The food of the gods of cheese and bread
I know that welsh rarebit isn't a cheese toastie, but if Lauren O'Neill (Grate expectations: cheese toasties are having a moment, and I'm all for it, 7 April) wants to try the ultimate in cheese-and-bread-based meals, she really should visit the International Welsh Rarebit Centre in Defynnog, near Brecon. Rarebits with chorizo, rarebits with kimchi – and, of course, the unbeatable classic welsh.Lillian AdamsGrosmont, Monmouthshire
I was reminded by Margaret Squires' letter (8 April) of being asked by the doctor who was present at the delivery of my son, in a Bristol hospital, if he could take the placenta home to put on his roses. I said that he could. I hope his roses did well.Muriel AdamsCaerleon, Gwent
Amazing to see an editorial on the Pennine Way (9 April) that doesn't mention Alfred Wainwright, who first walked it in 1938 (trespassing along the way), who funded pints at the terminus for those completing the trek, and who published the best guide to the route.Phil ConstableDarlington
Your editorial mentions a number of authors who have written about walking. One book on the Pennine Way that I really found helpful was I Belong Here by Anita Sethi, in which she explores how walking the route has therapeutic value for mental wellbeing.Ahmet BulutogluLondon
While Andrew Vincent provided a cogent argument that the mining of authors' work is nothing new (Letters, 6 April), I'm pretty sure I've read it somewhere before.Pete BibbySheffield
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Western Telegraph
6 hours ago
- Western Telegraph
Welsh Rarebits adds Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion venues to portfolio
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Wales Online
17 hours ago
- Wales Online
Hidden railway exposed by tide at popular Welsh beach
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Wales Online
21 hours ago
- Wales Online
Beautiful Romany wagon tucked away in wildflower meadow by river with brown trout and otters
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Andrew remembers: " We were immediately taken by it - there was a storm, my wife was heavily pregnant with our second child and the phone signal is not very good and there's no WiFi but even with all that we fell in love with the place. The site is 0.65 acres in size (Image: Morgan & Davies Aberaeron / Auction House Wales ) "It's the silence - the fact it was totally cut off - such a difference to what we were used to, to Hong Kong - to come into that, a slice of heaven in Wales. It's where time slows down. "I love the wagon most of all, it's almost womb-like! Because the cover is all insulated you're cosseted from sound as well so it's very much how I imagine what a womb is like. It's got a nice big comfy bed and heating, room under the bed to fit a dog bed too if visitors want to bring their dog away with them. Idyllic and peaceful place to relax near Llangrannog, Ceredigion (Image: Morgan & Davies Aberaeron / Auction House Wales ) "The wagon is one of the main reasons why the site got planning permission as a holiday let - because of the historical value of the wagon itself, it's a genuine vintage Romany wagon. And i t's a stunning location even if the weather is not great, you can still lie in bed, read a book with the top half of the wagon door open and watch the rain." The site comes with a wooden cabin too that offers a kitchenette with bistro table and chairs and an amazing view from the kitchen sink, a shower room and a lounge which opens out onto a new raised deck area, one of the features the couple have worked on since owning the site, as well as tidying the foliage, renovating the paths, painting the wagon and building a bridge over the little river. The Romany gypsy wagon looks very inviting (Image: Morgan & Davies Aberaeron / Auction House Wales ) Andrew says: "You come out of the cabin in the morning with your coffee and you sit there and you feel like you're in the trees, you're well above the wagon and above the river so you're up mid-tree level - you're in amongst the birds - there are so many fantastic birds there - we fill the feeders and watch them and that's all you can hear, the bird song and the river." But not seeing the site before they bought it was not the challenge for the couple. It is said by many people that timing is important with a property purchase and for Andrew and Alex it was bad timing - they came back to Wales and were the new owners of the site in December 2019, just a few months before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Inside the wagon is comfortable and cosy (Image: Morgan & Davies Aberaeron / Auction House Wales ) Andrew, a retrofit assessor, says the situation wiped out the first 18 months of running the tranquil and secluded site as a successful holiday let and led to a change of plan and location for the family. He says: " We were going to come back home and set up a holistic fitness retreat, run it from the land and develop it further and have more accommodation but we had to make other plans and so I started a business near Chester so we ended up being based in north Wales." The site also contains a wood chalet which is also part of the auction lot (Image: Morgan & Davies Aberaeron / Auction House Wales ) The two couples ran the holiday let business via and trying to visit the site as much as possible to keep it maintained and also stay and enjoy it themselves occasionally. Andrew says: "People love it as much as we do which is fantastic, everybody who comes to stay seems to have the same experience - people feel like they are transported back to a simpler time - lack of phone signal, lack of WiFi, it taps into a sense of nostalgia." Inside the chalet and it's surprisingly spacious with a kitchenette and cost lounge (Image: Morgan & Davies Aberaeron / Auction House Wales ) The site has even attracted the attention of TV presenter and celebrity Richard Hammond, who stayed back in 2007 before the two couples owned it and it was booked via company Under The Thatch, said: "It was only in the morning that I fully appreciated why this place is so popular. "Although the caravan scores high on novelty points, it's the setting that's the real winner. Tucked away in the corner of a wild-flower meadow next to the river where brown trout and otter are protected as part of a Site of Special Scientific Interest, it's secluded and ridiculously picturesque." The cute kitchen also has space to eat at a bistro table (Image: Morgan & Davies Aberaeron / Auction House Wales ) However after a few years making the three to four hour journey from north Wales to this special spot near the Ceredigion coast it is with heavy hearts the two couples have decided to sell the site and pass on this idyllic and enchanting site on to a new owner, who has the chance to realise its potential to expand the business into the land and increase the size of the cabin, subject to planning of course, and if they want to. Andrew says the experience has taught them the value of owning a holiday let and says if someone is thinking of purchasing the site, or any other unique property, they should consider what makes it distinctive in the first place, and cherish it. For more property stories join our Amazing Welsh Homes Facebook group here The chalet can even boast a shower room with full facilities (Image: Morgan & Davies Aberaeron / Auction House Wales ) He says: "Try and maintain the character of the place. It would have been easy for us to tear the cabin down, to remove the wagon, and put on some standard glamping facility but we wanted to maintain the character of the place - we wanted to keep it authentic, that's what we strived for. "Keep the authenticity of the place and then it rings true to everybody who comes. Oh, and make sure it's not a four hour drive away, get one closer to where you live!" The 0.65 acre site, including the wagon and the cabin, is going to auction with a guide price of £99,000 with Auction House Wales with bidding opening on Monday June 23 at noon and finishing on Wednesday June 25 at 12.36pm, call 01633 212555 to find out more. Viewings are strictly via appointment with the local agent Morgan and Davies, Aberaeron, call 01545 571600 to find out more. The chalet's wooden deck is a sun-kissed bonus feature perfect for alfresco dining or star-gazing (Image: Morgan & Davies Aberaeron / Auction House Wales ) Andrew says: "Selling is definitely bittersweet for us. It holds a lot of emotional value, and parting with it isn't easy. That said, it's a necessary step for the next phase of our lives, which we're genuinely excited about. "While there's some sadness and disappointment in letting it go, we're also happy knowing that someone else will have the chance to realise the full potential of the site. It's a special place, and we hope the new owners will love it as much as we have." Article continues below Find your own holiday let or property for sale in Wales:
