dams and hills

Eager to get out and blow the cobwebs away, I took the boys (and my Mum) to the Elan Valley. I used to live near here so am familiar with a lot of the area, but even so there is plenty to explore that I hadn't seen before. So after some research on the rather good Elan Valley website we set out on the Craig Cnwch walk. It is a circular walk which conveniently starts at the first of the many dams, Caban Coch. I knew this would impress the boys, especially at this time of year when it's overflowing and I wasn't wrong!

 

 

 

It was mesmerising watching the water tumble down the dam.
The footpath goes up the side of the dam giving some great glimpses of the wall of water through the trees.

 

Just when you think that that was the nerve wracking bit over with (especially with young children!) and you progress onto the calm of the reservoir, the path tests your nerves a little more as it hugs the waters edge. The boys absolutely loved it and it all added to the sense of adventure! It was good to really experience the environment you were in.

 

As the path leaves the reservoir you reach Nant-y-Gro dam. This has a very interesting history as it is connected to the Dambusters of WWII. 

 

It was built in the early stages of the dam construction to supply water to the workers and their families. As it was redundant it became the perfect place for top secret testing which helped in the development of the 'bouncing bomb'. Barnes Wallace himself visited the site for two experiments investigating the charge required to blow up a dam. You can read more about it here (at bottom of page).

Detail of the information board showing the first test in May 1942 at Nant y Gro dam

The path leaves the reservoir to climb up and around Craig Cnwch. The views are so amazing that the assent is quite enjoyable as you get to see more and more that the Elan Valley has to offer. You can't help but keep stopping to take it all in (and to take photos!)

 

 

And then you get to my favourite type of place to be - up on top of the hills with a great big sky. This is what was needed! 

As you circle the hill and descend into the valley again, it feels as though you are walking ancient paths and lanes - possible drovers roads maybe? Lichen covered walls and trees line the route.

 

The rosy cheeks and smiles of the boys in the car on the way home was testament to a great day.

garden posy - february

 

The snowdrops are in their prime at the moment.

The garden is looking a little worse for wear and in desperate need of tidying and cutting back. But if you look beyond the brown dead stems of last year's growth, there is plenty of green emerging - yay!

The Field - February

 

A much needed outing into The Field - up the hill, into the woods to avoid the saturated ground at the bottom of the hill.

 

Nature wise there wasn't a great deal of change since January. Up in the woods there were plenty of broken limbs scattered over the ground from the recent storms and a casualty in the neighbouring beech wood.

What did catch my eye was the detail of the fence fixings on the far edge of The Field.

 

The almost irredesent colours on a drab day was striking, along with the patterns in the rust.

 

The Field in February. 

Here it is in January

garden posy

 

A monthly record of what is (possibly) interesting and beautiful in the garden and an attempt to remember to bring a posy of flowers into the house to better appreciate what is growing away out there! Who knows... my flower arranging skills and indoor photography may improve too.

January's offering is a rather brown affair, but I do like the faded beauty and graphic lines of the seedheads and stems.

The Field - January

Looking out over the churchyard wall, you get a lovely view of The Field. Here we go sledging, pick elderflowers, forage for berries, collect conkers, climb trees, spot butterflies and most importantly it's a wonderful little escape right on our doorstep.
I thought it would be interesting to photograph The Field each month, as a record of the changing seasons. It is just a humble field, peppered with mature oaks, beeches, horse chestnuts, hawthorns and elders. I am hoping that by looking closely, there will always be something interesting to see.

 

On a chilly January morning, the light in The Field is beautiful, catching the water droplets on the branches making the tree look like it's covered in jewels. 

 

Just visible through the trees at the far end of The Field is Powis Castle, our neighbourly National Trust property.

 

This particular spot marks the best elder and blackberry bushes for foraging. And its one of my favourite views of Moel-y-Golfa, a distinctive hill which is often in the background of my photographs.

 

 

Near the top of The Field is one of the boys' favourite trees, the horse chestnut with its low branches, perfect for scrambling up. It provides some welcome shade whilst blackberrying in the summer. That feels an age away now, but the buds are there... waiting...

 

My favourite trees in the field are the old twisted hawthorns. 

 

 

I love the long shadows at this time of year.

 

Heading back you get one of my favourite views of home...

 

Bringing to fruition

Greetings 2014... I do like an even year!
There has been a lot of talk in my Twitter feed and on several blogs that I read, about choosing a word to depict what you hope the year will bring. For me I think/wish 2014 will be a year of fruition... the realisation of long term goals.


As you may know, as a family, we are part way through a rather large project restoring a redundant church and converting part of it to live in (which I write about here). We are tantalisingly close to the creation of our home within the church. We're at the 'finish' stage - painting, installing lighting etc., all the little details that gives a house it's style. I hope 2014 will see the fruition of our vision, though I'm sure it will be far from complete.


Since buying the church ten years ago, we have had the idea of opening the remainder of the building to the public as a venue to celebrate it's heritage. To use the building for the community to come together in, which is what the building was originally designed for, would help to give it a self sustainable future. I have always thought that we would need to finish the 'house', clear away our temporary accommodation in the nave and tidy away all our worldly possessions which are stacked on pews before this could happen. However, recently we have had a re-think of 'the plan' and decided to begin opening right now in a phased approach. This way we can start in a small humble way and slowly grow the business. Just before Christmas we officially set up as company (...eek!) and are now working our way through the pile of paperwork you have to complete just to simply open the door to Joe Public.

I recently put together a 'concept board' (giving away my past in design schooling!) to help communicate our styling and ideas for this space.

This was such an enjoyable process and already it has helped the vision start to become a reality. 2014 will mark the tentative beginnings of the fruition of a 10 year plan... exciting and nerve wracking times!

This year will be a year of fruition for the family as my eldest son will turn 18 and may leave home to go to university! I don't know yet if this is something I'm looking forward to or not. It is a trying time (as well as a proud time) as a parent as 18 years of motherhood is put to the test as you wave them off into adulthood. Already I feel the need to cram in as many wise words of advice before the university beckons, as though I'll never be able to guide and advise him again - crazy eh! I'll keep you posted on how I get on with that one!
At around the same time, my youngest son will start school. Oh my, September is going to be an emotional roller coaster of a month.

A busy year ahead... emotionally, physically, creatively. I hope that we are blessed with the time, stamina, love and good health to make 2014 a year of fruition, and the vision becomes a reality.

May 2014 see the realisation of your hopes and dreams too! x

Festive Powis

 

One of the traditions that marks the beginning of the festive celebrations, is a walk with friends up to Powis Castle to pay a visit to Father Christmas, who just happened to be in residence...

 

Sitting on hay bales waiting... full of anticipation.

And finally getting to meet the big man himself! A lovely Father Christmas he was too.

Back home the tree goes up and the Christmas preparations begin in earnest. It does seem harder each year to fit it all in and this year is no exception. It'll happen somehow though I guess!