We decided to take advantage of the sunshine today and went for a walk. We went up Lady Bagot's Drive, so called (by repute) because it is the back road up to Pool Park the N Wales home of Lord Bagot. It is said that Lady Bagot used to come down here to meet her lover........How it actually got it's name is irrelevant really, but it is fab for a good walk. If you do the whole thing it is probably 6 or 7 miles, but you can change direction in various places so we took a slightly shorter route and probably did about 5 miles.
The start of the drive, off the main A525 is over the "Bridge over the river of blood" so named because a man died in the river during the Civil War. The walk takes us along the river Clewedog following it back upstream. 
The water is really clear at the moment, there has been rain recently (so the track we walked on was quite muddy) but the river looked gorgeous! In fact it was so inviting that David decided to try it out!
When we first moved here the boys (Huh?!) and I used to come up the drive most days - sometimes with the ponies but frequently with a picnic and towels and they would have a play and splash in the river. There is a part that is channeled off and the water is deeper and still by the side of that channel - almost like a mini swimming pool, as we are all quite strong swimmers, it was never a problem, they never went without me though!
The wild flowers a
longside the track were beautiful. I remember at school in the summer term we used to have a "wild flower" competition and had to collect and name as many as we could - stars being awarded for various numbers (I have a vague idea it being something like 25, 75, 125) I can still name a few, but most have slipped from the memory - I will dig out my book and look them up. The colours are so fantastic I've been inspired to do some reproduction work in the dyehouse! Perhaps I should name a colour collection after the flowers - I obviously won't use the flowers themselves to dye, it wouldn't get me very far, but the names, well they're romantic aren't they - and have an historic slant! A friend is often asking me to dye "Columbine" colour!
longside the track were beautiful. I remember at school in the summer term we used to have a "wild flower" competition and had to collect and name as many as we could - stars being awarded for various numbers (I have a vague idea it being something like 25, 75, 125) I can still name a few, but most have slipped from the memory - I will dig out my book and look them up. The colours are so fantastic I've been inspired to do some reproduction work in the dyehouse! Perhaps I should name a colour collection after the flowers - I obviously won't use the flowers themselves to dye, it wouldn't get me very far, but the names, well they're romantic aren't they - and have an historic slant! A friend is often asking me to dye "Columbine" colour! Talking of flowers my dye garden is coming along well! Here they are - my 2 Weld plants. Self seeded of course an
d could they have chosen a better place? I guess not! Have to be careful when we move the gas bottle now! Maybe it won't move for quite a while! This is just outside the dyehouse door, and I've no idea what is in the black rubbish bag - probably sawdust as it is also just outside John's workshop too! There is also masses of nettles and Lady's Bedstraw not far from here - but cultivated plants, not a chance!
d could they have chosen a better place? I guess not! Have to be careful when we move the gas bottle now! Maybe it won't move for quite a while! This is just outside the dyehouse door, and I've no idea what is in the black rubbish bag - probably sawdust as it is also just outside John's workshop too! There is also masses of nettles and Lady's Bedstraw not far from here - but cultivated plants, not a chance! 
