Our week that was: Llanerchaeron and National Apple Day

Our week that was blog post banner

It’s been a busy old week – one that was full of apples! Firstly, we took a trip to Llanerchaeron, a nearby National Trust property where there’s a walled garden full of different species of ancient apple trees amongst other plants.

As well as admiring them, I spent a fair amount of time picking them, chopping them, shredding them, juicing them and cooking them. After attending an apple event at nearby Hafod, we decided it would be a great idea for our local Women’s institute to hold something similar – so we did!

Llanerchaeron

We booked a day with our dog sitter so that we could get out and do something a little different. We drove to Aberaeron to visit Llanerchaeron, just a few miles inland. It’s a Georgian property, designed by the famous architect, John Nash.

The Trust has decided to leave the house as it was left to them; i.e. with any of the later additions such as furnishings and the art nouveaux/art deco fireplaces. Having said that, much of the ‘bones’ of the house remains remarkably untouched – so there were fabulous 18th century doors & windows, coving and other plasterwork, flooring and so on. This untouched aspect was particularly the case in the service areas – and it was these spaces that we especially loved. The old service kitchen, pantry and cobbled outer courtyard were very atmospheric. There were separate rooms for cheesemaking, brewing, bread proving & baking, butchery, salting, laundry and so on – plus simple bedrooms for some of the staff.

In the grounds were stables, tack rooms, animal pens and the like. Also, lovely, walled kitchen gardens and small ornamental lake that were open to wander around.

We took lots & lots of photos – both inside and out – have a look at some of them below…

Llanerchaeron roof light

Llanerchaeron fireplace

Ceiling in the drawing room of Llanerchaeron

Llanerchaeron service kitchen

Llanerchaeron laundry

Llanerchaeron brewery

Llanerchaeron bakery

Llanerchaeron walled garden

Apple chopping

National Apple Day

A couple of weeks ago, I told you about going along to an apple event at another nearby National Trust property, Hafod. We decided it would be a great idea for our local Women’s institute to hold something similar. The lovely people that we met at the Hafod Walled Garden agreed to allow us to borrow their apple juice making equipment; a shredder and a fruit press.

Apple shredding Apple pressing Apple pomace

Our WI event was planned for Saturday 21st October – which just happened to be designated National Apple Day – completely unintentional on our part! The rain held out for the most part, and we had lots of visitors come to the cottage to enjoy the homemade apple cake, apple cookies, mulled apple juice and other apple-themed delights.

A few of the WI members spent the previous week picking apples in local gardens and orchards… and some of the people who came along brought apples from their own gardens. We had a well-planned and executed conveyor system where we chopped, shredded, pressed and bottled the apple juice… over half a dozen large sackfuls.

Our week that was: A day trip, a summer drink and a science fiction series

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Another week has flown by – still without any rainfall to speak of – but we’ve been promised some in the coming days. We soaked up the sun on a day trip down the coast, foraged for wildflowers and absorbed ourselves in a riveting and thought-provoking TV series.

Day trip

Adelle tasting the cake platter at The Leeky Barrel, Henllan, Llandysul

The cake platter at The Leeky Barrel, Henllan, Llandysul

The Leeky Barrel Winery and Gift Shop at Bedwen Plants, Henllan, Llandysul

The nursery at Bedwen Plants, Henllan, Llandysul

We had a dog sitter booked for Monday so that we could head out on a day trip to somewhere we hadn’t been before. We decided to head off towards Llandysul to Bedwen Plants. There’s a nursery, winery and bistro all on site. We bought a few plants, including a wasabi and had coffees and cake platter… no wine was consumed or bought on this occasion!

On our way back home, we stopped off in Aberaeron for a walk around the town and harbour and another coffee at Harbourmaster.

Summer drink

Elderflowers and lemons for making cordial

For me, summer hasn’t properly started until I’ve picked some elderflowers and made cordial; it has become an annual ritual. I try to make at least 3 batches to drink now, freeze for later and bottle to give away to friends. If you want to try making your own, this is my preferred elderflower cordial recipe.

Severance

After finishing watching the first series of The Bear, we dived straight into Severance (I got Apple TV+ free for 3 months with a recent Apple Store purchase).  The premise of ‘Severance’ is simple; employees of a company called Lumon Industries choose to undergo a procedure to have their ‘work’ and ‘home’ memories disconnected. You’d think it may be a good solution for achieving that elusive work-life balance. Each episode is more surreal than the previous one, and the series throws up all kinds of philosophical and existential questions. The sets, costumes and other visuals suggest a Mid-Century Modern, Mad Men kind of vibe, but – other than it being winter – the time in which it’s set is never referenced.

The Severance script is great, the acting is top-notch and many of the episodes were expertly directed by Ben Stiller. We can’t wait for the already confirmed second series!

Property Spotlight: Aberaeron

Glasfryn, Aberarth SA46 0LR

There are some lovely towns along the West Wales coast and Aberaeron is one of our favourites. It’s an attractive Georgian town; home to little independent shops, a great chippie, a couple of fab ice cream outlets and one of our favourite pubs, Harbourmaster.

UK map pinpointing AberaeronAccording to the Rightmove website, there are only 27 properties for sale in the town. Here are the three that we like the most.

We particularly love Glasfryn (the mid-range home); it’s located in Aberarth a small village just north of Aberaeron. Not only does it boast a decked patio area that directly overlooks the river Arth, it also has a sweet little annex that can be used as an office, artist studio, summer house, gym… lots of different purposes!

Hendref, Aberarth SA46 0LL

Hendref, Aberarth SA46 0LL

£170,000 – Hendref, Aberarth SA46 0LL

• Quaint character Welsh period cottage
• 2 bed accommodation
• Recently refurbished
• Double glazing and electric heating
• Sun patio
• Private parking
• 5 minutes walk to sea front
• Only a mile or so north east of Aberaeron

Glasfryn, Aberarth SA46 0LR

Glasfryn, Aberarth SA46 0LR

Glasfryn, Aberarth SA46 0LR

£299,950 – Glasfryn, Aberarth SA46 0LR

• A most charming comfortable and quirky three storey stone Welsh cottage
• 4 bed accommodation
• Double glazing and central heating
• Delightful spacious garden bordering river
• Studio/workshop
• Private forecourt parking
• 5 minutes walk to sea front
• Only a mile or so north east of Aberaeron

The Vicarage, Panteg Road, Aberaeron SA46 0EP

The Vicarage, Panteg Road, Aberaeron SA46 0EP

The Vicarage, Panteg Road, Aberaeron SA46 0EP

£595,000 – The Vicarage, Panteg Road, Aberaeron SA46 0EP

• This is first time ever that the property has been on the open market for sale
• 5 bed former vicarage
• Set in lovely mature walled grounds of 1.2 acres
• Walking distance to harbour-side and town centre amenities

A day out in Aberaeron

Sunlight catching the water in the harbour

Justin’s mum and sister came to look at our new house yesterday. After a potter around and cups of tea, we decided to go for a drive – and show them one of our favourite places that’s on the doorstep. Well, not quite doorstep, but only 30 minutes drive. The place in question is the small harbour town of Aberaeron.

Blue painted house Green painted house

It’s a lovely destination to visit, whether just for an hour or two… or for a much longer stay.

Tafarn Cadwgan, a pink pub in Aberaeron Tafarn Cadwgan, a pink pub in Aberaeron

There are pretty, brightly painted houses everywhere you look.

Terrace of mulit-coloured houses along the harbour at Aberaeron

These provide the perfect backdrop for an equally attractive harbour area where boats are moored.

The Hive at Aberaeron

The first time we came here there had just been severe flooding in the area, and it was quite a scene of devastation. Large pieces of debris had been brought downstream by a raging river torrent and smashed into the small sea craft (as you can see at the left hand side of the photo below). Many vessels were affected, particularly closer to the mouth of the river. It must have taken some clearing up. It’s back to its gorgeous best now though and we had a very nice couple of hours in the sunshine, taking in the fresh sea air and having a bite to eat.

Aberaeron harbour | H is for Home

There’s no shortage of places to eat or have coffee. Pubs, restaurants, cafés, fish & chip shops and ice cream parlours. Personally, we’ve sampled meals and coffee The Harbourmaster, ice-cream at The Hive and fish & chips at The New Celtic . They all come highly recommended!

Seld interiors shop on Bridge Street, Aberaeron

In addition to the various catering establishments, there are also some lovely little independent shops. These include interiors shop Seld, which we always like to have a mooch around when we’re there. There’s always something to tempt us. And there’s more temptation just round the corner – Manor Farm Barn Antiques stocks some fabulous country furniture.

Quayside, Aberaeron

Aberaeron also has food, garden and craft festivals. In fact, one of our recent trips coincided with Feast – Aberaeron which was going with a real swing when we arrived.

Food festival, Feast Aberaeron

You can find bustling spots or quiet corners. Whichever you choose, just sit, take it all in – and enjoy.

Eating fish and chips beside the river Aeron

If you’re ever driving along the Ceredigion coast road, be sure to pull the car over and take a break here. Or make it the destination for a section of the coastal walk perhaps. Or even book a cottage for a week and spend a few days discovering the various attractions of the town and surrounding area.