On Thursday afternoon, while I was otherwise engaged, DH took them to visit the wind-farm on the hills across the valley from us. Mid-Wales is home to an increasing number of wind-farms, and the rate of growth is proving to be more than a little controversial. For what it’s worth, DH and I don’t have a problem with this, but I realise it isn’t a view shared by everyone.
This particular wind-farm is one of the longest-established in the area, and when it was opened in 1993, it was the largest in Europe . By today’s standards, however, its output is modest and it is due to be rebuilt, but the present turbines still managed to awe our two talkative grandsons into silence.
On Saturday, after we had been joined by DD and her husband, we went to visit one of my favourite local beauty-spots, in the heart of the Hafren Forest. The forest takes its name from Afon Hafren (River Severn) which rises less than a mile outside its western boundary, high on the slopes of Pumlumon, the highest mountain in Mid-Wales.
After our picnic lunch we went for a wonderful walk alongside the infant Severn , which at this point on its journey to the sea tumbles over a series of small, rocky waterfalls, known as the Cascades.
Years ago the Forestry Commission installed a board-walk along the boggy river-bank, to enable even those with limited mobility to enjoy this extraordinarily beautiful spot, as well as waymarking a series of walks through the forest to satisfy all levels of energy and fitness.
DH and I contented ourselves with a modest stroll, and while DD and her family went off for something a little more strenuous, we walked back to the boardwalk to sit by the river and contemplate the beauty to be found so very close to home.
Once I've tidied up after the visit and gathered my thoughts, I will share more of my trip to
Beautiful photos of a stunning landscape. Thanks for sharing them. Now put your feet up and relax and have a second cup of tea! I look forward to more photos of Assisi!
ReplyDeleteI love these photos - stunning countryside and a spectacular river. I'm sure there's always beauty close by if you look carefully - but you really have picked a wonderful place to live.
ReplyDeleteAssisi has a lot to compete with! Ax
Beautifull pictures Perpetua, and a chance for a Welshwoman to see part of Wales she's never visited.
ReplyDeleteThere really is stunning scenery everywhere in Wales and a lot of it is relatively untouched by human interference (so far).
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Sian, the landscape really is lovely here. I've now graduated to a nice glass of red wine and am feeling content with the world :-) Assisi to follow as soon as I can manage it.
ReplyDeleteAnnie, we have blessed our good fortune in finding ourselves here more times than I can count. We came here nearly 40 years ago for work reasons, without ever having visited the area, and have never really left.
ReplyDeleteThe amazing thing about the Severn is how quickly it grows to be a wide and majestic river. Only 10 miles downstream, after being joined by a couple of tributaries, it already needs a sizeable bridge to cross it.
Assisi is different - it's just Assisi :-)
Ray, I often think Mid-Wales is Wales' best-kept secret. So often holiday-makers simply drive through to the coast or to Snowdonia without ever stopping to see the variety of wonderful scenery it has to offer. This means that it's very uncrowded and unspoilt, even with the windfarms....
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely beautiful! Stunning. We visit some very close friends in Longtown on the Welsh border and next to the Brecon Beacons National Park -- another beautiful part of the country. Next time we go I hope we can manage to explore a little further afield. Wales is so tiny and yet there is always more to explore!
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful and peaceful! Your words and pictures gave me a lovely mini-vacation! Thank you so much for sharing your breathtaking environs! I can hardly wait to read about your adventures in Assisi.
ReplyDeleteI suspect Wales should be on my list of places to visit!
ReplyDeleteLovely photos Perpetua. I often think we take the beauty around us for granted. It's nice to stop and look at it once in a while and appreciate what we have xx
ReplyDeletelovely river, my favourite sort, and lovely photos.
ReplyDeleteHello Perpetua:
ReplyDeleteWe find it so often the case that it takes visitors to encourage one to explore the immediate environment and, of course, to appreciate the beauty that is under one's nose.
The river walk looks absolutely enchanting and how perfect to enjoy it all without any crowds or traffic jams. We too love taking picnics since it gives such freedom to 'stop and stare' whenever and wherever one wishes.
How lovely to take time with family to make the most of such an idyllic part of the world in which you live.
The photographs are stunning, and make up my most favourite scenario for walking: trees, sunshine, and flowing water, and a walkway helps too!! Glad you enjoyed Assisi and I await further photos and tales of your stay there.
ReplyDeleteLovely pics, I thought for a minute it was Cenarth and was going to dissolve into a puddle of tears as that was where had first date with beloved husband. K xxxx
ReplyDeleteThanks, Broad. Your friends are south-east of us, as we live in north Powys (the old county of Montgomeryshire) and I reckon we have a remarkable range of scenery here. No coast, but otherwise we have lakes, hills, forest and of course the beautiful Severn and Wye valleys. Well worth exploring, I can promise you.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kathy, I'm glad you enjoyed them. As I've already said in another reply, this is an under-rated area compared to the well-known tourist destinations of Wales, so I love giving people a glimpse of it.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry, there's definitely more to come on Assisi if you can be patient :-)
Hello Linda and thanks for visiting. I've seen your name on Kathy's blog and it's lovely to see you here.
ReplyDeleteIndeed Wales should be on your list of places to visit. I think it has everything any visitor could wish for, other than unbroken sunshine and constant warnmth :-) We have wonderful coasts, mountains, hills, lovely river valleys and masses of ancient and beautiful buildings. Gosh, I sound like an advert for the Wales Tourist Board!
You're so right, Ayak, hence the title for this post. Like you, we have the great privilege of a wonderful view from our house and I hope we don't take it too much for granted. When the children were young we never went away on holiday, as there was so much to explore close at hand.
ReplyDeleteRosie, lovely to see you! Glad you like the infant Sabrina (the Roman name for the Severn)
ReplyDeleteBoth the Wye and the Severn rise in the same small area of mountain in the centre of Wales, but run in different directions (south and east) I think the forest enhances the upper reaches of the Severn to give the magical combination of water, trees and hills.
Lance and Jane, you are absolutely right. We always try to get out to one of our favourite spots when the family come to visit and the weather was perfect for this kind of day. No traffic jams, as the Cascades are about 5 miles from the edge of the forest, and there must have been, oh, a whole dozen cars in the car-park when we arrived :-) The grandsons had a wonderful time exploring and scrambling on the rocks in the river...
ReplyDeleteHello, fellow pilgrim, glad you like the photos. It was a perfect day for taking them with such lovely sunshine.
ReplyDeleteThe walkway certainly does help. I can remember us taking our two for a walk there when they were small, long before the Forestry Commission installed it, and we could hardly manage to make our way along the river to the cascades because the banks were so boggy.
For Assisi, watch this space.....
Oh Karen, so many things bring back memories, don't they? - often with no warning at all.
ReplyDeleteCenarth is a fair way south-west of us, but having googled some images I can see the similarity, though Cenarth seems to have fewer trees.
Being a Welsh girl, you would love the Hafren Forest and the Severn. XXXX
Hi Perpetua,
ReplyDeleteAlthough I have climbed Pumlumon Fawr, I've never visited the Hafren Forest so thank you for the beautiful photos. It is very easy to see why it is one of your favourite places.
As well as travelling further afield as we will be doing when we go to Romania in September/October & you come to Prague again for locum duty, we have also enjoyed discovering the beauty of the countryside immediately around this city such as Slapy Lake that I recently featured in my blog. For us too, there is much beauty quite close to our adopted home.
Glad you enjoyed them, Ricky. You must come and visit the forest when you eventually return to the UK. You're much more energetic than I am and I have to confess I've never even thought of climbing Pumlumon, though we've often walked in the area.
ReplyDeleteRomanis should be very interesting for you both and I'm looking forward very much to returning to Prague.