Hot summer days, hazy afternoons and golden evenings. I don’t know about you, but this feels like the hottest, driest summer since I was about ten years old? No rain here for weeks and weeks, the grass is scorched everywhere and everything that should be lush is leaning towards the ground. Our garden is battling on and we have been lugging watering cans about to keep the pots and veg garden going. But I am not complaining, my heart has been filled with a wondrous nostalgia and my spirits are high.
We are used to holidaying at home in the summer months as there is so much renovating to do around this place (inside and out), but after meeting kindred spirit Andrea over on Instagram we were delighted to fly the coop as she very kindly invited to come and stay for a few days at her beautiful eco-house Wild Meadow.
So we found ourselves on the road to sunny Wales at the beginning of July to meet our friends and hide out in some seriously serene surroundings, it was a lovely getaway from the screen and desk and a much appreciated early birthday treat for Dean. This summer has been so amazing and it was lovely to experience the sunshine in Wales and then to be able to hide away inside such a comfy abode when the heat got too much.
This beautiful wood clad house set in a meadow of tall waving grasses and rustling wildflowers is a relaxing home from home, tucked down a lane only a few minutes away from a bustling town (not that you’d know it). You feel delightfully remote but also at ease with the knowledge that supplies are not far away. But even more amazing – we discovered lots of delicious ingredients to forage from the berry patch and vegetable garden.
A mix of flowers and food have been lovingly grown here for guests to enjoy while they visit. I think this is such a lovely idea, an extra level of thoughtfulness from our hosts and much excitement for us! We gathered berries for breakfast, fresh mange tout for a salad to accompany our dinner and flowers for our table.
We spent our days not doing much, walking, slowly gathering fruits, vegetables and herbs and preparing some delicious meals.
Wild Meadow has everything you need and more than you expect – wooden swings up on a high bank under the shade of the most enormous oak tree, white currents to top your morning muesli, a shepherds hut and outdoor kitchen, fruit trees, and of course the most magical meadow that is all yours for your stay.
The magic of the meadow changes at all different times of the day, the sun just skimming the tops of the grass at dawn, butterflies fluttering in the midday sun, the shimmer of golden hour and the sweet hum of a thousand crickets at night. The sun setting here with views over the hills and a pale gold glow all around feel like everything you could possibly need.
Whilst we were visiting we went on one mini road trip to meet friends in Carmarthenshire and explored the local area a little (not really wanting to leave the meadow much) – one evening we drove over to the Harp at Old Radnor for dinner, it’s up on a steep hillside and well worth it for the view alone but an ice cold ale or cider will do nicely too. For a lovely lunch on another day we chose The Workhouse Gallery, I had a delicious gazpacho (the best I’ve tasted) and remember to keep your eyes on the food and the table if you don’t want to spend too much in their lovely shop!
Three whole days to recharge and relax with nothing pressing to do, really felt like a good break and a bit of a luxury. When you work for yourself and from home, it can more often than not – be difficult to switch off entirely. On our last morning, we finished up our collected berries with breakfast and waved a sad goodbye each other and to Wild Meadow – one of the loveliest places we’ve ever stayed xx