Lake District - a new favourite place: Part 1

Tarn Hows with the
Old Man of Coniston (l) and Wetherlam (r) behind

GETTING THERE - FRIDAY

I'm not yet sure how many parts this blog post will run to, but it's likely to be more than 1! There's a lot to catch up on from our week away in Grasmere in mid June, so without further ado...

I've never been to the Lake District. Well, strictly speaking that's not true. We passed through with an overnight stop at Penruddock near Ullswater in about 1971 on our way to Scotland on a touring holiday the first year my parents bought a small caravan. Them, three kids and and two dogs in a small tin can. Anyway, all I saw of the Lakes was a dusky Ullswater for an hour or two before we set off for Scotland the following day. 

Anne has been, but it was a long time ago.

We've talked about going for a few years, but one thing and another - oh, and Covid. Anyway, I overcame my procrastination earlier this year, bugging my younger (but still old) brother about the best places as he's been a regular visitor over the years. He recommended his favourite place, Grasmere. After searching his recommended holiday cottage links we duly found a small cottage, for a reasonable price, slap bang in the middle of the village for a week in the middle of June, hoping for decent weather, although being the lakes, that could still mean snow, rain, gales and flash flooding at any time!

Suitably packed for all eventualities we set off, but as it's a long way, made a slight detour to break the journey overnight at my sister in-law's in Solihull. We met them on the Friday afternoon at Coughton Court National Trust and spent a pleasant afternoon wandering the grounds, and walking along the river. 

Coughton Court, near Redditch

STILL GETTING THERE - SATURDAY

After an early(ish) breakfast we pointed the car north (or rather east) before heading north up the M6 toll and thence to the M6. It was pretty much M6 all the way then until the final 30 mins or so. Again we broke our trip up just after turning off the M6 to visit Sizurgh Castle, another National Trust place. More gentle wanderings, and wa walk up a smallish hill to see a vista of the distant Cumbrian hills that were our eventual destination. 

Sizurgh Castle, near Kendal

Driving up past Windermere and through Ambleside, the traffic was heavy - turns out there was a Lak District Ultra Event going on the Saturday for fitness lunatics - 114km run anyone? Those of a less inclined nature could stick to any one of 14km, 25km or 50km events or some vast open water swimming and cycling craziness. 

Arriving about 30 minutes before our allotted check in time, we found the place ready and waiting. It was lovely. Comfortable, well furnished.....but sadly lacking any outside space to sit. Partly I guess we were to blame for not reading the online info correctly (although it does mention an "outside courtyard" (ie parking area), and it was a shame given the continued outrageously hot forecast. Still the village green was about 20 seconds stroll away.

A view from near the centre of Grasmere

Dumped the bags, had a quick wander around the small (but busy) village - it seems everywhere is busy in the Lakes, and pooped into the nearest hostelry for a thirst quencher (or two).

SUNDAY

We had a sort of plan of the places we wanted to go during our week, but it wasn't fixed in stone. I was recovering from some sort of injury to me knee the week before when it had swollen to almost twice it's normal size after a round of golf to climbing Helvellyn and Scafell wasn't going to happen, although stronger than usual anti-inflammatories had worked their magic.

Anne's not one for steep hills (or any hills for that matter), so gentler ambles were more on our radar. You'll see how that went out of the window in a later post....

With another glorious day in the making, we set off for Easdale Tarn, a relatively short walk on paper, and described in some guides as an easy walk, and in others "not pushchair friendly with some steeper sections). It's basically a follow the path route. Soon out of Grasmere we found the path and followed it for a while before it started ascending. As we rose the views impressed but in the heat the steeper sections meant several stops, and for those used to fairly flat walks, it was a bit of slog (Anne might want to call it something else!). Anyway, we made it. It's clearly a popular place as there were lots of people around. Some swimming, some picnicing , some walking through. We found a quiet spot, had our picnic and took our shoes off and dangles our feet in the wonderfully cool water, whereupon our feet were instantly set upon by myriads of small fish giving us an instant, and free pedicure.. The view up there were spectacular, even though we weren't that high at around 300m. 

Easdale Tarn Panorama

View from Easdale Tarn

Easdale Tarn Fish Pedicure

Luckily the walk back down was MUCH easier than the walk up, although by mid afternoon, very hot indeed and we were glad to get back to the cottage to get refreshed and find some shade. It was a pretty impressive start to our week, and although a good work out, very much worth the effort.

I think that'll do for this first post. Part 2 takes in Windermere, Tarn Hows, Coniston  and some eat and drink recommendations.

The best of our Lakes Photo Album (Flickr)

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Sun, Snow and Stunning Scenery - a Mid Wales Holiday

Our lodge - Vista

We're just back from a week's holiday with some of the wider family - 11 of us initially, 12 by the end of the week at Luxury Lodges Wales near Llanidloes in Powys, mid-Wales. This was a trip initially booked for late autumn 2020, pushed back to March 2021 due to Covid and then pushed back a year until March 2022 as Covid and its associated restrictions went on far longer than any of us would have liked. But we got there in the end. Going away with this group of the family is at least an annual occurrence - regular readers will have seen previous posts of our trips to North Devon and we've been to the Peak District a few times too. We normally get accommodation that fits the group size which can be as big as 16 or so, but these lodges were booked when Covid restrictions meant no more than 6 could be in the same place at a time - so we booked two lodges.

Although booked for the end of March, the weather forecast promised a sunny and warm start to the week, although getting colder later, but crucially rain free! Indeed I managed just shorts and a T shirt in the first couple of days.

The drive up north, once free of the wastelands of Cardiff, and the industrial A470 through Pontypridd and past Merthyr, was beautiful and spectacular as we first dissected the Brecon Beacons passing Pen y Fan, then from Brecon to Builth Wells following the river Wye upstream, passing Rhayader before a lunch stop and meeting up with some of the party at the Elan Valley Visitor Centre. The red kites were out in abundance, as were daffodils and sheep with their lambs on a sunny and warm day. The scenery in the Elan valley is spectacular, as the photos below show.

Garreg Ddu reservoir, Elan Valley

Garreg Ddu dam (underwater), Elan Valley

After a picnic lunch we drove on to Llanidloes, where we supped a pint at the Whistling Badger until we got the call that our lodges were ready.

The "interesting" roundabout in the middle of Llanidloes

Luxury Lodges Wales lies about three miles north of Llanidloes near the small village of Trefeglwys. It's off the beaten track (unless you're going to Caersws) deep in rural Powys. There are seven lodges currently, although they're clearly working and clearing the site to add more. The lodges sleep 6 with one sleeping 4 and are set a small distance apart. They're well furnished and equipped, each with a hot tub and all but one with an upstairs balcony room. Also on site is a small pond with free fishing, and a hen house with free eggs (if you collect them yourself)! It would have been great to be altogether, but we managed admirably shuttling to and fro for meals and drinks.

It's possible to do some local walks, and the village (about 15 minutes walk) has a pub, the Red Lion, although we bought enough alcohol that we didn't need to visit the pub! Primarily though we used the lodges as a base for heading out and about.

On Saturday in warm sun with blue skies we travelled the short distance to the Hafren Forest, with walks suitable for all abilities including a boardwalk suitable for wheelchairs alongside the fledgling river Severn. There is a walk from here to the source of the river, and not far away, another walk to the source of the river Wye, both rising within a remarkable short distance of each other.

Hafren Forest 1

Hafren Forest 2

The following day we went about three miles to the stunning Llyn Clywedog, a reservoir built to help control the surges further down the river Severn. A more strenuous, but not hard (although the last bit was steep) circular walk of about 2.5 miles circumnavigated the peninsula in the middle of this reservoir. The early mist lifted and gave us some cracking views.

Lyn Clywedog - from the viewpoint on the B4518. We walked the peninsula in the middle one day

On Monday with the sun still shining we drove further north about 25 miles to Powis Castle near Welshpool which is a National Trust site. Again it was misty (foggy) at the lodges, but by the time we arrived the sun was out and it was bordering on quite warm! There are deer roaming about and the castle is imposing and the grounds fabulous, even at this early stage of the year. 

A local resident near Powis Castle

Powis Castle

With clear skies, and little light pollution, the opportunity for stargazing was taken and we saw the International Space Station pass over on a couple of nights, plus many satellites. I even managed to take a longer exposure shot that illustrated that there are far more stars than are even visible to the naked eye - tap the photo to open full view for the best effect.

Our lodge and stars  - Orion (centre) and the Pleides (right)  amongst them

At night, bats and owls were in evidence, whilst every morning we awoke to the sound of a woodpecker doing his thing in a tree next to the lodge. There was also a resident male pheasant, resplendent in his spring plumage, and once, whilst fishing I saw a hare run down the hill and disappear behind one of the lodges.

The next day we decided to drive to Aberystwyth, around an hour away. Leaving the foggy locale, we drove up though the imposing Plynlimon range en route to Aber in glorious sunshine. However, as we arrived at the seaside town, it was evident that a sea mist had descended and the place was cool and very misty. A short walk up and down the prom, and a cup of coffee later, we called it a day and headed home. Two minutes out of town, the mist was gone and we were back in glorious sunshine! Oh well.....

A foggy Aberystwyth marina

The next day started much cooler, and still quite misty, and with rain forecast later in the day we set off for the quaint border town of Montgomery. Lying just on the Welsh side of Offa's Dyke, it's very much an anglicised town by all accounts. It's got some lovely old buildings, an imposing town hall, and a castle perched on the hill above the town dating from the early 1200's to ward off Welsh princes. after the steep climb to the castle, and a coffee and scone stop in the community owned Dragon Hotel, we set off for a couple of miles circular walk taking in a bit of Offa's Dyke (although if I hadn't seen the signs, I wouldn't have known it was there). Initially this proved a challenge, as although our maps clearly indicated the footpaths, we found gates roped shut, some with padlocks, and stiles left overgrown so that we were unable to access them. Locals clearly didn't want you walking over the land! However, we found a way around which included taking in the picturesque Montgomery Cricket Club ground.

The Dragon Hotel, Montgomery

Montgomery Castle

Offa's Dyke footpath

For our final day we drove a dozen miles or so back towards Rhayader to the Gilfach Nature Reserve, nestled amongst the rolling hills outside the mid Wales town. A selection of well marked walks are on offer from the very gentle few hundred yards level, to a strenuous climb up (and down) one of the adjacent hills. we opted for a (mostly) level circular walk to start with, and after grabbing a coffee at the halfway mark courtesy of a handy burger van on the A470, some of the part opted to continue their gentle stroll back along the river, whilst a few of us hardier souls decided to go with the strenuous climb over the top. Strenuous it was too, climbing to just under 500m in a very short distance. The views at the top were worth it as well, although soon to be lost as heavy flurries of snow came down as we descended. Despite being a nature reserve, there was a disappointing lack of wildlife in evidence, although I'm sure on another day it might have been different. The walk and views made it all worthwhile though (at least once I'd recovered!)

Gilfach Nature Reserve

Coming down in the snow

Views from the top

Cold and snowy

Waterfall on the river Marteg

Back at the lodges, I managed to get some fishing in too. I used to fish avidly as a youngster spending much of my school holidays and any other spare time on the bank, but sadly other priorities over the last 30 years or so have limited the times I've been able to fish. Nonetheless, time spend sitting on a review or pond bank is peaceful, and I love it. As a bonus I even caught a few. A couple of (very small) golden tench and a couple of bigger common carp probably in the 5-6lb mark. The initial warm weather had cooled off significantly making fishing for these hard, but I enjoyed the opportunity, and my old gear held up well 

too.

Gotcha!

Safely landed

Small (fish) carp

Others found a more relaxing time on the hot tubs, doing jig-saws or playing games, but whatever we did we all had fun.

All in all, we had a fabulous week. The early sunny and warm weather undoubtedly helped, and the snow made things pretty without being a hindrance. I'd certainly recommend these lodges, and would certainly recommend a visit to this beautiful part of Wales.

Handy Tips

• Evans Fish Bar in Llanidloes is great and very friendly
• The Whistling Badger in Llanidloes was relatively quiet, served decent beer - other pubs are available.
• Take a torch

Twitter: @Statto1927 

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