It seems that most of what we saw a couple of weeks ago may have been Sea Trout, rather than your actual Salmon.
This one though is almost certainly a salmon, and a successful salmon at that.
I got this clip on my iPad running slo-motion mode and then a heck of a lot of editing to get just the key part. It was on Monday and I saw five in all, but only this one on film.
Since then it’s just been cold and wet standing by the waterfall without seeing anything. How do these professional wildlife photographers and camerament do it!
It was like a scene from an Alaskan wildlife film, tumbling waters and leaping salmon. Was there a bear there trying to catch them? I’ll leave that to your imagination!
It is many, many years since we had seen salmon on the river and then usually further up in the shallows as they lay there spawning. But now we have the new field we have the perfect salmon leap waterfall and the opportunity to stand and watch.
It was by chance that, one morning after reading my rain gauge, I sauntered down the river to see how the overnight rain had raised the water level. I was just turning away when something caught my eye.
We’d heard from a friend in Llangenny that the salmon had been spotted down there, so maybe one had managed to get up to us. Yes, there it was again – or maybe it was a different one. After being sure that I wasn’t seeing things, I ran back up to get Sue and together we watched as about a dozen forced their way through the churning water and launched themselves – with varying degrees of skill and luck – at the four- or five-foot high barrier in front of them.
Surely it must be trial and error, for the waters were so rough and muddy that they wouldn’t have been able to see where they were going. But they kept on and some surely must have made it.
Many weren’t as big as we would have expected, maybe sea trout rather than salmon, but some were a reasonable (main course) size!
We watched for three or four days then there were no more. It was almost impossible to get a picture of them. One had no inkling of when one would break the surface and the jump lasted for less than a second. Even with finger poised over the camera button all we got was water! I tried leaving the video running for more than ten minutes at one stage, but they were being particularly camera shy and again all I got was water.
Our neighbour Nick did manage to capture a video – slowed down 10x here! – of this small one – probably a sea trout – which looked as though it didn’t make it, but otherwise you will just have to believe us.
Post script: Via the wonders of social media, I’ve been informed that what we were seeing were indeed trout and that the salmon should be coming soon. Thanks @LoveYFenni. Back to river watching for me then.
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.
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.
