20% off all stays at Harp Cottage from 1 November until 19 December. Come and enjoy autumn walks, the Hay Festival Winter Weekend, the local pub, light the wood burner, curl up with a glass of wine. Peaceful, stylish, relaxing (no TV, just books, games & stars).

20% off £300 short breaks, now £240 (saving £60).  Week long breaks £525, now £420 (saving £105).

To book please call or email us.

• telephone: 0777 9737829
• email harpcottage@gmail.com

Local events in November and December  –

The Hay Festival Winter Weekend – 28 -30 November http://www.hayfestival.com

The Small Picture Show at St Michael’s Church, Discoed near Presteigne –  7 to 10 November www.discoed.org

Kington Festive Food and Drink Festival –  6 December

Leominster Victorian Street Market – 13 December

The Royal Welsh Winter Fair – 1 & 2 December http://www.rwas.co.uk/winter-fair/

Beech trees, Old Radnor hill, September 2014

A run of fine clear days recently, and the early autumn night sky has been astonishing, with the Milky Way clearly visible over the Cottage and the sky a mass of stars; mid-Wales has one of the darkest skies in the UK, and even a well-lit town like Presteigne has impressive night skies.  A pity my camera can’t photograph stars!  The trees behind the Cottage are changing colour, with the chestnuts as always changing first;  there are also a handful of enormous beech trees which are beginning to turn.  The weather has been mild and settled since the end of the summer, with only a faint coolness to the evenings.  A lovely, peaceful time of year, settled and full of gentle colour.

Hedgerow blackberries, Harp Cottage, September 2014

Warm days in Old Radnor, too warm this week to shift the first delivery of firewood of the autumn.  They say wood warms you twice, once in the cutting and once in the burning, but three times seems more appropriate; once in the cutting, once in the stacking and once in the burning.  But a great feeling of satisfaction to see the woodstore full and the lengths of wood safe and dry.  We also took the opportunity to gather a few blackberries, enough to make a few pots of jam.  The trees above the Cottage are starting to change colour with the shorter days and the cooler nights.  But September is a lovely time in this part of mid-Wales, and this has been a golden month.

Stacked firewood and September sunshine, Harp Cottage, 2014

Pear orchards, Dunkertons, near Pembridge

A visit to Dunkertons last week. This is an organic cider company which is a major concern, supplying lots of local pubs and shops including Waitrose. It is a hard-working, successful modern business, but it is tucked away down slightly overgrown lanes which wind through their own orchards near Pembridge, about 20 minutes from the Cottage. The best thing about it is the shop, where you can buy bottled ciders and perries but also turn up with a 1.5 litre water bottle and they will make up a blend for you from their barrels. The shop is an old, rescued building and seems steeped in cider; the air smells of apples and a kick of alcohol, and the sunlight seems to stagger in and out through the doorways. There is now a cafe at Dunkertons too. It is a great place, friendly and welcoming; one day it will be possible to simply never leave.

Dunkertons, near Pembridge

A glorious start to the autumn, warm sunshine and long September days.  We were up at the Cottage to take delivery of our first consignment of firewood for the cooler days, and also harvested some of the bumper crop of plums!  2014 has been our best year for plums so far.  The blackberry bushes around the war memorial were also full of fruit.  Great views as usual across to the Radnor Forest.