Blog
We hope that our musings will paint a picture of this most beautiful area.
Spring
Posted on 13th March, 2019
Spring is definitely in the air and the garden is starting to look lovely with some early colour. It won't be long until the Rhododendrons reveal their full display and the show begins in earnest.
January 2019 is spectacular
Posted on 9th January, 2019
The winter weather is fantastic at the moment and the mountains are amazing. The trails are in excellent condition for walking and riding and there is a lovely Alpine-esque atmosphere in the villages.
nature on our front door
Posted on 12th May, 2017
It’s been an exciting morning for both us and guests. We have owls that nest in the woods close to the house. Their calls can be heard at night and we regularly see them, but today was quite special. Chris called me to the kitchen at just before 7am to watch the tawny owl sat in one of the trees outside. Normally the owl would fly away after a minute or so, but 10 minutes passed and the owl was still in the tree. We carried on with chores, popping back to the window from time to time and...
A sunny spring afternoon at Bodnant Garden
Posted on 25th April, 2017
When I have a couple of hours free, Bodnant is a favourite place to visit. My intention had been to explore the newly opened Furnace Wood and Meadow, but on this occasion, I hardly made it past the Terrace. The colours and perfumes of the flowers were intoxicating. Guests staying with us from the US were not going to visit the Garden because they did not think that there would be many colours at this time of year. How wrong they were. It was way too bright for photography, but as always, I could not resist. The photo is my...
Snowdonia and Abraham Lincoln
Posted on 19th January, 2017
A short drive away, is the village of Ysbyty Ifan (meaning Hospital of St John). The village now has fewer than 200 inhabitants, but it has a history to rival many large towns. Although a village existed before that date, it is named after the Knights of St John, who in the 12th century established a hospital and hostel to care for pilgrims. Later the notorious Red Bandits of Mawdday, took advantage the Knights' priviledge of sanctuary to hide in the hospital. The hospital was abolished during the dissolution of the Monasteries, but the village continued to play a part...
Lonely Planet chooses North Wales in the top 10 regions in the world to visit in 2017
Posted on 30th November, 2016
We are delighted, but not suprised to have been voted as one of the best offbeat destinations in the world. A link to the Lonely Planet article https://www.lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel/regions
The Laburnum Arch
Posted on 6th June, 2016
If you are visiting the area in late May and early June, an absolute must see is the laburnum arch at Bodnant Garden. The arch is 180 (55m) feet long, made up of 48 plants which have been replaced over the years but have provided a continual display of golden flowers in late spring since 1882. Called Golden Rain, laburnum produces a dazzling flush of bright yellow pea-shaped flowers up to 50cm long in hanging racemes, followed by seedpods. In late May and early June the arch is literally buried under long, golden yellow pendulous bunches of flowers. I go...
Autumn
Posted on 19th November, 2015
Autumn-time, thy scenes and shades Are pleasing to the tasteful eye; A line from the poet, John Clare. The soft light and woodland colours make Snowdonia a dream location at this time of year and we do not have to travel far from our home to enjoy this. Our silver birch trees sparkle in the afternoon sunshine and the woodland in the nearby Gwydyr Forest looks sublime. Gwydyr has many marked walking and biking trails and never fails to look beautiful.