Our guests in the self catering cottage accomodation have had a brilliant weekend. They arrived Thursday afternoon and immediately set off on bike rides and walks. Saturday was expected to be wet so they kept Friday for local activities, and went to the Hay Festival and the book shops of Hay. Today, Sunday we all went for one of our favorite walks: from the top end of Carreg Ddu Reservoir past Penygarreg dam to Craig Goch dam. A feature, at the moment, are these very sculptural trees that have been left when the conifers were felled around them.
We’re not used to so many people! But then it was the Sunday of a Bank Holiday weekend. Penygarreg is quite full at the moment, surprising, because the lower lakes are showing quite extensive beaches around the waterline. 2006 was the last time that the drowned village appeared from under the water. The water reserve is not bad at the moment, but if this drought last much longer we may have another chance to inspect it.
These are our guests, Kevin, Marie and Jessica, who live in Lancashire. Here Maggie is showing them the inforamtion board about the wooden shop building, used to sell food to the dam builders. It was drowned when the lake was filled. Being wood, it floated to the surface, and was dragged ashore, and placed above the water line, where it was inhabited by a preacher who held prayer meetings in the farms and churches of the area.
Up at the top dam Jess, who had been complaining about the length of the walk suddenly found fresh energy to tackle the climb to the hilltop. Her example encouraged others to have a go too.