Cymru bound

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Pembrokeshire trip, part 1

On May 19th we drove to Pembrokeshire for a week, our first time in this area. My metal detecting club initiated the trip, and we arranged accommodation in Spring Cottage at Rosemoor, Walwyn’s Castle. This delightful group of holiday accommodations is run by a Dutch couple. John and Jacqui Janssen. Spring Cottage was one  of the estate worker’s cottages and had been modernised to the highest standard.  The area was remote, peaceful and beautiful. Rosemoor has a nature reserve which adjoins the property and it was great to wander along the lane to the entrance and walk through the meadow down to the lake where many Canada Geese had made themselves at home. I often visited in the morning and evening hoping for a sighting of kingfisher or otter, but no luck. We found Rosemoor to be a perfect place for visiting coastal destinations and I spent many afternoons at Martin’s Haven, from where the Skomer Island trips depart.  I’ll devote a blog to each area of interest. Puffins and Choughs will feature!

December note: We received a newsletter from John and Jacqui which mentioned that
Rosemoor was featured in the 2012 ITV series 'Holiday Home Sweet Home' Series 1 Episode 11. We watched this and were pleased to see that Rosemoor received an excellent review. It we return to Pembrokeshire we will stay at Rosemoor again.

My other Pembrokeshire blogs:
http://colinknight.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/choughs-at-west-hook-cliffs.html
http://colinknight.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/dowrog-common-newgale-and-dale.html
http://colinknight.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/puffin-heaven-at-skomerpuffin-heaven.html

photos of the whole trip:
http://www.colinknightimages.com/UK/Pembrokeshire2012

The grounds of Rosemoor:

The Coach House

Childrens play area

The driveway

We could sit on these seats and enjoy the fabulous view across the nature reserve

The Coach House had a veranda and chairs in the garden

The garden where the hens did their free-range thing

The apple tree outside our kitchen window where we saw a
Greater-spotted Woodpecker and a Jay one morning

Great Spotted Woodpecker, Dendrocopos major

Spring Cottage

Chelsea move over, these verges are the real thing:

Rosemoor Nature Reserve:

Buzzard, Buteo buteo

Buzzard, Buteo buteo

The buzzard landed in this tree and surveyed its territory

Canada Geese, Branta canadensis

Canada Geese, Branta canadensis

Canada Goose, Branta canadensis

Canada Geese, Branta canadensis

Charlock, Sinapis arvensis

Dandelion, Taraxacum officinale

Greater stitchwort, Stellaria holostea

Greater stitchwort, Stellaria holostea

Sue's favourite furniture

damselfly

Red Campion, Silene dioica

Lakeside view point

Umbillifer

Southern Marsh Orchid, Dactylorhiza praetamissa

Early Purple Orchid, Orchis mascula

Speckled Wood, Parage aegeria

Weevil, Phyllobius pomaceus

White-lipped snail, Cepaea hortensis

Yellow Iris, Iris pseudacorus

A walk round the reserve leads uphill to St James Church and the Iron Age fort:

stone style

Iron Age fort