Llanerchaeron

Llanerchaeron is a country estate, now owned by the National Trust, lying just a few miles inland from the seaside town of Aberaeron. The house itself isn't a huge stately home but a place you could almost imagine living in. Once the estate was safe sufficient, with vegetables from the walled garden, and crops and livestock produced by the farm. 

You can visit the old farm buildings and discover what life used to be like here but what brings me back time and again is the old walled garden. Its greenhouses may now be crumbling and definitely unsafe, but the ancient apple trees still survive, central beds are filed with vegetables, and the borders with flowers.

On a sunny day it's a wonderful place to just sit for a while.

If you feel like a short walk, there's a path around the lake next to the garden, and for a longer one, explore the woodland beyond the car park - you can follow a series of paths close by or join the cycle path which links Aberaeron and Lampeter.

 

A Long Weekend by the Sea

Aberystwyth

With all the glorious weather around at the moment we couldn't resist running away to the seaside for a long weekend. So we headed for the Mid-Wales coast, an area we normally whiz past on our way to Pembrokeshire.
Starting in Aberystwyth we pottered around the area discovering more than enough beaches for a long weekend.

                       Newquay/Cei Newydd with quaint "fishing village" streets and two beaches

Further south to Llangranog - seen here from high above on the coastal path

A brief respite from the sea in the old walled garden at Llanerchaeron. This is being restored by National Trust volunteers and is full of flowers, vegetables and fruit trees - a place I could happily spend hours.

Back to the coast at Aberporth. Dolphins can be seen all along this coast but this was the only one we spotted this weekend.

Late afternoon at Aberporth

and to the small village of Tresaith to catch the sunset

...and for our last morning, a visit to Aberaeron with its pretty pastel painted houses and still harbour.