We are lucky to have an award-winning artisan chocolatier living nearby in Llan Ffestiniog.  Cathryn Cariad works out of her Victorian farmhouse kitchen overlooking the Moelwyn mountains.  She conjures up all sorts of delicious and daring flavour combinations from Raspberry and Sloe-Gin truffles to our favourites, Anglesey Sea Salt and Caramel.  Mmm…chewy and lush! Cathryn sources her ingredients locally where possible including Welsh ale from Purple Moose and Penderyn Whisky.  She has won four Gold Great Taste Awards for her chocolates this year.

If you’re staying with us in The Slate Shed B & B at Graig Wen then you’ll find complimentary Cathryn Cariad chocolates in your room.  We also stock a range of her chocolates in our little shop here so everyone can find their favourite flavour.  And if you leave here hooked you can order via Cathryn Cariad.

Yesterday was one of those days that according to forecasts should have been wet and wild and turned out to be full of sunshine and smiles. Anyhow we decided that a day on the bikes was in order.

After cooking breakfasts for guests we hit the road, the plan was to cycle to Machynlleth and be back by 4pm. Some of you super fit roadies might be able to do this in the five hours we had, however we like to look at views, stop of at interesting churches and lie on grass verges eating our lunch.

The answer to this is to get the train back. You get the best of both worlds. A fantastic cycle ride with the highlight being the quiet lanes and views of the Happy Valley and one of the best train journeys in the UK. There can’t be many railways where you can see such magnificent views and if your lucky, as we where, an osprey sitting on the nest.

Its then a short ride back to Graig Wen.

Top Tip - get on the rear two carriages of the train

Frogspawn near Roman Steps

Mysterious Llyn Du

It’s always a pleasure to venture up the long narrow road to Cwm Bychan then walk up the Roman Steps.  We followed a new route today but, as ever in the wild Rhinog mountain range, saw very few people.   There were great balls of frogspawn in some of the puddles, just waiting to squirm into life.  Bryn the puppy spotted a fully grown frog crawling around which made her day.  She was a bit less impressed by some boulder scrambling required to pass one of the lakes, the mysterious Llyn Du.  It looked like a rugged infinity pool with mist swirling around the rocks.

After picking our way down a rocky gully, the path did one of those vanishing tricks, just as the cloud came down to obscure all those handy visual reference points our walking guide was describing.  This was the moment when we realised we could do with a bit more confidence in compass navigation.  Handily, we are hosting regular “Self-Nav” workshops over the coming months.  First one on Thursday 5 April.  See what I did there?

Back on track we managed to catch sight of half a dozen of the timid wild goats as they tried to sneak behind our backs.  Safely home, dogs now collapsed in front of the woodburning fire.

When we moved to Graig Wen in September 2007, we didn’t know a soul round here.  Now we have the pleasure of working and playing with all kinds of local people who we can count on through thick and thin.  You just never know when you’re going to need a tray of eggs, a tractor or an extra pair of hands in our business. That’s just one of the reasons we use as many local food producers, crafts people, suppliers and givers of good advice as we can.  Another reason is because they make great products. And often make us laugh.

We thought we’d introduce you to some of our favourite local suppliers, so here’s the first in our “Supplier of the Month” series…

Ynysgyffylog Barn Farm

Just a couple of miles down the road in Arthog we are lucky to have Ynysgyffylog Barn Farm. Jim and Sue supply us with home-produced sausages and bacon and free range eggs. Their small herd of pigs happily snuffle around outside and wallow in muddy hollows just as nature intended. Stop by the farm gate for some eggs and you’re likely to be greeted by ducks, piglets, cockerels, wagging dogs and mischievous kittens. It’s quite a menagerie. Jim and Sue are two of the hardest working people we know and have - literally – saved our bacon on many occasions. They have achieved highest scores for food hygiene and won the Cambrian News Local Food Hero Award for their fantastic produce.

You might have a problem saying Ynysgyffylog the first time you try (roughly “inis-gif-a-log”) but it’s easy to sample their produce at Graig Wen in our B & B, breakfast hampers or the camp site shop. You can also find them at Machynlleth Market most Wednesdays, the Dolgellau WI market on Thursday mornings and Dolgellau Farmers Market every third Sunday of the month (March - December). Or just pop down to the farm gate. http://www.ynysgyffylogbarnfarm.co.uk/

Cnicht from Plas Brondanw

There’s a magical garden up a little visited valley about half an hour from The Slate Shed B & B at Graig Wen. Plas Brondanw was the home of Clough Williams-Ellis, architect errant of the more famous Portmeirion. But if you want to experience his special brand of surreal charm with fewer people around, then we recommend exploring Plas Brondanw. Especially on a crisp day in November.

Those who remember the Beauty and the Beast Ladybird book illustrations might find the clipped yew hedges, mossy lawns and weather worn statues oddly familiar. There’s also a secret tower with incredible views of Snowdon and Cnicht.

A small tea room is open on winter weekends and dogs on leads are welcome to visit Plas Brondanw too.

The 30k course was finished in 3hours and 9 mins (according to my bike computer, which also said I had riden 33k!)  ,this is what I had wanted to be able to achieve. Putting this in context the first rider completing the 50 k finished in 2 hours and 45 mins.

Low point at 15 k when pushing bike up a wall of mud, balanced by high points of being able to ride some great and challenging trails which are normally of limits and a great pint of ale at the end.

Many thanks for the impressive list of birds below, which were spotted by Mr Smith from Queniborough, Leicestershire, on his two week holiday with us on our touring site in early September.

Spotted on and around Graig Wen over a 3 mile radius..

Curlew

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Coal Tit

Chaffinch

Robin

Raven

Blackheaded Gull

Great Black Backed Gull

Herring Gull

Wheatear

Heron

Magpie

Jay

Mallard

Kestrel

Buzzard

House Martin

Swallow

Red Poll

Pied Wagtail

White Wagtail

Starling

Jackdaw

Carrion Crow

Greater Spotted Wood Pecker

Wood Pigeon

Feral Pigeon

Swan

Wigeon

Wren

Song Thrush

Mistle Thrush

Tawny Owl

Teal

Barnacle Goose

Greylag Goose

Canada Goose

Ringed Plover

Black Bird

House Sparrow

Seen on mountain walks

Meadow Pipit

Seen at Ynis-Hir RSPB reserve

Goshawk * Top Spot

Bar Headed Goose

Little Egret

Spotted Fly Catcher

Mr Smith noted that this was “not bad for September with no Warblers spotted and very few Waders”

He also had one unidentified spot.. Which he said was possibly an Osprey

Thanks to everyone who supported our cake and tea stall on the Mawddach Trail on Bank Holiday Sunday.  We raised £150 for MacMillan Cancer Support.  Graig Wen Volunteer Jenny whipped up some fairy cakes and John made his signature chocolate brownies.  The “cake oasis”, as it was dubbed by one grateful cyclist, came as a nice surprise for many weary walkers as well as a bit of a treat for our happy campers.

On a damp but bright welsh august weekend, twenty design enthusiasts met to create something ‘in the woods, out of the woods’. Armed with tools, a pile of different local timbers and pockets full of energy, the teams created three beautiful inventions through collaborative design processes.

We could have stayed a month exploring all the material possibilities and interpreting the site through visual and spatial means. However we had little more than 2 days and the outcomes are a testament to our belief that not providing a brief would allow space for genuine creativity to soar unbounded.

3 ideas made it through testing to final pieces. The ‘skybowl’ holds the whole stratosphere in it’s arms, inviting people to star gaze together. ‘Piddle, paddle, plonk’ creates music in time to a stream, thanks to a hand-made water-wheel and xylophone. The third piece located deep in the woods was inspired by the idea that all life comes from death and had as its focus the root ball of a fallen oak tree. The fractal structure, the ‘Bioshroom’ has now now been renamed ‘the Fungidome’ by the children camping at Graig Wen who have come to love the sculptures and care for them in all their fragility and impermanence.

Ewan aged about 11 said that “Fungidome is a combination of wood, tools and a bit of imagination.”

And Charlotte aged 10 said that “Piddle, Paddle, Plonk is the best because it plays music a bit like a xylophone but in the water, although Skybowl is quite good when you lay in it at night watching the stars because there’s nobody there and its relaxing.”

For more photos, press reviews and information please check out the Crafted Space web site

I turned round yesterday and found a small child in bed with the dog and then a gentleman came in and kindly offered me a cucumber.

Welcome to the school holidays….