Update From the Wybrnant Valley, the End of Our First Season

We had just come home after church on Sunday morning and I had rushed-ly helped Nathan to open Ty Mawr in time when I passed this bridge. This is the little bridge that separates the National Trust property Ty Mawr Wybrnant where Nathan works (left) from the farmhouse where we live (right, not visible in this picture). Usually I just pass this bridge as a means to get to/leave home or to bring Nathan a little visit, but this time I stopped, sat down on the edge of the bridge and closed my eyes. The sun was shining on my face and I felt such a peace.

That Sunday, was the last day Nathan had to open up Ty Mawr for the season of 2019. This season has gone by so fast and at that moment on the bridge I realized I wanted to take a moment to look back at our first season here and give a little update from the Wybrnant valley. We have lived here since March and before we moved to here we actually used to live in a suburb of Cardiff. If you want to read more about how we came to the decision to leave our rental home there and to move to the countryside in North Wales, read my earlier blog post about it HERE. If you wish to see pictures of the farmhouse during the first week of moving in go HERE.

When we moved in here, the garden looked very bare and the weather was gloomy. It snowed the second day after moving in and the following days it just kept raining. The huge amount of rain actually caused the stream that you see in the picture to flood in the second week we lived here (yes it even came into the house)! So you can imagine that we had no idea what to expect of the coming season. We did not know what the garden would look like when in full bloom, which animals would cross our paths, what the farmhouse would look like with our things in it, what living here would be like and which people we would get to meet.

It has been a very busy season. Much busier than expected! Not only did Nathan have to get used to his new job as a senior experience officer in Ty Mawr, I also started a part time job in a cafe close by.

We got to see our own garden and the Tudor garden of Ty Mawr come alive. Lovely fresh herbs were tasted and apples and rose hip were picked from the garden in order to have a go at making sauces and syrups. We even planted our own flowers, herbs and vegetables for the very first time (with trials and errors!).

An opportunity was given to see the swallows that come back every year to set up their nests in the woodshed and we witnessed them teach their young to fly in order to leave again when the weather got colder. We got to see many cute lambs grow up in the field across the property (o their cuteness almost made my heart burst!). We have had to wait in our car, because of sheep, horses, pigs and dogs blocking the road. I was often given the flattering task of getting out of the car, flapping my arms like a bird and making funny noises in order to hopefully get the animals to move.

We have slowly build our home together and brought in new things that suited this house. We have been without electricity, without a working car, without a shower, without water all together and with too much water (hello flood!). Cosy nights have been spent in front of our wood burner while it stormed outside. We have had sunny afternoons spent in the garden or the wonderful nature around here.

We have met a lot of lovely people and we have had a lot of family and friends visiting us which has been such a blessing.

It surely has been a first season to remember. It has not always been easy, but we know that we were meant to be here and we have felt very blessed at times. We are heading into a quieter period of the year now and again we have no idea what to expect. Will this winter be hard on us? Or will it be a wonderful winter wonderland? I will keep you up to date.

Much love,
Jenna