We left Hope Cove House (very nice food, great spot with views, friendly, smart and relaxed place, bed a bit uncomfortable, no tea and coffee in the room so had to make an expedition downstairs to get it in the morning, 7/10) and went to the New Bridge (16th Century). We parked at the side … Read more “Friday: on Dartmoor”
We set off for Prawle Point to look for Cirl Buntings. There was a sign saying the Prawle Point car park was closed for maintenance so we parked in the village of East Prawle, next to the green. We walked down the lane a bit and saw our first Cirl Bunting sat high up on … Read more “Thursday: Buntings”
Yesterday we arrived at Hope Cove House hotel at Inner Hope around 7pm. Dinner was oysters, scallops, soup and a large brill to share. Today we walked along the coast path a bit. We watched two seals bobbing in the bay and saw ravens mobbed by lesser corvids off the cliffs above us. We turned … Read more “Wednesday: walk”
We took a scenic route along meandering B-roads out of Snowdonia and stopped at the Elan Valley visitor centre. We walked along the road through the village and crossed a cattle grid up into the Carn Gafallt woods, an area of ancient Oak woods managed by the RSPB. We saw lots of Pied Flycatchers, Spotted … Read more “Friday: coming home”
The cooker was broken, so we couldn’t have a fry-up, but they did manage an egg bap and scrambled eggs with cockles and laver bread (very nice). We drove down the road to a petrol station and filled the car up and bought some sandwiches and crisps for lunch, then on to the Dol Idris … Read more “Thursday: Cadair Idris”
We checked out of Lastra Farm hotel: very nice and friendly, decent food, very good breakfasts, good coffee, good location, 8/10. Scenic drive south through Snowdonia on a clear and sunny day. We stopped at Glaslyn where there are a couple of Osprey nests. One is 2km away and has webcams on it with a … Read more “Wednesday: birds and stuff”
On Sunday a local birdwatcher at Cemlyn Bay had recommended the Porth Wen brickworks for Choughs, so we headed there. We parked on a narrow lane between Bull Bay and Cemaes and walked down a footpath and track to Porth Llanlleiana where the were some reed beds with Sedge Warblers and some ruined buildings. We … Read more “Tuesday: brickworks and copper mine”
We stopped at Llyn Parc Mawr at the northern edge of Newborough Forest. Just next to the car park there were Red Squirrels around a feeder, and high up in the Corsican Pines. We walked round a trail through the woods for an hour or so. We sheltered in a hide during a heavy rain … Read more “Monday: Newborough”
We picked up a packed lunch from the hotel and went to the RSPB reserve at South Stack on Holy Island. There was a Chough on the roof of the visitor centre when we arrived. Lots of Guillemots and Razorbills on the cliffs. We walked along the cost and over the heather moorland to North … Read more “Sunday: Holy Island, Cemlyn Bay”
We left The Raven in Much Wenlock and drove for a couple of hours north to Conwy. On the quay there was The Smallest House in Great Britain! It was £1.50 to get in. That didn’t seem expensive, but not good value for money either, given that it’s The Smallest House in Great Britain. We … Read more “Saturday: to Anglesey”