Welsh Marches Cottages at Upper Glyn Farm was closed for almost 4 months due to the COVID 19 lockdown in Wales but this week (11/7/2020) we welcomed back our first guests – Emma and James Walker with baby Carys, and Raposa their dog.
The couple stayed with us back in August last year and since then their new baby has arrived, but she has spent almost all of her young life in lockdown in Bethnal Green in London.
Both Emma and James have family roots in Wales so the chance to get away for some fresh air and space was a perfect break and even before they arrived the four of them had climbed to the top of the Skirrid mountain which the cottage they stayed in is called after.
On their last visit they climbed the Sugar Loaf, the name of our three-bed cottage, and on their first full day here they conquered the Blorenge, the name of the first cottage they stayed in.
Congratulations on completing their hat trick.
You can see all three mountains from the top of the ridge above us at the farm. It is one of our favourite walks directly from here. We completed this latest hike with our son James, partner Lizzie and their son, our grandson, Toren, on their first visit to see us since the restrictions.
On the climb up we introduced Toren to our new calf who was born in June. His pure white face is a testimony to the Hereford bull that is his father. The rest of him, apart from a white tail, is brown like his mum, a South Devon we call “Cream”. We have another South Devon called “Peaches.”
Walking with a young child obviously slows the pace a fair bit but it does have its advantages. From the top of the ridge we descended into the valley below to meet the small lane running up from Kilgwrrwg church. There, on the bank, were loads of wild strawberries all ripe and ready for eager young hands. They may be small, but the flavour is incredibly intense compared to the larger varieties you buy in shops. A yummy treat for all of us.
It hasn’t been the only harvest of the week. An evening stroll in one of our meadows yielded a basket of field mushrooms which provided a very tasty topping for some homemade pizzas and a dark black but flavoursome mushroom soup. It’s a good time to be foraging.
Later it looks like we’ll have a bumper crop of blackberries.
The cottages are now fully open and are ideally suited for anyone looking to get away in the UK but is still cautious of socialising. Each cottage sits in its own space. There are walks directly from the farm or you can travel short distances to beautiful landscapes which are not overcrowded.
We have complied with all the extra recommendations for hygiene and cleanliness so when guests arrive, they can be assured that their cottage is safe with fresh linen and towels.
You can see the Blorenge, Sugar Loaf and Skirrid from the top of Kilgwrrwg ridge above us.
Our new calf. His white face is from the Hereford bull that is his dad. Mum is a South Devon which is where the light brown comes from.
A bank of wild strawberries. Small but the taste was intense. The children loved them.
The cottages are open again and each stands in its own space which is ideal for social distancing.