Sad to think that my summer holiday is already over and it's still only early June, but here's a brief look back at our 1,000 mile road trip of Britain taking in Norfolk, the Peak District, Snowdonia, Cardigan Bay and the Brecon Beacons. After a stop-off in Norfolk to get our fuel pump replaced, we motored across the Fens in our little Fiat Punto laden down with luggage. Passing through Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, we finally arrived at Moorside Grange in the high section of the Peak District 5 hours later. Our holiday had begun with glorious weather and we profited from a few short walks in nearby Lyme Park, but the main event on Saturday was Matt & Emma's wedding in a gorgeous church, followed by Pimms and a 3-course lunch back at the hotel. Fireworks and dancing rounded off the night.
After a chaotic lunch in Disley at the Ram's Head, a former lodge in Lyme Park dating back over 300 years, we hit the road again and had a clear run into North Wales as the traffic piled up in the opposite direction with families returning from half-term holidays. We then headed inland to Llanberis, and stayed at one of the most scenic campsites I've ever visited with views of Mount Snowdon and surrounded by valleys scarred by abandoned slate quarries.
Next morning we went on a scenic drive over Llanberis Pass and headed south to Aberdovey via Porthmadog, stopping at a roadside cafe for bacon & egg sandwiches and frothy coffee. We stopped for a few hours on Aberdovey beach and soaked up the gorgeous sunshine, while avoiding the saucer-sized jellyfish that had been washed up in the surf. Sunkissed, we then kept heading south via Morrisons in Aberystwyth, until we finally reached our holiday home in Llanon, a stone whitewashed fisherman's cottage 2 minutes from the sea. Known as Awel-For, we'd booked the cottage via Under The Thatch website and it was a beauty.
Those 5 nights were the highlight of the trip, allowing us to go on scenic coastal and valley walks and soak up the sunshine at some beautiful Cardigan Bay beaches. Our 10-mile walk from Llanon to Newquay was stunning and an impressive feat by Ruth, now 6 month's pregnant, and it was even her egging me on as I flagged near the end. Our lunch stop halfway was the Harbourmaster in Aberaeron, a fantastic bar / restaurant in a gorgeous location. My lunch consisted of Welsh rarebit to start and fish & chips, and I also profited from the free Wi-Fi by lugging my laptop on the walk.
Another superb walk was in Cwm Rheidol, covering 6 miles and starting in Devil's Bridge. Known as the Spirit of the Miners walk, we passed a variety of disused iron and other metal mines that have caused some of the local waterways to become polluted. The countryside here was incredibly scenic and the occasional view of a Red Kite circling in the air was stunning. Other highlights included visiting various beaches along Cardigan Bay, including Tresaith, Llangranog and Mwnt, the latter of which I recommend highly as a place to walk and take in the views and laze in the sheltered cove.
Although West Wales is still rural and poor, EU investment has helped improve the tourist infrastructure, and on the two occasions we ate out, at the Harbourmaster and Ty Mawr Mansion, where we had an incredible 3-course meal, the standard was excellent. So we were reluctant to leave after our short stay, but on Saturday we headed down the coast to Newport in Pembrokeshire to visit Ruth's aunt and uncle, Jill & Chris, at Penbryn caravan park. Despite the heavy rain, it cleared Sunday morning and we had our final glimpse of the gorgeous Atlantic coastline before heading home on a 7-hour drive to London, taking the scenic route through the Beacon Beacons.
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