The leaves make a satisfying crunch beneath my boots, and I feel my smile growing with each step. I crave this stillness, and I instantly feel the week’s stresses subside. There’s something magical about how a walk in the autumnal countryside can soothe my soul. Even better, I will return later to a pretty red-bricked cottage with a roaring fire and slabs of lemon drizzle cake for tea.
Our walk takes us higher up the green valley sides. My breath comes in plumes with each turn uphill. Ahead, there is a splash as my son has found another puddle to jump in, and to my left, the rocky outcrop of Carreg Cennen breaches the grey.
The castle ruin sits on the jagged rock. A romantic setting swathed by the deep shades of russet and bronze of the autumn woodland.
This place is a wanderer’s paradise. Like much of Wales, the Towy Valley is steeped in myth and legend. But there is something different about this place compared to the wild quiet of my home in the Black Mountains. It’s uncanny. You cannot step outside without stumbling into a story, which makes Gablebach ideally situated to explore.
The cottage is a lovingly and thoughtfully designed, boutique stay at Black Mountain Escapes, owned by Ruth. Once a stable and groom’s loft, Gablebach is now a cosy cottage for three people, tucked away on a farm on the edge of Llangadog.
The interior is every bit as cosy as I expected. Downstairs, a wood burner is set before a comfy leather settee, and there is a well appointed kitchen with a warming Aga. There are many lovely antique details, from the gramophone to the writer’s desk with a typewriter, old books, and antique furniture.
Upstairs, there is a lovely reading area and the most incredible French bed I have ever seen.
My attention is drawn to a flock of geese flying overhead, their calls instantly reminding me of the stories of my childhood – the sound of the Welsh Wild Hunt, the Cŵn Annwn. Even though I know it is just one of our folk stories, I shiver and immediately pick up pace.
The Welsh otherworld, Annwn can certainly wait. At the end of my walk, a beautiful copper slipper bath waits for me, and nothing will separate me from a good hour soaking among bubbles with a good book.
Rhiannon Moore
@thewelshbookishwanderer
Published on: 27. November 2024 - Filed under: News