Blogs
The Wardens’ Blog – King Arthur’s Labyrinth & Corris Craft Centre
Having been up to C.A.T (see our last blog post), we carried on our journey to Corris so we could check out the King Arthur’s Labyrinth – a “mythical underground adventure” sounded too good to miss!
You get to set sail along the magical waters inside the old mines, walking along winding tunnels and through immense caverns whilst being guided by a rather spooky boatman! There is lots to learn about the legend of King Arthur here as well as other Welsh stories & history, whilst being amazed at the caves themselves. (Although it might be a bit scary for little kids)
We had also been told to visit the Corris Craft centre…thinking it was just a small shop selling crafts next door to the King Arthur attraction. Well it definitely is right next to the attraction but it’s by no means just a small shop! The craft centre is a whole range of various shops and studios, almost all of which give you the opportunity to try out the crafts themselves with hands on experiences. And the crafts themselves are all high quality. We particularly loved the Taran Eco Designs shop full of beautiful wooden furniture, and spent some time chatting away to the lovely lady who owns Spellbound Herbals which is full of natural remedies and oils. Although the gin shop and the chocolate shop should also be mentioned 😉 Kids and adults will love getting stuck in to candle making or pottery painting, or indeed chocolate making, and its well worth making sure you put time aside for this place on your trip to Corris.
We also spied the Corris Mine Explorers experience and will be looking to return and get adventuring on one of their mine tour adventures!
The Wardens’ Blog – C.A.T
On one of our earlier days off we headed north to C.A.T – the Centre for Alternative Technology.
An inspiring visitors centre with lots of hands-on displays and tonnes of things to learn. This place really does teach you more about sustainable living and what you can do to turn your home and garden into a much more efficient and greener place to be. Not only that, but the place is set in over 7 acres of stunning gardens and scenery, with fantastic walks and view points, as well as a rather tasty cafe full of homemade dishes using ingredients straight from their gardens.
We clearly enjoyed C.A.T. so much that we totally forgot to take any photos whilst there! A sure sign of being too engrossed – which is an endorsement in itself!
The Wardens’ Blog – Sunny day at the Beaches
We’ve had some lovely weather here recently so we headed down to the coast to get some beach time! We explored from New Quay to Aberporth, including Tresaith and Llangranog and a few coves in-between.
The ideal way to see these is to take the coastal path walk, and we will most certainly be back to do so. We were super impressed at how lovely the beaches are and how they are relatively unspoiled despite attracting many visitors. All of it within easy driving distance from The Woodlands too.
Of course we had a lunch stop in New Quay topped off by some ice cream on the beach (from the rather spectacular gelato shop on the corner) to make it the perfect day.
The Wardens’ Blog – The Hafod Estate
We have fallen completely in love with the nearby Hafod Estate.
We first visited when we had a couple of hours off one Sunday morning, we nipped up and did the blue trail “The Lady’s Walk” and were absolutely stunned by the place. So when we had another day off we decided to spend the majority of it at the Hafod!
We took various routes, and made sure to include the part of the red trail “The Gentleman’s Walk” up to the Cavern Cascade – a hidden beauty worth making the detour off the main path.
At every turn there are breathtaking views and perfect picnic spots. If you have a dog this is one of the local places where you can let them off lead (bar a few sections that are signposted) for a good walk. Oh and look out for the friendly Highland cattle hanging out near one of the trails 🙂
The little church is worth a visit too, just by the car park, with interesting history of the church, the estate and its owners.
With it only being about 15 minutes drive away from Woodlands we know we will be making this a regular walking spot.
The Red Kite Challenge 2017
Its the Red Kite Challenge on Saturday 29th April!
Good luck to everyone taking part! We will be cheering you all on!
For the day’s schedule information, click on the link here.
The Wardens’ Blog – The Silver Mountain Experience
On one of our days off we were invited to visit the Silver Mountain Experience which is located only 15 minutes away from Woodlands. We were excited to get our first taste of the mining history of the area.
The attraction is well worth a visit, especially for families, with plenty to do and learn all around the site as well as fun guided tours. We took the history tour so we could learn about the mines but we are keen to go back and do the scary “Black Chasm” tour! The great thing about this place is they’ve really made the history of the mine come alive whilst ensuring they appeal to all ages. There’s even a fun tour for young ones with a hunt for a shy dragon named Grotty!
Before you go, its worth checking with reception at the caravan park as they may have a leaflet that gets you a discount, or if you book online you may also get a discounted entry fee.
The Wardens’ Blog – Red Kites at Bwlch Nant Yr Arian
With a long lunch and a bit of time to spare we decided to nip over to Bwlch Nant Yr Arian as it is so close to the caravan park.
There are lots of walking and cycling trails to do here, with beautiful views in every direction, but with only a short amount of time before we had to be back to work we headed straight to the lake and the viewing area for the Red Kite Feeding session. Here you can expect around 150 Red Kites swooping down for their dinner, or even more in Winter! It’s quite spectacular! What we didn’t expect was the spectacle to be combined with a low flyover from one of the RAF jets on its training flight. What a combo!
The Wardens’ Blog – The Butterfly House
Today we visited the Magic of Life Butterfly House which is only about 20 minutes’ drive from the campsite.
Whilst the house itself isn’t huge, it is jam-packed full of beautiful butterflies and exotic plants with the emphasis being on education and conservation (it’s an environmental charity run by botanists) allowing you to get up close to the butterflies and learn more about them. There’s even a chance to hold the butterflies if you are lucky, and care is taken to ensure both adults and children learn the best way to do so without damaging their wings.
To make the most of your trip, it’s well worth having a chat with one of the staff who can tell you loads about the insects, the plants and the story behind the house and its beginnings. We were lucky enough to have a good long talk with Neil, the founder, a passionate botanist and fascinating person to listen to about his travels, his studies and where the butterflies come from.
A perfect place to visit on a rainy day, you can also visit the Rheidol Power Station Visitor Centre which is just a few minutes away.
Ruth & Christian
The Wardens’ Blog – Ynyslas Beach
One of our first day trips was to seek out a nearby beach, and Ynyslas did not disappoint.
Even on a cold, grey, windy day we loved the vast stretches of sand and the awesome dune walk. Just a few mins north of Borth it’s really easy and quick to get to from Devil’s Bridge and it’s one of the beaches where you can let dogs off lead too.
We are looking forward to some sunnier warmer days for some more beach time later in the year!
Ruth & Christian
The Wardens’ Blog – Campsite Walks
One late afternoon on a clear sunny day we decided to explore on our doorstep and go for a walk up the hill behind the campsite….
There are various walking trails around the site, a map is available from reception (worth checking out as we got a little lost along the way without one!). Depending on which way you go it can be a little steep at times but the views from the top of the hill are absolutely incredible. You can see the whole of the caravan park and the hills surrounding the land in every direction whilst taking in the beautiful sunset.
Another day we hopped along a trail from the lower part of the caravan park through the woods to the stream and explored along the path, made extra pretty by all the bluebells starting to bloom. We continued along the path, across a small bridge and onto the road heading back into the village. A lovely easy circular route.
We can’t believe all this is in our backyard! If you want to find out more, just pop into reception and ask us for ideas and a map.
Ruth & Christian
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