Riverside Clean Up

Getting Ready for the Fishing Season.

Fly fishing season begins on March 3rd on the River Usk. Gliffaes Hotel has two and half miles of fishing on the Usk so before the season begins we have a day cleaning up the river bank, yesterday was the day. A lot of rubbish is brought down by the high winter flows on the river and before all the trees and shrubs spring into leaf makes this a good time to clean up.

We managed to fill a one tonne builder's bag with everything we found as this short video will show you.



Fishing at Gliffaes Hotel is open to non-residents but please call us on 01874 730 371 to check availability.

James Suter

A Day Out with The Lords' of The Marches

A visit to three Castles; Grosmont, Skenfrith and White Castle.

Almost a thousand years ago the border between England and Wales was definitely view by the English as the ‘Wild West’. The Celts were unruly and dangerous and the border lands, known as the Marches, had to be defended against the Welsh.  Around 1100 the Normans built a series of small castles to defend the lands that they had won control of in what is now Monmouthshire. 

With snow on the ground but a weak winter sun I decided to visit all three castles by bike but this trip can be more easily made by car. There is a 19 mile cross country footpath which connects all three but that was more than I had time for.  You can see all three thousand year old castles in a morning, travel on some very pretty rural lanes and enjoy coffee or lunch in a couple of fantastic local restaurants.

I started in Abergavenny, which is about 10 miles east of Gliffaes. I headed north to Grosmont Castle first, about 15 miles from Abergavenny.  Grosmont is a small place but amazingly still boasts a Tea Room, a pub and village shop come Post Office in the pretty centre of the village. Opposite the shop you will find the footpath to Grosmont Castle.

Having just read the 14th Centaury tale of chivalry and courtly love, ‘Sir Garwain & The Green Knight’, I could very much picture the feasting and revelry that took place in the Great Hall, the walls of which are still up to roof height.  I could also feel for the poor fellows on guard and how downright cold and miserable it would have been standing on the battlements in the middle of winter as I contemplated the snowy countryside. There is a good deal of the castle intact and the information boards dotted around give you enough of a feel to know how the castle expanded over the centuries before falling into disuse. The castle is maintained by CADW, the Welsh heritage body.

The 5 miles from Grosmont to Skenfrith along the B4347 make for perfect cycling. A mile or so steady climbing, pass the Pant-y-Seal Tea Room and Gardens before a sweeping descent down towards Skenfrith. Here you are welcomed by the happy sight of, ‘The Bell at Skenfrith’ right next to the bridge over the river Monow. I had a truly excellent coffee here but I also know from past experience that you can have a delicious lunch. The wine list is masterpiece, William Hutchings, who helps his wife in the running of The Bell, is passionate about wine and this come through in his award winning wine list.

Skenfrith Castle was clearly sited to overlook the ford on the River Monnow and is in much the same state as Grosmont Castle but larger. Opposite the castle and built at around the same time by the same man; Hubert du Burgh, is St Bridget’s Church.  This is an unusual church in that it has a small wooden bell tower, I didn’t go in but the Church’s website makes it clear that there are interesting things to see inside.

Fortified by my coffee and a banana I set off on the road back to Abergavenny. It was here that my resolve to visit all three castles failed me. Having cycled nearly 30 miles by the time I got to the turning to White Castle I bottled out as I was now keen to get home.  All I can tell you is that it is about 1 mile off the main road!

With the Skirrid Mountain in my sights, the final climb took me past the famous, ‘Walnut Tree’ restaurant. Run by chef and owner, Shaun Hill. Mr Hill has just earned a Michelin Star at the Walnut Tree and having had a wonderful birthday dinner there a couple of weeks ago this would be my lunch stop of choice after visiting all three castles.

35 miles later I was back in Abergavenny, not too much of a strain by bike and if you had driven my route from Gliffaes it would be around 55 miles. This could work out as a very pleasant morning’s drive followed by an excellent lunch before heading back to the hotel.

Tinkering with the Wine List

We have around 80 wines on the list not including Champagne, sparkling and  dessert wines, and I like to include types of wine from around the globe that really show off the best wine offerings and grape varieties. Today I pulled off a sales report from the last four months to see what is moving and what is not moving. It is never a surprise to me to see that the ‘big brand names’ of wine outsell all the others by a mile. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Rioja from Spain and Merlot from Chile all just fly off the bar and it is only with careful advice and recommendation that we can sell the more exotic wines. 

For instance, Chilean Merlot out sold a delicious blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon from Tuscany by 14:1. The only way to show guests what is out there is to re-assure them that going away from what they know about is very rewarding and can be a real revalation. In fact, what I do is to suggest that they order the bottle that I recommend and should they not like it I will drink it! This always works and I never get to drink the wine.  I really like it when I am asked for advice on what wine to choose and I don’t think that this is a sign of ignorance at all. Far from it, I have chosen and tasted all the wines and I should be able to recommend something to suit the food and the mood. Why drink something you drink a lot of at home?

I work very closely with a number of wine merchants, none more so that Patrick Pigny from Great Western Wine in Bath. Patrick, a very knowledgeable and charming Frenchman,  and the rest of Great Western Wine work hard to find wines from small hard working producers around the globe who do not want to sacrifice quality for quantity and sell they wine to supermarkets.

We have picked out some new wines to try and offer by the glass over the bar and also a Ribera del Duero from Spain, another Italian, two Portuguese wines and a Chateau Neuf de Pape style blend from California. These wines will be in the cellar and on the list within the next two weeks.  So please do not feel embarrassed about asking for help for the wine list – it is good for my ego.

Useful links:
Gliffaes Wine List 
Great Western Wine in Bath

A Dose of Winter Sunshine

I love bikes and with the sun shining for the first time in weeks it was time to seize the moment and ride one of my favorite loops from Gliffaes. This 22 mile loop takes in Llangorse Lake and then a very undulating 10 miles or so into the small village of Talgarth which sits at the bottom of the wonderful climb up to Pengenford, the high point of the ride and the pass through the Black Mountains, it is then about 5 miles of fast downhill riding before the final run in back to Gliffaes.

 Leaving the hotel on the back lane then up the short sharp hill to Bwlch on the A40, slowly down the other side of the hill as you make a hard right on to the road signed Llangorse. It being February and with no leaves on the trees or the hedges there were stunning views of the Lake and across to a snow capped Pen y Fan. Through and out the other side of the village of Llangorse and carry on towards Talgarth on a real roller coaster of a road, I entered Talgarth just as Sunday morning rugby matches were kicking off. Avoid the bypass and go through the village and out on the old road to Abergavenny.

A steady but not painful climb leads you to Pengenford all the while you are rewarded with a great vista of the Black Mountains in front of you. Zip up your jacket as you pass the old chapel on the left as you are about to crest the hill and begin a really fun, twisty descent. I think I hit 37 mph coming down here and once off the hill the road still tilts down for a fast ride home through Cwmdu (small café on the right) and Tretower.  Cross the A40 and then one sharp pull up the lane back to the hotel.

Distance 22 miles
Time An hour and a half

 

Completing The Food Chain

At the moment a lot of words are written about sourcing of food and how far food has to travel to get to the plate and such like but very little thought has been given over to how we dispose of food waste. Waste has to travel to landfill and then lies in the landfill, taking up precious space and giving off CO2 while it rots away. Even at a small hotel like Gliffaes we generate about a ton of food waste per month from meat and fish trimmings to fruit and vegetable peelings to what is just left on plates.

We have taken a different approach to food waste disposal by investing in an accelerated in vessel composter. This is long insulated and heated drum into which a mixture of food waste and wood chip is added. The wood chip provides added carbon to the very nitrogen rich food waste. The waste is moved along through the composter by a large screw over a period of two weeks. It drops out the bottom and we gather it in a large pile and let it rot for further 3-4 months. Unlike a conventional compost bin we are able to process meat and fish without the added attraction of rats!

Today was the day to start spreading some of the lovely worm rich compost around the gardens. Three loads were spread underneath our apple trees as a rich mulch and to stop the grass growing around the trunks. In the photo you can see me sieving out wood chip for fine compost that we can use for potting in the spring and the last couple of loads went on to the small vegetable patch we have. If anyone is interested in seeing our composter ‘in action’ I would be delighted to show you when you next visit.

The Gruffalo Walk

Once a week I meet up with a couple of friends to walk for about 2 to 3 hours and enjoy the hills we are so lucky to live in.

Today, I revisited the Hermitage walk which starts in the Vale of Grwney, just above Llanbedr and takes you alongside the beautiful Grwney Fechan which winds through the valley between  the East side of Pen Allt-mawr and the West side of the Myndd Du Forest in the Black Mountains.

This circular walk is about 6-7 miles, depending on where you start, and includes some walking along a small lane which took me past the ruins of the Hermitage.

From the Hermitage we ascended into the stunning valley where the towering ridge of Pen Allt-mawr can be seen on one side and Waun Fach looms up ahead.

It was the first bright day for some time and yet there was still a sprinkling of snow on the tops of the surrounding mountains.  The crisp air, winter sunshine, deep blue sky and crystal clear views for miles filled me with the idea that spring is not too far away!

Walking down towards the small river the Tal-y-Maes Bridge comes into view. This simple but picturesque little stone bridge must be one of my absolute favourites and spans the gurgling Grwney Fechan. We crossed here and headed up into the hills on what is known as McNamara’s Road (apparently he built this path in order to cross Pen Allt-mawr and visit his mistress who he kept at Hermitage!). We walked up here for a while before turning and walking back along this other side of the valley.  Our walk took us through Park Wood (which always puts me in mind of the Gruffalo Wood from the children’s story) and then out the other side and down the steep edge of Cwm Banw to a sharp bend in the lane, where there is a handy parking pull in.

I would be delighted to show you this walk and longer versions of it on a map at Reception and set you off with a packed lunch too.

Susie Suter