Hi Everyone,

Well sorry it has been so long since I wrote a blog.  We have been so busy here at our self catering cottages and the summer seems to have come and gone.  The Autumn seems to have come upon us fast in Pembrokeshire and we have had so much wind and some rough seas, which is unusual for September when it is normally calm and the weather is warm. It has been disappointing weather for the guests in our self catering cottages here in Amroth, Pembrokeshire but it doesn’t seem to have stopped people getting out and enjoying the wonderful scenery and beaches.

Rough seas in Amroth, Pembrokeshire

I have been lucky enough to enjoy some great nature walks and wildlife events with the National Trust in Colby Gardens and the National Park this summer. The highlight was probably a Bat Walk  at Carew Castle with the National Park .  We were given a short talk about the type of Bats we might see and then a registered Bat handler, who was holidaying in the area, showed  us a bat she was caring for that had been injured, and because she was still hand feeding it, she had had to bring it on holiday with her!!!.  Although we obviously could not handle the creature, we were able to see it at close quarters.  It was a tiny Pipistrelle Bat.  After that we were all given Bat Detectors and told what sounds to listen for.  The Pipistrelle Bat sounds like the slap of a wet flannel (they really do), whereas the Daubenton’s Bat sounds like a machine gun.

We set off on our walk down to Carew Tidal Mill past the Castle and found numerous Pipistrelle Bats and then at the Mill the Daubenton’s Bats came out from under the walls, where they roost, and skimmed across the Mill pond. I was so excited when the machine gun sound ran through my detector.  We then walked back towards the Castle but it had now started to rain heavily and so the Greater Horsehoe Bats, that have a big roost in the Castle, refused to come out in the rain.  Can’t blame them as by now we were all soaking wet!!!  It was a great evening and well worth experiencing if there are any events of this type in your area or if you holiday in Pembrokeshire  next year.

Carew Castle and Tidal Mill Pond, Pembrokeshire

I also attended a “Walk with Hawks” at Colby Gardens and it was wonderful to see the Harris Hawks up close and have them land on your hand and then climb onto your head!!  We were given a lot of information about the hawks, and everyone enjoyed the event which was well supported.  There was also A “Twilight Walk” at Colby Gardens with the National Trust, where we saw a Buzzard’s nest high in the trees and heard the Buzzard and it’s young calling to each other. (This is a sound we frequently hear from Amroth Cottages, as we live above the Colby valley).  We also scattered a lot of peanuts for the Badgers, that have a huge set in the woods. The Trust feed them, so that they stay on their land and don’t stray far, as this keeps in check the spread of any disease.  It was such fun for the children hiding the nuts under stones for the badgers to sniff out.  We also passed the tree where a roost of Noctule Bats have raised their young this year.

Harris Hawk at "Walk with Hawks" Event Pembrokeshire

Harris Hawk at Colby Gardens "Walk with Hawks" Event Pembrokeshire

An Otter has been seen in the stream at Colby and although I have seen evidence of them on the rocks, I still am hoping I will see one when I walk every morning.

Sadly a huge flock of Manx Shearwaters were downed in the strong winds as they left Skomer Island for South America, but the majority were rescued off Newgale, Pembrokeshire and taken to West Hatch Rescue Centre in Somerset where they will be nursed until they are strong enough to be released.

There have been lots of seals born this year and because several were born early they should have had a good start before the bad weather but I know some of the more recent young have not survived, which is really sad.

News from the Farm

Our hedges are now full of Blackberries, Sloes, Hawthorn berries and so many Holly berries, I do hope this is not the sign of another hard winter!!  All the Damsons are now gone either having been picked by me for jam and chutney or eaten by the birds.  We had an enormous crop this year, most of which I’ve frozen to make produce later.

The veg. patch produced a huge crop of peas and broad beans but the runner beans suffered from the poor summer and high winds. However the carrots and beetroot have again been great and there is nothing like growing and picking your own.

Danny and Sam, our rescue dogs continue to keep me fit with our walks/runs in the woods each morning. The cats, Boots, Charlie and Hannah are all well and have enjoyed the attention from our guests this summer as has Jim, our old pony who has really loved the polos, carrots and apples and attention he has received.  Thank you to all the guests and children who have made him happy, he misses you and hopes to see you again next year.

Dick and Harry, the goats are fine and the sheep are well. I’m still hoping to get some more hens but the houses are being cleaned and rested for a while to get rid of pests.

Must away as off to help at the local Youth Club in Amroth tonight

Regards to you all and thanks for all the comments

Ann Green (Amroth Cottages)

Hello again everyone,

Well I have been out walking every morning this month with the dogs in Colby Woodlands and have got wet on numerous occasions!!  It has been a disappointing month weatherwise in Pembrokeshire, more like April showers than flaming June, but the countryside still looks beautiful and we don’t have the dry fields and brown grass that other parts of England experience.

Actually walking in the woods means you don’t get too wet as the tree canopy is so good and the birds are still singing happily and squirrels run around just to annoy our dogs Danny and Sam,(I am convinced) and I think this year there are more than I have ever seen.  All the flowering Azaleas and Rhodendrons have more or less finished now but the beautiful copper beech trees and other plants still make Colby Woodland Gardens in Amroth a great place to walk and it is only just down the lane from our self catering cottages that look over the sea in Amroth.  The photograph below of the Woodpecker was kindly given to me by a friend for you all to enjoy. A great shot I’m sure you agree.

Woodpecker feeding young in Colby Woods, Amroth, Pembrokeshire

Copper Beech trees in Colby Woodland Gardens, Amroth Pembrokeshire

Some of our guests have gone over to Barafundle Bay today to do a circular walk and on Monday other guests went to Bosherston Lily Ponds to do another circular walk that takes you down onto Broad Haven South beach, which is magical. It is so beautiful over there and despite the showers both families had a great time.  When the sun is out the viewing is wonderful and I can clearly see Caldey Island and the silver patterns on the sea as I sit here in Amroth posting this blog.

Walking to Barafundle Bay, Pembrokeshire

Walking down onto Broad Haven South beach, Pembrokeshire

Next week is Pembrokeshire Fish week with numerous events organised. It is a great festival beginning on Saturday 25th June with events in Saundersfoot, Tenby, Solva, Milford Haven, Fishguard, Cardigan, Goodwick, Newport and many other seaside towns. So if you are in Pembrokeshire next week be sure to look up what is happening and try to join in one of the events.  The celebrity chefs Mark Hix and Bryn Williams are joined by 3 other chefs to do a demonstration ‘Five Go Fishing’ at the Torch Theatre in Milford Haven on Wed 29th June and this is a Charity Night in aid of PATCH.  Enjoy the week to those of you who are on holiday Pembrokeshire is fabulous.

News from the Farm

Well the weather has meant that the grass in our fields has grown wonderfully but we haven’t managed to cut it yet as we haven’t had the dry days needed to get it made into hay or haylage, so now we want a few days of sun, please.  The hedges around the fields are now full of Honeysuckle and the perfume in the evening is lovely.  There are lots of Damsons forming on the trees, so hopefully I will be able to make jam later.

Jim, our old pony, is keeping very well but sadly we lost one of our Jacob sheep at the beginning of the month but she was 12 and had had a lovely relaxed life in our fields overlooking the sea at our self catering cottages here in Amroth.  The single hen is still happy, Dick and Harry the goats are fine as are Boots, Charlie and Hannah, the cats, and Danny and Sam the dogs, who keep me fit with all the walking I’m doing!!!!

The veg. patch is coming along O.K. peas, broad beans, runners and french beans, carrots, beetroot,radish, cougettes and pumkins are all planted so I hope to get some crop but we have had plenty of rain but not enough sun or warm weather to bring them on.  However, we will see.

Must away to do some jobs, never enough time in the day

Regards to you all, thank you for reading and to those of you who post comments.  Don’t forget you can follow more regular updates on Facebook (Amroth Cottages) or Twitter (Amroth Cottages)

Have a good week

Ann Green (Amroth Cottages)

Hi Everyone,

Well I know it has been ages since my last blog, so Happy New Year to you all.  Amazingly I have managed to upload a few pictures this time, so you can see them below and thanks to the comment I had from someone requesting them.

 What a winter!!!  We had so much snow here, which for the coast was amazing but everywhere looked so beautiful, especially Colby Woodlands and Gardens, the National Trust property next to our self catering cottages here in Amroth, Pembrokeshire.  Walking with our 2 new dogs was fabulous with the ground being crisp or covered in snow and the sky being blue and clear overhead.  I know it made travelling hard for everyone and spoilt a lot of people’s plans for Christmas but the children had a great time sledging and it reminded me of the winters we used to have when I grew up in the Midlands.  It always seemed to be cold and snowy and we loved sledging in the fields and Sutton Park!!

Well after such severe weather I wondered if any plants would survive but I was delighted to see the snowdrops appear in our garden and now we have crocus out and one or two primroses. Catkins have been glorious in our hedge, with their yellow tails shedding their pollen in the breeze. Colby Woodland Garden is bursting into life again and it was great to see a beautiful red rhodedendron  and a white azalea out last weekend, so I guess it won’t be long before more colour appears as the daffodils are also through the soil. 

 They have done so much work in Colby Gardens this winter and created some great things for the children.  New paths have been made, the stream coming down from Cwmwrath has been developed, a collection of tree stumps has been made for climbing in the woods above Beech Walk and a fabulous willow house has been made in the woods near the shop.  They have got some great Wake Up to Wildlife events arranged for the half term week, so I must try and go down there. 

The National Botanic Garden of Wales has got masses of snowdrops out and has also got several events for half term.  They are very good at organising events and are doing something special for St. Davids Day on March 1st.  It was wonderful in January as it was free to get into the gardens and it is such a lovely place to wander around and there is always something different that catchs your eye in the GlassHouse.

The sea has been quite rough this week but has looked magnificent with the huge rolling waves.  The guests in Granary Cottage, one of our self catering cottages, have done some wonderful walks this week with their beautiful retriever dog, who has been in every rock pool on Amroth beach and walked along the beach all the way to Saundersfoot.  They have also been over to Bosherston Lily Ponds and  up to BroadHaven.  The weather was superb yesterday with glorious sun but today is overcast and quite windy.

News from the Farm

Having spent nearly 12 months since we lost our beautiful retriever Wilson , I really wanted to have another dog.  Mike couldn’t bring himself to look for another one but I eventually persuaded him to agree to me adopting a dog from an animal sanctuary.  I saw these 2 dogs, Danny and Sam, 12 yr. old brothers, never been separated, and had been in the sanctuary for 6 months as no-one was prepared to give them a home.  Anyone who knows me will realise I couldn’t not offer them a home to live out their lives.  I thought they would be happy to lie about and watch the world go by at their age!!!!!  Silly me!!  They are loving their hour long walks each morning in Colby Woodlands and after a short nap are ready to go again. Sam is delightful, so quiet and gentle while Danny is not keen on the goats and squirrels drive him mad but I am sure he will relax more when he gets used to his new life.  They are a delight to have and I hope they like living with us.

Jim, our old Welsh Mountain Pony, is coping well since he lost Annie last November.   He was very depressed to begin with but now spends his time grazing with the sheep and one of them seems to have adopted him, standing very close to him which really annoys him at times, as you can see when he tosses his head and attempts to kick her.

Dick and Harry, the goats are fine, our last hen is still around but I will get more now when the weather is better.  Sadly we lost dear old Bodmin, our oldest cat, in early January from a stroke.  He must have been at least 18 but not sure how old he really was.  We miss his demanding ways and stubborn streak but he had a great life lazing around and ruling us!

Well half term next week and lots going on in the area.  You can follow Amroth Cottages on Facebook now with regular updates and also on Twitter.  

View over the sea from Amroth Cottages

Until next time

Regards

Ann Green (Amroth Cottages)

Our sheep in the snow

Colby Woodlands

Hello Everyone,

Well, you can now follow Amroth Cottages on Facebook and AmrothCottages (no space) on Twitter for up to date news.  (thanks to Chris Kellett for his excellent course I attended).

Sorry it has been so long since my last blog but life as usual has been hectic!!  Well today has been glorious, icy cold and a very sharp frost last night with a fantastic clear sky and it’s then that you really appreciate how small a part we are in the universe when you see all the stars in the sky. Anyway today the viewing from our self-catering cottages here in Amroth, Pembrokeshire has been amazing.  We could see the snow on the Gower and hope it doesn’t get to us!!  I expect those of you in the Eastern counties are finding life more difficult, and although snow looks wonderful when it falls it makes caring for outside animals so hard.

Well today I have been beach cleaning at Wiseman’s Bridge with the local environment group and it was cold but beautiful in the sun and not a breath of wind.  We collected more than a dozen sacks of rubbish, which had mainly come in on the tide, but there was a lot of fishing line which is so dangerous for the wildlife. Birds can get either their  feet entangled (as can be seen on Grassholm Island) or it gets caught around seals and digs into their skin, also it gets caught in seaweed, which can then be ingested by fish and turtles etc.  The small pieces of plastic are also a nightmare for the birds, as they see it bobbing on the sea and think it is food, sometimes swallowing it before it is too late.  Thankfully we have been seeing less and less plastic bags, which is good news, as it means people are not using as many and trying to be more environmentally conscious.

All the guests we have had at our cottages this year have tried really hard with the Recycling sacks I provide, so thank you. I think the more we do the easier it gets.

It is Saundersfoot Christmas Market on the Harbour next Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  It is usually really good, so if you are in the area, I recommend that you go and enjoy yourselves.  Also Aberglassney Gardens have a Craft and Christmas Fair on the 4th and 5th Dec and the National Botanic Gardens have their Craft and Food Fair the week-end of the 11th and 12th.  So many things to enjoy!!

News from the Farm

The berries on the hawthorn have been plentiful this Autumn and the Holly trees around our fields have been loaded with wonderful bright red berries.  When I first saw them I thought of the old saying ‘Sign of a hard winter’ and then I thought I bet there won’t be any left for Christmas decorations, as the birds usually strip the trees before I get there!!!  But being as it is so cold now and likely to get colder this week, I won’t mind them eating them all up.

All the leaves eventually are off the trees and I have had barrow load, after barrow load, clearing them all up.  I have managed to squeeze all the plants, that I can,  into the greenhouse and hope they will survive and we still have carrots and parsnips in the veg. patch.  As usual time runs out and several jobs I intended doing will now have to wait until the weather improves.

Those of you who knew Annie, my beautiful one-eyed pony that I had, will be sorry to hear that I had to have her put to sleep at the beginning of November. Very sad, but the narrowing of her spinal column, thus trapping her spinal cord was making life and walking too difficult for her, so it was kinder, the vet. and I felt to let her go.  Jim, the other pony, was so sad to begin with and quite depressed but he now seems to have settled down and spends his time close to the goats and sheep.  I have also lost one of my old hens, so that leaves one, but I will definitely have more in the spring and hopefully get some wonderful fresh eggs again.  No, not a good year on the animal front.

Well I must away, don’t forget you can now follow Amroth Cottages on  Facebook and AmrothCottages (no space) on Twitter, where I will try to give updates more frequently!!

Regards

Ann (Amroth Cottages)

Hello Everyone,

Well so sorry I haven’t done a write up since July, but the summer just took over with family and friends visiting, trying to keep up with the garden, animals and look after all the guests we have had in our self catering cottages here in Amroth.

The weather wasn’t brilliant this summer but it wasn’t disastrous either and all our guests seemed to make the most of the surroundings and when the sun was out we had some really fabulous days.  I just love seeing the guests walk out of here down to the beach with a picnic, buckets and spades, kites and dinghies.  Reminds me of the lovely beach holidays we had as children, the sun seemed to always shine!

The cloud burst that spoilt one day at the Ryder Cup seemed to miss us and although we had a little rain on Saturday afternoon, it was only light and since Sunday it has been lovely this week.  The days have been warm and sunny with the guests in Granary Cottage sitting on the patio looking over the sea.  This morning the visibility is so good and I can see Caldey Island clearly with the Gower Peninsula, the North Devon Coast,  and Lundy Island in the distance.  The sea is reasonably calm this morning but with the breeze yesterday it was choppy and some wonderful waves.  I just love the different view of the sea each day from the house and our holiday cottages.

We have managed to do some wonderful walks this summer in Pembrokeshire.  Dinas Head cicular walk  is spectacular.  It is only about 3 miles but quite energetic with some steep ascents but the views are so worth making the effort.  You descend into Cwn-yr-Eglwys, a tiny village with a ruined church built virtually on the waters edge.  Only the west wall and the belfry remain as it was destroyed by a violent storm in 1859.  With rising sea levels, it will no doubt eventually disappear and I expect, when it was built, it was much further from the water’s edge than it is today.

There is another walk I love from Manobier, where there is also a well preserved 13th/14th century castle built on the original Norman structure.  The village church is also of Norman origin.  The circular walk takes you over fields and along the coast path, but you do have to hold onto dogs and young children, as the cliffs are steep in parts, but on a lovely day this walk is a must.  You pass above Precise beach, which is just magical and if you make the effort to walk down the 100 odd steps you can often have the beach to yourself.  The sand is superb and the lagoon that forms at low tide is wonderful.  I remember the first time we found this place Wilson, our beautiful golden retriever, just adored it.  He was in and out of the water, racing along the sand and then rollling over.  It was a blissful day.

There are so many walks around us here in Amroth and in Pembrokeshire that I could tell you about and maybe I will in another post.

News from the Farm

Well the hedges are full of rose hips, blackberries, hawthorn berries, not so many sloes this year (maybe the lack of rain in June affected the crop this year) but the Holly bushes are just loaded with berries and when the sun is out they look to be on fire.  I hope this isn’t the sign of another severe winter !

I have been busy making chutneys from the produce in the veg. plot which did very well this year.  The beetroot, carrots, and beans were excellent but the peas!!!  Well they were doing really well, as I had done all the hard work cottoning the young shoots and putting in the supports.  I saw them on the Saturday morning with masses of pods ready to pick, so you can imagine my disbelief, when I went armed with my basket on the Sunday, to find not a plant standing but the lot (and I mean the Lot) trampled to the ground and not a single pea let alone pod to be found.  I just stood in bewilderment.  Badger had had the lot!!!!  Although I was obviously disappointed, I had to smile.  He must have had a wonderful evening with a really sweet meal and I would have loved to have had a camera up there to capture the feast.

Annie, the pony who is not well, is still with us.  She doesn’t seem to have got any worse and seems to have adapted to her problem of having lost some of her balance.  The problem according to the vet is that the spinal cord is getting trapped by a narrowing of the spinal column, possibly through age, arthritis, a fall or a defect that has gradually got worse.  Wobblers Disease is a possibility as she displays the symptoms but she is grazing quite happily, enjoys her feeds and whinies to me when I go in the field, so I don’t think she is in pain and while she can enjoy her life she will be here, but we will have to see what happens when the bad weather comes.

Jim the other pony totters on, Dick and Harry, the goats are fine enjoying the sunny days and racing to their house at the smallest sign of rain which amuses all the guests!!  The goats love the attention they get from the visitors staying in our self catering cottages.

The sheep, hens and cats are O.K. and hopefully we will get another dog this winter.  I love the company of a dog and Wilson was so special I would love another retriever but we will have to see.

I am still doing my voluntary work with Macmillan Cancer support, the village youth club and helping with the village events in the village hall, going to my computer class and attending the Pembrokeshire tourism events and training days, so busy, busy!!!

Well I must away, to muck out the stable and do a million other jobs

Until next time, regards to you all

Ann (Amroth Cottages)

Hello Everyone,

Well I’d like to tell you that the weather is wonderful here at our seaside self-catering cottages in Amroth, Pembrokeshire but sadly it is pouring with rain today.  We had the most fantastic weather in June, day after day of glorious sunny still days but since 4th July the weather has been mixed.  We did desperately need the rain, as many of you in the south east of England still do,  but now I want the sun to return so that all our guests can enjoy the wonderful scenery and beaches that we have here in Pembrokeshire.

A couple of weeks ago I went on a trip to  the Nevern Castle in Pembrokeshire, where there is an archaeological dig taking place.  They have made several exciting discoveries and found remains from the 12th century but it is believed that the site has been occupied since the Iron Age. For me who had never been anywhere like this before, it was fascinating.  The guide, who told us all about the finds and the work that is being carried out,  was so enthusiastic that it made you want to discover more of the history and I can imagine how excited the archaeologists are when something new comes to light.  It is a shame in a way, but quite understandable, that after everything of the dig is recorded and saved or sent to museums, the site is then covered again in order to preserve the area.  They are doing guided tours on a Thursday at 2-3 pm. throughout July and August and for any of you interested in History, I thoroughly recommend a visit.

We then went to Nevern Chuch in the picturesque village and saw the ‘Bleeding Yew’ tree.  Legend has it that the yew will continue to bleed a red sap until a Welsh King is in residence at the Castle again.  (Highly unlikely as the castle is no longer there, but a fascinating tree and the only one in a group of yew trees standing next to each other that bleeds).   Also at the church is an outstanding carved Celtic Cross dating from the 11th century  and 2 huge Ogam inscribed stones dating from the late 5th – early 6th century.  The whole area is heavily steeped in history with Castell Henllys, the Iron Age Fort, also close by.  It was a really great day out.

News from the Farm

Well our hay fields haven’t been cut, as when it was hot their was not enough thick growth and since the rain there haven’t been enough dry consecutive days.  Still lets hope it improves soon and maybe they will manage to get some haylage off the fields.  However the butterflies and bees have been enjoying all the red and white clover, yellow rattle and blue thistles and daisies that grow in the grass.  My fields really are wild life and flower meadows like used to exist before all the intensive farming took over and I believe some of only the 3% of such meadows that are left in the British Isles.  The Honeysuckle in the hedges lining the fields has been wonderful this year and the perfume in the early morning or evening is delightful.

Jim, the pony, is well again although getting old and suffering from arthritis but Annie the other pony is still not fit after trapping a nerve and hurting a muscle in her neck, which I think she did either rolling or falling in the field. This has resulting in her losing her balance and walking as if she is drunk.  Dick and Harry, the goats, are in their house today as it’s raining and the sheep are sheltering under the hedge.  The cats are all holed up in the house and even I have been forced in!!

Actually, I’ve just looked up and the sun is shining and I can see Caldey Island again so I am off to check on the plants, garden and greenhouse.

Colby Gardens, the National Trust Gardens, begins its activities for children next week which are always excellent and well worth taking part in and there are numerous activites in the area.

Must away and I will be back again giving you an update on the area and the events taking place.

Enjoy your day and the sunshine if you are lucky enough to have it!!

Ann (Amroth Cottages)