Walk along the old Elan Valley Railway

This spectacular trail climbs past three reservoirs in the heart of beautiful, mountainous Mid Wales following the line of the old Birmingham Corporation Railway, which was built to help construct the  Elan Valley reservoirs. These were built between 1892 and 1904 

The ride climbs 165 ft from the Elan Valley Visitor Centre past Caban Coch and Garreg Ddu Reservoirs with their fine dams and an ornamental water tower, to the end of Penygarreg Reservoir leaving you with a very fine descent back to the start. 

Foel Tower in Puddle

Rainbows

Tynllidiart House

Waterfalls












Foel in Black and white

Farming and Snow

I love snow. It transforms the landscape for a time, features you may not have noticed can suddenly stand proud and become rediscovered to your eye. As well as its beauty Snow reminds me of its potential difficulties and hardships. We have had to manage 3 months without electricity in one particularly snowy winter. Then our water froze in -15 temperatures.We pulled visitors out of snow drifts and have had to cope with lambing in snowdrifts. Where I can recollect wandering the moonlit hills listening for the bleating of lambs on the hills. Our food was kept in a dustbin in the yard to keep the food frozen as the freezer could not get the electricity and we had to get water from the spout at the back of the house..... it was like returning 50 years ago and adapting and coping the best you can. It made me realise how one other property in the Valley in the 1947 snow storm used all their wood in the house (floorboards and furniture) to provide fuel for a fire. I have tasted real snow here, but those years is still told in the hills by the older gents. Below i have added some photos of good snow times and stock yesterday, before it had all melted. I haven't put the settings.... i need to get out now and sort out some of the jobs on the list! All taken of the dogs playing with a canon 100 - 400 lens on 5D3. x

Taff in the snow

You can`t see me !

Herdwick girls waiting for food

King of the Castle, Herdwick Tup

I think I look pretty wearing the mountains

Necklace of moss, bracken and snow.

The Wolf

Taff has style.

Jusy the Beardie

Why oh why white! happiest little scruffy Dog

The Fox - Sky

Jess

Jim the Huntaway, does not work but guards                                                                     hens - very important!

Herdwick Girl

www.facebook.com/ElanValleyMidWales

And snow fluttered down onto the upper hills

It was a white and wintery scene yesterday morning as I looked out from the window. Snow had fallen on the hills and I could not wait to get to my camera. So as soon as jobs were done I rushed off to get some snowy valley shots. The landscape is always amplifies by the snow, a treat to eyes that are so familiar with the landscape. I went out armed with my tripod, an ND filter and 35mm camera. The light was so amazing I hoped the photos I took would do justice to the landscape... and justify the unusual colour the light was casting.

Claerwen Dam F16 1/8 ISO 100 Exp Bias +0.7 35mm

Craig Goch Dam and Reservoir F7.1 1/25 ISO 100 Exp Bias +0.7 35mm

David Vincent Lewis Memorial Bench F8 1/15 ISO 100 Exp Bias +0.7 35mm

I have always loved stopping here, is it the view is it the connection with the bench?

View from the house - easy breakfast view.  F8 1/2 ISO 100 Exp Bias +0.7 35mm

Penygarreg Island and Troedrhiwdrain Planting (Gwaelod) 

F8 1/10 ISO 100 Exp Bias +0.7 35mm

Craig Goch Dam F7.1 1/8 ISO 100 Exp Bias +0.7 35mm

Craig Goch snow touched. F7.1 1/20 ISO 100 Exp Bias +0.7 35mm

Craig Goch a dam for all seasons. F7.1 1/10 ISO 100 Exp Bias +0.7 35mm

Over the stile. F7.1 1/25 ISO 100 Exp Bias +0.7 35mm

I returned back to the farm after and then took out my 100 - 400 lens to get some photos of the livestock and dogs.... I will post those soon for you....