Colby Woodland Garden

As part of an extended weekend in Wales visiting family back in July, we finally made it to Colby Woodland Garden. We've driven past it countless times over the years but as usual never stopped. It's clear the moment you arrive that this is a lovely place. The garden sits in a wooded valley with meadows running along the bottom and a beautiful house tucked up at its head. The valley sides climb steeply away on either side, almost alpine in feel, with plenty of paths to walk up and around. We took our time wandering through and had a look around the walled garden which felt tranquil, with formal plantings, a little Victorian Gothic gazebo with water features and sculptures dotted throughout. The wooded slopes are worth exploring too, eight acres of mature trees with old mining equipment left in place as part of the landscape rather than hidden away. There are several marked trails to choose from, and we walked to Amroth beach which takes around 20-25 minutes. Most of it is easy going,…