Electric car charging, Green Key Site accreditation, Visit Wales & PV solar

As 2020 gets into full swing, we’ve been reflecting on some of our highlights from 2019. We’re really proud to have had a year which has seen us lowering our carbon footprint even further.

Firstly, a huge ‘Thank you’ to all our guests who have either discovered us during this past year, or who have returned. We really enjoy meeting you all and sharing Llwynbwch farm, the beauty of the Twyi Valley and all that Carmarthenshire has to offer and we’re genuinely grateful that you have chosen Under Starry Skies for your holiday.

2019 started with a wonderful flurry of snow which we loved (especially Adam, who gets possibly more excited than our kids!) February was a great month; firstly we were delighted to hear we’d been included in Wild Guide Wales: Hidden Places, Great Adventures and the Good Life, a travel guide from Wild Things Publishing. We were pleased Visit Wales awarded Llwynbwch Barn four stars and accredited Hafan and Derwen as a ‘Quality Assured Glamping Site’. Lastly, we were super happy to have our electric vehicle charger fitted by Zero Carbon world. After providing electric hook up for a number of guests with electric cars during 2018, we decided to upgrade to a charger and take another small step towards Under Starry Skies offering low carbon holidays.

April saw the return of the wood anenomes down by the river and through the woods here at Llwynbwch farm. Although we have lived here for almost eight years now we’re always amazed by the swathes, which seem to increase year on year. May brought the bluebells, which are equally stunning, both in their intense colour and sheer numbers down in the woods beyond the cabins. As a family we also enjoyed visiting National Trust Dinefwr’s Castle Woods and Coed Tregib, both in Llandeilo, which had incredible carpets of bluebells this year. If you haven’t stayed in Llwynbwch Barn or Hafan & Derwen cabins during bluebell season, do come and see them for yourself! As the bluebells died down, the wildflowers in the meadows started their show, including yellow rattle, devil’s bit scabious, helleborines, many common spotted orchids and at least 7 greater butterfly-orchids, the most we have counted here at Llwynbwch. This year our friend Charlotte from Clyn Wallis Apiary in nearby Gwernogle established a further two beehives in the meadows, as the previous year had done so well. She harvested a satisfying large amount of honey, which is now available for our guests to purchase. We noted many butterflies and day-flying moths, damselflies and dragonflies. The wildlife ponds were full of life and we took great pleasure in watching the heron arrive most days. Throughout the year guests have seen and heard bats, owls and the groups of deer, along with signs of badgers. We still haven’t spotted an otter, although we’ve definitely seen footprints and plenty of spraints.

In May we were able to realise our long term goal of installing PV solar for Llwynbwch Barn and our own home, providing both buildings with low carbon electricity. When demand is higher than that can provide, we continue to use electricity from Ecotricity.

In July we were delighted to become a Green Key site. The Green Key award is a leading standard of excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry. This prestigious eco-label represents a commitment by businesses that their tourism establishments adhere to the strict criteria as stipulated by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).

August saw the return of the horses and cattle for our annual meadow grazing, after the wildflowers had finished flowering and set seeds. We love having the stock on the land and always enjoy their return. Whilst they are gentle animals, they certainly do their best at checking on the fencing, often giving us extra work by barging through week points in hedges to find tastier titbits!

Autumn once again found us making chutneys from apples and fruit grown here at Llwynbwch.

The year came to an end with a lovely surprise, Hafan and Derwen cabins were included in the Sunday Telegraph magazine’s cover story on cabin stays article about cabin stays.

We hope to welcome you to Under Starry Skies in 2020!
Lou & Adam