For those of you who are still not on our newsletter mailing list – it’s easy and doesn’t cost a penny! – here’s what would have come winging into your Inbox a few days ago.
Packed with the usual interesting articles, but this time with a timely piece about gardens and health (on page 5). Much research has been undertaken, some of it sponsored by the National Garden Scheme and the results point strongly to the relationship between gardens and good health (try telling that to my back after a day’s digging!). The NGS also donates funds to both Horatio’s Gardens – at spinal injury care hospitals and Maggie’s – for cancer care units.
OK, it’s not being called a pandemic, but the spread of Chalara, the Ash die-back disease, seems even more prevalent around here than Covid.
Over the past few years the ash trees that line our valley road have been looking sicker and sicker. Later to leaf up, sooner to drop leaves and going thinner on top than a cartoon monk.
Early last year Natural Resources Wales (what most people will remember as the Forestry Commission) started lopping ash branches hanging over roads and removing whole trees where they were concerned about them falling and injuring someone.
A year ago we purchased the field just below the house. It runs between the river and the road and we realised that there was a sizeable copse of ash right next to the road and most of them were looking sick. Also a copse in the garden by the treehouse were showing symptoms too.
It’s not easy making the decision to have to remove such wonderful trees. First there’s the cost of having tree surgeons in to do it safely, then there’s the worry that perhaps the trees might recover if left to their own devices. and there’s the loss of a part of the landscape. But overriding all of these is the concern of what might happen if due to the disease one fell and crushed a car or cyclist. Having been very nearly crushed by a huge oak some years back, I know how scary and potentially fatal that can be.
So it was with a heavy heart that we called in our friendly – and scarily efficient – local tree surgeon, Matt Corran, for a professional view. Unfortunately, he agreed with our prognosis and managed to fit us into his incredibly busy schedule.
Earlier this week he and his team member Kieran, turned up at the crack of dawn – well 8.15 to be honest! – and set to on the roadside trees. Within minutes he was climbing like a monkey into the highest branches of the first tree – chosen because it was in the middle of a bunch of trees so he could swing from one to another like Tarzan – but on carefully secured ropes rather than jungly tendrils!
Matt, about 50ft up in the air!
It wasn’t long before the first branches came tumbling down – all carefully kept away from the stone wall – and a bare trunk of about 30 feet was left. Enter Kieran to administer the coup de grace, dropping it exactly where planned.
Spot the tree surgeon!
This process continued all day until we decided to leave the last trunk – it is far enough from the road and if it does fall one day only a few fish might come off the worse for wear – as both a symbolic totem and a new drilling site for the woodpeckers.
Now all I have to do is tidy up the branches and chip them and somehow drag out the trunks and other pieces to the road so I can get them to the yard and the firewood stacks. What took Matt and Kieran a day will probably take me a month!
After a bit of tidying up in the garden bit
The following day it was the turn of those by the treehouse. No climbing this time, but some very accurate felling by Kieran and some helpful winching by Matt and another dozen ash trees lay on the ground.
All very sad and a story being enacted all over the country as one of the most widespread and iconic British trees succumb to this disease, imported from somewhere else as part of the globalisations of trade and lack of careful controls.
Wonderful lichen on the felled trunks
I recommend a small book written by the late tree guru Oliver Rackham called The Ash Tree, published by Little Toller Press in 2014. Written in response to the first noticings of chalara in 2012. Only about 170 small size pages with lots of photos and illustrations, but most importantly written in the easy style for which Rackham was noted. He was a lovely man and once sat here at the same table where i am typing this when he came to the valley in search of ancient beech trees.
We look forward to welcoming you back to Nantybedd Garden in 2021. Please keep an eye on this page for details. We expect to be opening at the normal times, but via a pre-booking system to ensure manageable numbers in these difficult times
As previous years we will be open from Friday 2nd July until Sunday 26th September on Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons from 2pm until 6pm. We will also be open on Bank Holiday afternoons.
Please remember that we will also open ‘By Appointment’ at other times, but we do require you to contact us in advance. Discounts do not apply to these openings.
We will open for the National Garden Scheme (NGS) on May 30th and 31st via pre-booking on the NGS website
For more details see the Visit our garden section of this site, which includes information about accessibility.
Newsletter – Sign up now
We’re now offering a two-monthly newsletter sent to your e-mail inbox. This will give details of ‘pop-up’ openings, for example in the Spring for daffs and bluebells.
If you’d like to be on the list and ‘in the know’ send us your e-mail details to garden@nantybedd.com.
We promise not to use your info for anything but the newsletter.
Eco-Opening
We do also open occasionally for the Monmouthshire Eco-Open Doors programme. If you are interested in any of our various eco-features (hydro, woodburners, organic growing, natural swimming pond etc.) give us a call to arrange a visit.
Courses and Groups
If you would like to attend a course (see Courses and Events), bring a group to Nant-y-Bedd or even run your own course in our 6.5 acres of garden, woodland and river, just drop us an e-mail - address below - and we can discuss your needs.
We have had a 52 seat coach get here without any problem, so don't be concerned about narrow roads if thinking of a group visit
Sue gives talks to Garden Clubs, U3A, WI and similar organisations. As above, drop us an e-mail.
How to find us
Before you start, use your Sat Nav if you must, but be prepared to be sent in all sorts of odd directions. Much better to follow the directions below.
Nant y Bedd is found 4.5 miles up the road towards the Grwyne Fawr Reservoir, in the area known as Fforest Coal Pit, Abergavenny.
We are about equi-distant from Abergavenny and Crickhowell, around 10 miles. From ABERGAVENNY take the A465 Abergavenny to Hereford road and turn off at LLANFIHANGEL CRUCORNEY.
Coming from HEREFORD direction turn off the A465 at LLANFIHANGEL CRUCORNEY.
By the Skirrid Inn (in Llanfihangel Crucorney) turn down the hill (following signs for Llanthony), bear left at the bottom of the hill and continue for about a mile, passing under a railway bridge. Turn left at the signpost for Llanbedr, Patrishow and Fforest Coal Pit.
After a mile and a half you will arrive at Five Ways junction. Take the road to the Grwyne Fawr reservoir, passing the grey telephone box and over a river bridge.
From CRICKHOWELL take the turning by the Fire Station towards Llanbedr. Follow signs to Fforest Coal Pit (sometimes just Fforest) until you reach a house in the 'middle of the road'. Bear left down the hill and you will arrive at Five Ways junction. Take the road to the Grwyne Fawr reservoir, passing the grey telephone box.
The post code for sat-navvers (if you insist!) is NP7 7LY, but when the voice tells you that you've arrived, you will probably be opposite a house called Ty Hir. Keep going for another half mile and you will come to Nant y Bedd.
It really is only 4.5 miles from the grey telephone box, but if you don't know the road it will seem further - don't give up!! Keep an eye open for the small "this way" signs at junctions.
The house is on the left hand side of the road and there are large sheds on the right hand side. There's also a small red Post Box just by the front gate.
For NGS Open Garden Days parking is usually in one of the forest roads just before the house and will be signposted. On other days please park alongside the tin roofed shed on the righthand side of the road.
For fellow aficionados of OS Maps, the grid reference is
SO 25705 26869
IMPORTANT: We have discovered that Google Maps has decided that one of the roads mentioned above doesn't exist!! To avoid a number of very narrow lanes coming out of Abergavenny, please do not rely on Google Maps directions, but stick to what is written above, via Llanfihangel Crucorney.
