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 our 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.