My shoulders immediately dropped a foot (from around my ears) and I was letting out huge breaths from all the pent-up tensions of the last year and more.

    We came back via Ledbury so K could see the Titian painting (The Last Supper - guess who just wrote Breakfast! - I said I was tired) in St Michael and all Angels church.  He was tottering by then - all that time in the car not helpful - just looked for a minute or two at the painting and vowed to come back when he's walking better and can see round the entire church.  I popped into Hay wines to see if the Greek white wine Tam and I love was back in stock.  To my amazement, after a loooooong time with none, it had come in that very morning, and so a bottle certainly had my name on it!

    I stopped briefly at a garden centre on the way back, saying to Keith I probably wouldn't be long as last time I was there I came out empty-handed.  The same thing happened.  They had some lovely Clematis with huge flowers - for the best part of £27 each!!!  Trying it on came to mind.  Also a bronzey Foxglove I grew one year at our old home (before it died in the winter) and that was the only thing I might have bought, had it not been priced at £15.99.

    We had supper courtesy of the chippy and by the time I got there, it was 6 hours since anything had passed my lips and I was famished.  I can honestly say I have never drooled before, smelling food cooking, but I did last night!  There was nothing bar grease left on our plates by the time we'd eaten!

    I slept deeply until 2.45 and was then awake till gone 6 a.m.  Dropped back to sleep until 9 and got up and had breakfast, and then had to go back to bed as I was just so exhausted.  I am officially Doing as Little as Possible today.

Deeply grateful for:  A diagnosis; a beautiful garden; living in a beautiful place; an unending pile of books to read!