A week in Wales

Our main summer holiday this year was a trip to Carmarthenshire in South Wales. The county is mainly agricultural although the southern tip was once dominated by heavy industry. We booked a farm stay, just outside the former coal-mining town of Ammanford, on the fringes of Brecon Beacons National Park. We opted to drive right down the middle of Wales to our destination. We set out early from Scotland and cruised through Cumbria on the M6, which offered the tempting possibility of breakfast at Tebay Services.

Push all preconceptions aside. Tebay is an independent business that supports local suppliers. Rather than fast-food chains, you'll find an excellent farm shop at both the northbound and southbound facility. The café serves wholesome food and I tucked into a Full English, complete with Cumberland sausage. I picked up a couple of ales for later consumption and we were soon on our way again. By now I was driving and we switched to the M56 and M53 before picking up the A483, which snakes down the centre of the Principality. After skirting Wrexham, there was a brief foray into England and we pulled into Oswestry for a lunch stop. Not knowing the town, I looked for somewhere to park up and consume the pies we had purchased at Tebay. We passed right by a heritage railway operation and I stopped to have a look at the old station and rolling stock. There was also a museum on site but unfortunately everything was closed today. The society runs steam and diesel services over 1.7 miles of track to Weston Wharf. Oswestry developed as a major railway town in the 19th century, serving as the headquarters of the Cambrian network, with a locomotive works situated next to the station. The axe fell in 1966 as national rail coverage was rationalised. The impressive station building is Grade-2 listed and now owned by Shropshire Council. Meanwhile the heritage organisation has long-term plans to extend their services in both north and south directions. Following this unexpected brush with transport history, we had lunch in the car before continuing down the A483, skirting Welshpool, Newtown and Llandridnod. Wales was in the middle of a drought and the roadside vegetation had turned from green to yellow and brown. Eventually, we passed through Llandovery and Llandeilo, close to the final destination of Ammanford. Our accommodation was located at the very top of the latter town, down a single-track road. Driving through the farmyard and parking by our shepherd's hut, we were immediately captivated by the view across the valley. The picnic table (with parasol) would be my favourite place to sit over the next week with a coffee or beer. The hut was fully plumbed with a toilet and shower. A double bed pulled down from the end wall to rest upon the table. Cooking facilities were provided in the centre. A cosy little place for two people. Hosts Andrew and Cheri made us very welcome and said we also had use of the communal barn, which had TV and wi-fi facilities. Two dogs - Annie and Poppy - came to meet us, while Louis the cat was a more distant character.

Ammanford has two supermarkets and we headed down to pick up supplies before turning in for the night. I found the bed very comfortable and slept well. Our first mission was a trip to a National Trust property just outside Llandeilo, approximately 10 miles away. We were in no immediate rush and started the day with a leisurely breakfast while listening to Nation Radio Wales, which offered a good mix of contemporary pop music and local news. Newton House sits at the centre of Dinefwr Park National Nature Reserve - an 800 acre estate that also contains the ruined Dinefwr Castle. We parked up and had lunch at a picnic table by an ancient beech tree. The parkland contains 300 arboreal specimens that have reached the age of 400 years, plus swathes of historic pastureland. The mansion dates back to 1660 but was substantially remodelled in mid-Victorian times as a three-storey castellated structure in the Gothic style. We gained free entry on account of our Scottish National Trust memberships. A tour of the ground and upper floors was due to commence in half an hour and we explored the basement level beforehand. We examined the wine cellar, strong room and a collection of traditional tennis rackets. A large wooden table was original to the post-renovation house and an early candlestick telephone was on display, as well as a handcart that was used for fire-fighting purposes. Back upstairs, the tour guide regaled the group with tales of double dealing and subterfuge from the generations of aristocracy that inhabited the grand residence. The usual array of oil paintings hung in the various grand rooms and an unusual touch was a collection of dried mushrooms, including, naturally enough, the infamous death cap. In 1962, the 9th Baron Dynevor inherited an estate labouring under two substantial inheritance tax bills. The two previous title holders had died within six years of each other. To try and raise funds to maintain the house, the new owner established a creative programme supported by the Arts Council of Wales. For a few years, Newton hosted prestigious exhibitions and performances, including the jazz legend Cleo Laine. Unfortunately, the project ran out of steam and by the mid-1970s Dinefwr fell into disrepair, eventually being invaded by squatters, while thieves stripped out valuable materials. The Trust stepped in and took over the estate in 1987, followed by the legal acquisition of Newton House three years later. I have previously remarked that stately homes tend to feature dog paintings, while our feline cousins are scarcely represented. Well, Newton offers something special in this regard - a bona fide cat skeleton!

During restoration work at the turn of the 21st century, workers lifted floorboards on the first floor and uncovered the dried remains of a cat, wrapped in the remnants of a woven reed mat. It is thought the animal was deliberately placed here in the 17th century to help ward off evil spirits and safeguard the occupants from supernatural forces. The bones can be viewed though a glass panel and we named our new-found friend Rosy. A touching end to the tour. We rounded off our visit by calling into the ice-cream parlour, followed by a return to the picnic bench, where we had earlier caught a brief glimpse of a green woodpecker. It remains something of a bogey bird for Nicole and she hoped to finally see one out in the open. Alas, Mother Nature kept schtum. There was some consolation back at the shepherd's hut, where a great spotted woodpecker appeared on the feeder, while a buzzard sat in the adjacent field devouring small prey. The next day required an early rise. We had arranged to meet an old friend out on the west coast for a boat trip to Ramsey Island - a nature paradise owned and managed by the RSPB. Regular readers of the blog will have met Hannah before. She lives in Somerset and was up in Wales for a family holiday. The drive to St Davids took around an hour and a half and we were at one point tailed by a vintage pink Cadillac. The compact St Davids (population 1750) holds the distinction of being Britain's smallest city, due to the presence of a cathedral. We passed straight through as the ferry slip was a couple of miles further on. Hooking up with Hannah, we waited in line for our transport. Being RSPB members enabled us to avoid the £10 landing fee, although we still had to fork out £22 each for the crossing. It's worth every penny as the island has an abundance of species and two intersecting circular walking trails to explore. Two wardens are resident and we received a welcome talk. Visitors are strongly advised to make use of the toilet facilities before hitting the footpaths as the island has little tree cover and you are in an environment where everyone is carrying powerful binoculars. Ramsey is a special protection area for choughs, an agile corvid found only in western coastal areas of the British Isles. Despite the small localised populations, the bird has a stable green conservation status. Superb flyers, they emit a call that sounds like a bullet being fired. We saw two of them not long after arrival, as we were looking for a place to eat our packed lunch and enjoy the spectacular sea views.

I opted to tackle the longer circuit, which has two hilltop spurs (I would omit these). Nicole and Hannah set out on the shorter loop and we agreed to meet at the little RSPB shop afterwards. The way was clearly marked and I headed into open grassland where I saw a linnet perched on a jagged bush. The trail swung round to the cliff edge and I was treated to panoramic views of the beaches below. Seals arrive in late summer and early autumn to bear pups. I gained height as I proceeded inwards, allowing me to look right across to the Welsh mainland, before descending to make my way back towards the visitor centre, converging with the other walking route for the final stretch. Two choughs stood right in front of me as I rounded a bend. It was a very warm day and I enjoyed a cold drink and a coffee as I waited for the ladies to return. We had ample time to relax in the sunshine before the boat whisked us back across the sea channel. A wheatear flew by. Ramsey Island is a fascinating destination for anyone interested in birding, nature or walking. It was now teatime and we drove along to Porthgain - a small settlement in Pembrokeshire, clustered around a historic harbour. Once a hive of industrial activity, the area retains a small fishing fleet but is largely dominated by leisure boats and tourists. The Wales Coast Path runs right by and a bistro called The Shed is a popular spot, specialising in local seafood. We ordered takeaway fish & chips with sides of coleslaw and mushy peas. Across the harbour inlet stood an old brickworks which used waste material from nearby slate quarries. Road stone was also extracted here and ships called regularly to export the material. Industrial operations ceased in 1931 and the ruins are now classed as a scheduled monument. Entirely fitting, since industrial history is as valid as any other form of heritage. We said goodbye to Hannah and drove back to the farm. The train would be our mode of transport the following day. Ammanford has a station on the Heart of Wales Line - a rural route that winds for 120 miles between the cities of Swansea and Shrewsbury (which lies in Shropshire, England). Five services per day chug through the countryside in each direction. Many stops are encountered along the way, from bustling market and spa towns to tiny little halts in the hills. I did the whole stretch many years ago and the journey took around four hours. Today's trip was a 40-minute ride up to Llandovery - a market town with a good selections of independent shops and places to eat.

There was no ticket machine at Ammanford Station, but an information screen told us the train was running 20 minutes behind schedule. I suspect that's normal in these parts. We were under no time pressure. An ageing diesel rocked up but it was comfortable and plenty seats were available. The guard sold us our tickets and we enjoyed nice views of the passing green landscape. In Llandovery, we walked a few hundred yards into the town centre and had a look around. Top of the list was a visit to the independent bookshop and this turned out to be a real highlight. The Dragon's Garden has been trading in its present location since 2023 and was previously based in nearby Llandeilo. The shop has a varied stock but specialist themes include nature writing, gardening, food and travel. A good selection of Welsh language publications are available. Owner Mandy Thomas is also passionate about Fair Trade goods and a wide range of these ethical products can be found on the shelves. We spent a while chatting with her. The shop organises the annual Reading the Wild festival - a May weekend of nature writing, storytelling and creative thinking. The event has grown from a small local gathering into a full programme celebrating literature, folklore, conservation, creativity and rural life. We spent a while browsing the books and I purchased the new Irvine Welsh novel, along with an account of why Glasgow continues to have a significantly lower life expectancy than the rest of Scotland, despite strenuous efforts over the decades to alleviate poverty. There must be a mindset at play here. Lunchtime was nearing and we found a no-frills café within a craft shot. I ordered a ploughman's while Nicole tried Welsh rarebit - a rich cheese sauce heaped on toast. Suitably fortified, we continued to explore the town. Llandovery Castle is a ruined Norman defence post with fragments of wall remaining. Built around 1115, control of the site changed hands several times during the 12th and 13th centuries due to frequent Welsh uprisings and English military campaigns. Edward I reinforced the castle after his conquest of Wales. Over time, further improvements were made, including a stone gatehouse and curtain walls. During the Owain Glyndwr rebellion, the building was severely damaged. Eventually it declined in military importance and by the 16th century had fallen into disrepair. We still had a couple of hours to kill before catching a train back to Ammanford and we found shaded seating outside the Bear Inn - a traditional pub with a selection of ales from Brains, a regional brewery based in Cardiff.

While pleasantly sipping our drinks, Nicole spotted a colourful flying insect buzzing around the flower planters adjacent to our table. She identified it as a hummingbird hawk moth, a specimen that has been causing a stir among nature enthusiasts. Annual UK sightings are normally in the single digits but there has been a whopping increase this year, leading to the moth becoming a regular feature on social media. With their plump furry bodies and bright orange wings, the moths have aroused public interest and the rapid wingbeats produce an audible hum. Often mistaken for a tiny bird, they are drawn to flowering plants such as buddleia. Experts have attributed the swell in numbers to the long hot summer and strong wind patterns across Europe. While filming and photographing the spectacle, we were joined by a young member of staff who found the nature scene fascinating. Back at Llandovery Station (opened 1858), we sat in a small shelter to escape the potent sun. The platform buildings have been restored and a Victorian post-box added to the retro feel. The actual train ride also evoked memories of the past, with the hypnotic clickety-clack sound ringing out as the carriages travelled over the expansion gaps in the traditional jointed track. Many modern railways are constructed of continuously welded rail, which offers a smoother passage. The week had passed quickly and it was now Friday. Our next mission was a visit to a large nature reserve on the outskirts of Llanelli - the largest town in Carmarthenshire. The Wetlands Centre is situated on former agricultural industrial land by the Burry Inlet - the most important wholly Welsh estuary for waterbirds. The reserve's territory contains a mix of freshwater and saline habitats across a mosaic of lakes, pools, streams, scrapes, and lagoons. The family-friendly visitor centre has hands-on activities for the kids, while serious birders can hit the trails. Sir David Attenborough opened the reserve in 1991 as the local council looked to increase tourism, following the demise of coal, steel and tin production. A major extension was created at the turn of the millennium and all the target species have been attracted. Meanwhile, Sir David continues to make wildlife programmes at the grand old age of 100! The height of summer isn't the optimum time of year to observe birdlife, but we were keen to have a look around and had timed our arrival to coincide with an outdoor concert taking place by one of the wetland pools. If nothing else, we could sit and enjoy the music. Local lass Carley Knight played an enjoyable set of popular songs, accompanied by her acoustic guitar. According to her website, she performs mainly at weddings and other social functions.

At one point, Carley asked for requests and I suggested something by Paolo Nutini, which was duly delivered. Other artists covered were Taylor Swift, The Beatles and Radiohead. Afterwards, e checked out a couple of hides but there wasn't much happening. It was another baking hot afternoon and we opted to head back for an ice cream at the visitor centre, rather than pound the walking trails. The reserve is notable for being a water vole haven. This tiny mammal is rapidly becoming rare, having vanished from 94% of its known strongholds across the country. Thankfully the numbers at Llanelli have gone up but the overall national picture is grim. Wild otters also frequent the reserve, although spotting them relies more on luck than design. I decided to go for a look at the captive collection of wildfowl from around the world. It was rather depressing to see a tall Japanese crane standing inside a small cage. To be fair, there is a valid conservation angle here, as the species is highly endangered. The Caribbean flamingos were all outside in their enclosure, soaking up the sunshine. Certainly a colourful display but it raises the question of whether these highly sociable birds with their complex hierarchies should be confined to a holding pen. No doubt they pull in the paying customers but it left me with mixed feelings. On the way back to Ammanford, we kept going and continued to Llandeilo for a little reward at The Heavenly Chocolate Emporium. The High Street business has been trading for over 20 years and offers a smorgasbord of sweet treats. Their artisan ice cream is made in-house and uses local Welsh milk. We ordered a few scoops and sat down at a table indoors. We also bought a wren painting from an art cooperative that had well-stocked premises in the town centre. Saturday was a quiet day and we had no plans other than relaxing on the farm. Annie the elderly sheepdog often hung out with us, while Poppy the greyhound wasn't quite so forthcoming, but friendly enough. Louis was a rather aloof feline and I often encountered him in the communal barn, where he had a few favourite spots to snuggle up. He seemed content enough to share his living space but kept very much to himself. No problem, his gaff! I wandered into Ammanford late afternoon via a rough track and picked up a couple of things from a convenience store. The town began to grow in the 1850s with the discovery of anthracite coal deposits. The last local mine closed as late as 2003 and and heavy industry was confined to the past. A disused freight railway line still runs alongside the River Amman towards an old colliery and wash plant. A seven-mile cycleway tracks the watercourse on the opposite bank. We had a barbecue in the evening with the disposable kit we had brought with us. They function perfectly well when cooking for a couple of people. Our final full day in Wales was a fairly leisurely one, although we did head out to Cwm Clydach RSPB Reserve and walked a couple of miles up and down the wooded river valley. A red kite flew overhead. A great success story, they have gone from the brink of extinction to becoming a regular sight in the skies above South Wales. We took a scenic route back to our accommodation, driving over Betws Mountain, an area of upland with large stretches of rough grassland. We pulled into the car park near the 1006-foot summit and enjoyed the sweeping views across the valley, with Ammanford nestled in the middle distance.

We rounded off the day with another drive up to the Dinefwr Park Estate, hoping to catch a glimpse of the elusive green woodpecker. Alas it was a no-show. But that's nature for you. One part of life that's not controlled by AI, thankfully. It had been a marvellous week and we had visited a variety of places. The road-trip wasn't quite finished though. We had booked a couple of nights in Yorkshire for the homeward leg. Details will appear in a separate post. We decided to take the A483 north, which took us back to Llandeilo. We stopped for another ice cream and while walking back towards the car-park, what did we see in the flower beds? Yes, our old friend the hummingbird hawk moth. Several of them, in fact. Following the red kite's example and colonising Wales.