Green Saturday

Recently Clare and I haven't had many Saturdays when both of us have been free for an outing together. Today was an exception, and we woke up to wind and rain. Nevertheless, we decided to use our newly acquired National Trust membership cards, and drove out of town to the nearest place we could visit - Dyffryn House and Gardens. It's a grand Victorian property, fruit of the immense wealth which coal and the shipping industry brought to South Wales in another era. It's been used for public functions since I was a boy, having been leased for a thousand years to the then Glamorgan County Council by its owner Sir Cenydd Traherne. 

I recall visiting to see an open air production of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream early in secondary school, and I think I went to a sixth form conference there too. Speaking of Sir Cenydd, as a student in St Mike's forty five years ago, I was sent out to St George's super Ely to preach at Evensong in the summer, and Sir Cenydd and Lady Rowena Traherne were among the handful of people in the congregation of this delightful mediaeval country church, gracious and charming. His son Roddy still farms in the area, and has leased some of his land for the natural burial ground which sits on a hilltop overlooking Cardiff. 

By the time we'd reached Bonvilston & St Nicholas parish, n the way to Dyffryn, the rain had reduced to a drizzle. It meant we could stop at the Tinkinswood megalithic burial site, on the edge of a wood, overshadowed by a huge electricity pylon. The site is a brief walk through fields, made more accessible thanks to the  work of CADW.

On our way home we also stopped to look at the St Lythans megalithic tomb, no more than a mile away. It's sited dramatically in an open field at the brow of a hill, just off the road.

Both places have an audio broadcasting device, powered by a wind-up mechanism, rigged to the visitor information board. Ingenious! There are more photos here.

We greatly enjoyed our walk around the 55 acre grounds as the weather improved, and gave us a few patches of blue sky. In addition to the gardens, the house was taken on this year by the National Trust.

The house is in the process of being restored, and just five of its dozens of rooms are visitable, in addition to the main entrance, corridors and staircases. It's a fine building in opulent French Chateau style with lots of wood panelling and fine fireplaces. Some of its features were lost as an abortive attempt had been made to 'modernise' it into an hotel. Restoration includes acquiring similar panelling and ornate fireplaces rescued from other buildings of the period which could not be saved. Such an admirable way to conserve excellently crafted pieces of furnishing.

Several rooms although empty are equipped for use by school parties, in complete fidelity to the habitual use of the place by the local education authority over the past sixty years. I can see us returning here through the different seasons. Garden views will continue to change in a way that never disappoints. Photos are here.