Nantwallter Cottage
In 1785 Morgan David Morgan agreed to rent this cottage from the Plas Taliaris estate for about £9 a year.
The family were self-sufficient, keeping a pig and growing vegetables, so they could have food available all year – even if money was scarce.
The walls of their cottage were mad of ‘clom’ – a mixture of clay, stone and straw. Friends and family often helped with building work. The thick walls helped keep the house warm in winter and cool in summer.
The chimney is made from woven branches of hazel just like a basket, and its surface is covered with daub – a mixture of clay and dung.*
*information from a signboard next to the house and pigsty
Tags: Cardiff, St Fagans, Vacation, Wales
If we cannot sing of faith and triumph, we will sing our despair. We will be that kind of bird. There are day owls, and there are night owls, and each is beautiful and even musical while about its business.
Henry David Thoreau
Tags: Cardiff, Cardiff Castle, Cherie's Place Thought, Vacation, Wales
The dress not me…
My Parisian Popsy arrived a couple of days ago and I couldn’t resist wearing her to host a birthday dinner. My England dress would have been more appropriate, the main course was roast beef!
Heloise Print Detail from Popsy website
Tags: Heloise, Parisian, Popsy, Portrait, Self Portrait
You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.
Buddha
Tags: Cherie's Place Thought, Me by another, Old Photos, Portrait
… the long way round
Recently we have been visiting my mum after I have ‘been to school’ but today that proved difficult. Just over a week ago I noticed that our hot water cylinder had developed a leak. British Gas assessed the situation and confirmed that we needed a new water cylinder but before it could be replaced it needed to be built. Today was the day for it to be fitted and because we knew the work would take several hours we expected the engineers to arrive fairly early in the morning.
Lunch time arrived, the engineers had not.
After lunch I left for my afternoon of volunteering at my local school, helping children with their reading. I wasn’t needed for the whole afternoon so I phoned home to check on the engineer situation, they had only just arrived! Not wanting to disturb the work in progress by shuffling cars and vans around I chose to walk ‘the long route’ home and visit mum tomorrow instead.
Several hours later normal service had resumed, we had water, hot water and heating again.
Tags: #walk1000miles, #walk1000miles 2026, Heating, Problems, School Readers, Volunteering
I had a morning meeting to discuss the Attingham Park social walks of which I am one of the walk leaders. We discussed previous walks and the walks scheduled going forward.
It was a perfect day for a walk so after the meeting had finished I set off along the mile walk in the direction of the walled garden where I sat for a while soaking up the sunshine. After my dose of vitamin D I resumed walking along the mile walk taking a detour to the suspension bridge and the walks beyond. I chose to walk along the river before taking in the woodland triangle and then the bluebell walk through the deer park back to the mansion.
I was pleased to find that the Lady Berwick tea room was open. I chose the scone of the month, rhubarb and ginger which I enjoyed sitting outside in the sunshine. So peaceful and perfect.
Tags: #walk1000miles, #walk1000miles 2026, Attingham Park, Shropshire, Volunteering, Walk
