It’s hot, hot, hot here in sunny mid-Wales and we’re not venturing far with our slightly frazzled baby brother. In fact, the main aim of today is to chill, so we’ve done some listening to nature.

This is harder than it sounds with a wild child that doesn’t really stay still. It surprised me how much she enjoyed just laying down, looking up at the sky and listening… quietly… who doesn’t enjoy the quiet??!!

So this is where we lay, with four legged company of course.

And this is what we looked at..

We could hear the stream that runs near our house, birds chatting and the wind blowing the trees. It was lovely.

Since we did this, only 20 mins ago, there’s been such a still atmosphere in our little yard as our adventurer listens… it’s beautiful to see her taking notice, even if it’s just for a short while.

A really easy, peaceful Random Act of Wildness.

Another day of sunshine, June has been beautiful so far. We dug out our plant pots and planted wild flowers (and some not so wild) for all those bees and butterflies.

Firstly we chose a pot, put gravel in the bottom and filled it with compost for our wild flower seeds that came with our #30dayswild pack.

Then we planted out some sweet pea seedlings that came in our May box from the fantastic Mud & Bloom. I would like to say that I’m not a natural gardener… and these sweet peas *might* be a smidge overcrowded…

Then we gave all of the plants and in fact the entire yard, a really good water.

Please excuse the barricades, our pesky hound likes trimming the leaves off anything he can reach!!

Hopefully over the course of June this will turn into a thriving, buzzing, beautiful space… it is a work in progress!!

Our Random Act of Wildness today was wonderfully child-led and spontaneous; being creative in nature.

In the community garden met two lovely ladies who were hard at work sprucing it up a bit, so we joined in! Two hours later and our adventurer had gained a wealth of flower and wildlife knowledge, gleaned from the unsuspecting ladies by question after question after question!! A wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

Sadly there are no photos of this as mummy was too busy hoeing, sweeping, feeding a baby, shushing dogs and being generally forgetful, whilst trying to remember which plants were which…

Then, surrounded by her hard work, this adventurer decided to have some chill time drawing the flowers and appreciating the surroundings. Perfect.

Hopefully we’ll see these lovely ladies again and haven’t scared them off with this wild (and extremely chatty) encounter!!

Another day of sunshine and picnics, this time in the Elan Valley.

We kicked off our shoes and tickled our toes for our Random Act of Wildness.

There was soft, mossy grass…

.. and long, spiky grass.

Grass for running and climbing..

… and grass for sitting and poking.

Oh, and this view!

Wild!!

Today we’ve been having fun in the sun at the Hay Festival where the lovely people at The Woodland Trust were giving out trees!

So our obvious choice for Random Act of Wildness today is plant a tree 🌳

First though, some reading with an Auntie..

Then to Grandad’s field where we carefully planted our extremely tiny Cherry Tree.

Thanks to The Woodland Trust for our tree, to Grandad for his digging skills and Daddy for the tree photography.

More wildness tomorrow.

June is here! Our 30 days of Random Acts of Wildness has begun.

Today we explored a wild place; the community garden in our village which is beautifully wild at the moment.

We sat on a bench and admired the garden.

We watched and listened to bees that were busy in the flowers.

We wandered around the garden exploring all the nooks and crannies.

We admired the plants and flowers and our adventurer gathered her favourites for a closer look in her bug-noculars.

A truly wild start to our #30dayswild.

The Roundabout Walk at The Begwns certainly lives up to the National Trust tagline “all  the views, none of the climb.” This gentle uphill wander has the most breathtaking 360 degree views of the Brecon Beacons, Black Mountains and Radnorshire hills; we could even see the Malvern hills and the Shropshire hills too! It is an open, exposed hillside so best avoided in high wind or driving rain, absolutely perfect on a clear day to appreciate all you can see. Parking is on the side of the road and at the top of the hill is an enclosed wooded area that is perfect for picnics. Whilst this walk is short with an OS map and some planning you could walk all day.

Roundabout Walk, The Begwns

Distance: around a mile

Time: 20 mins if you march up and down (we were here for hours!)

Guide

From the parking area you can see the wooded roundabout at the top of the hill.

Wander up the hill! There are a number of tracks for you to choose from, all heading towards the trees at the top.

At the top there is a trig point and a gate into the Roundabout… which to go to first?!

The views from the trig point are just incredible.

This continues as you wander round the roundabout. I’ll let the photos do the talking.

Through the gate into the roundabout there is a sitting area where we set up our picnic.

The trees were gorgeous, planted in 2000 for the millennium, and perfect for a quick climb.

Our adventurer couldn’t get enough of that view.

After a play and a picnic we wandered back down the hill to the car.

Having fun with our long evening-sun shadows on the way…

.. and a pool with brilliant reflections.

Click on the map below to view it on ViewRanger.

The OS grid reference is: SO162443

This is a National Trust site however there is open access and no parking charge.

Directions (from the National Trust): Take minor road from Clyro to Painscastle 0.75 miles (1.2km). Before entering Painscastle take left turn and a left turn again up hill to the car park, on the grass verge on the right, at the top of the hill.

Happy wandering,

The Beckingham Family

Water-Breaks-Its-Neck is a woodland walk with the added bonus of a waterfall and stream for lots of splashing! It is sheltered beneath the trees so is especially good when the weather is rainy or really hot. There is parking onsite and useful information signs. We have included both the short waterfall walk and a longer loop for the more adventurous wanderers in the step-by-step guide below. 

Water-Breaks-Its-Neck (short waterfall walk)

Distance: 1/2 mile

Time: 20 mins if you don’t include time for splashing and exploring

Water-Breaks-Its-Neck (longer loop)

Distance: 1 mile

Time: 45 mins – it took us 1 hr 10 mins with a wanderer

Revisited

Water-breaks-its-neck (short loop) was the perfect choice for our adventure-play group. Ten children had a fabulous time splashing, climbing and exploring along the stream and under the waterfall. It is such a magical place for little legs to enjoy some freedom and get close to nature. Still a favourite of ours!

Water-Breaks-Its-Neck 

From the car park follow the track down the hill, past the information sign, and into the woods.

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the bottom of the hill you will come to a flatter, stoney area with a stream running through it.The path to the waterfall is on your left and runs down the right hand side of the stream.

We spent a lot of time splashing here, but be careful, some of the rocks are slippy for younger wanderers.

Follow the path next to the stream into the ravine with moss covered trees stretching up into the sky. Take some time to stand still and look up, the trees are pretty impressive.

As you turn a corner you see a wall of water and rocks standing in your way. Depending on recent rainfall you might hear the waterfall long before you see it. This wander took place on a damp summers day and we were able to walk right up to the waterfall. Our little adventurer loved putting her hands in the waterfall and watching the ‘bubbles.’

When you have finished exploring turn around and head back to the junction with the main track. As you approach you can see the stream entering a tunnel. We had a great time standing at either end and calling to each other.

On the opposite side of the track (where the tunnel comes out) is a lovely bridge and stream area, you might enjoy looking for trolls underneath it….

If you are doing the shorter walk, now is the time to head back up the main track to the car park, retracing your steps.

For those heading out on the longer loop, take the trail that forks off the path to the waterfall, heading up the slope (see map below if this is unclear). This part of the wander is a little steep and our wanderer required a hand to help her along.

You will come to a fork in the trail, take the left hand fork that seems to turn back on itself slightly. From here to the top of the slope is very steep and slippy. Most wanderers will need some help or even picking up to get to the top.

There are some way-markers on the path up as other trails join on, keep going up, past a house on your right until you come to a fork. Take the left fork to head across the top of the waterfall.

This part of the path has a steep drop on the left hand side and does not have a fence, so keep your little wanderers close! You will walk over a bridge where the stream that feeds into waterfall flows under. Be careful here too, there is a steep slope on the right hand side of the path.

Now you will start wandering down a much gentler slope with a wider path through the trees and a fence on your left. This will take you all the way down to the main track just before the entry to the car park.

Use this map to guide you on your way. Click to enlarge.

Click on the maps below to view them on ViewRanger.

The OS grid reference is SO 187 598.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This trail is in Warren Wood which is maintained by National Resources Wales. They have some good information on their website.

Directions: From the New Radnor direction, after a mile look out for a brown advance warning sign for parking and information on your right. Turn here and go through the first parking area and follow the forest road uphill for Warren Wood car park.

Happy wandering,

The Beckingham family

Forest Holidays site in the Forest of Dean to Symonds Yat viewpoint (and back again!) is an up and down woodland wander with absolutely breathtaking views over the Wye Valley. It is sheltered in the trees although the viewpoint is (obviously) high up and open so take care in wet/windy weather. This is a longer than usual wander so we’d recommend a carrier or off-road pushchair for tired legs. At the viewpoint there are toilets and refreshments. It is possible to visit a pub in the valley below the viewpoint and wander back to the site along the river bank, however there are alot of steps and the walk back is longer so take a look at the route before going this way. 

Forest Holidays to Symonds Yat (and back again!)

Distance: almost 4 1/2 miles

Time: a couple of hours (it took us over 3 hours including hanging out at the viewpoint for a while)

Guide

Begin at the Forest Retreat where there’s a handy map of local walking routes.

There is a car park on the opposite side of the road to the Forest Retreat if you are not staying nearby.

From the Forest Retreat turn left down the hill, there is a footpath on the other side of the road.

Follow the Public Footpath sign on the right..

… into the woods.

Perfect for off-road exploring.

At this junction follow the yellow arrow straight ahead.

Down a bit of a hill, keep following the yellow arrows.

Logs are just made for balancing.

Follow the path around to the right, more yellow arrows!

Grab a lift with an Auntie if you’ve got one around..

The next downhill section was quite muddy. If it’s been wet you’ll need some muscle and determination with an off-road pushchair (especially on the way back).

We saw loads of frogspawn in the ditches at the side of the track.

For a while the track is level and stoney.

Straight on here. This is a road so watch out for vehicles.

There are some lovely info boards for children to discover more about the trees.

The track remains level and wide.. great for running really far ahead but still within sight!

Careful crossing another small road.

The path now runs by the side of a bigger road and into a car park.

Keep an eye out for those yellow arrows…

..and continue towards the viewpoint ahead.

Rocks really are THE BEST FUN!

Just past the refreshments building, on the left, are some steps that lead down to a viewpoint where the views of the Wye Valley are breathtaking.

To the left is a walkway (no steps) leading over the road to another viewing area where the views are just as stunning.

And a handy bench where our smallest adventurer had some boob with a view.

Lots of information about the area…

There is a path down the steep valley to the river at the bottom. We sent Daddy for a look, there are ALOT of steps. However there is a pub at the bottom and a riverside path back to Forest Holidays if you’re after a circular walk; it is a longer route so check a map beforehand.

 

After spending a while admiring the views we popped into the toilets before heading back the same way. Our adventurer was tired so we strapped her into the pushchair (and popped baby in a sling) where she fought sleep until we were almost home!!

Click on the map below to view it on ViewRanger.

The OS grid reference is:

start of walk: SO568129

viewpoint: SO564160

This walk begins at Forest Holidays site in the Forest of Dean and goes to Symonds Yat viewpoint all of which is maintained by the Forestry Commission.

Directions: The Forest Retreat is at the entrance to the Forest Holidays site. For detailed directions from the website click here.

Happy wandering,

The Beckingham Family