We came here in November 1999 and the two and a half acres of woods and meadow were really overgrown. Over the years we  have pottered on trying to make a woodland garden from what we had. The house is great and when the wood burning stove is lit and burning well it's really good to sit in the inglenook with a nice cup of tea and that's just why it's so  good on a cold Winter evening. Although the Winter has not really arrived this year!  And in the summer it's good to sit by the river in the deep valley, secluded from the world and listen to the melodies of the water, the birds and just sit and wonder. However, there's always a project in the air it seems. Over the last few years we have landscaped the Top Garden by  increasing the flower bed  sizes and planting.
We have created a terraced garden with a semi-circular stoned area with a bird bath. Railway sleepers have been used to create the different levels. Cut into three along their length so they can be lifted during construction.
         The original house at Penfeidr, which means 'Top of the Lane', was probably built during the early nineteenth century, there may have been a settlement in Star earlier than that as there are springs for  an abundant water supply. We have our own spring from where we get our water, via a purification plant in the shed.  During the 19th century Penfeidr became the Smithy to the corn mill down the hill. The mill was fed from the river, Afon Cneifa, from a weir on our land via a leet and a mill race running some quarter of a mile. The house was just two rooms downstairs and two up. On the ground floor there was a living room.  The large inglenook dominated the room and contained a cooking range, bread oven and hooks for curing meat left hanging to smoke in the inglenook. The large opening of the inglenook was open to the sky above and a brass rail on the large oak beam supported a heavy curtain that was drawn at night to keep the draughts to a minimum.  Hot water was always on the boil as was the hanging pot with cawl [ a Welsh soup] cooking away for supper.
But now we have central heating from a Stanley oil fired stove on which cooking is done.    Have a look around the web site.  Plus the Experiments in video and music - you will need Windows XP and Broadband for the Videos and Music though. It's a pain trying to keep up with the technology, but we do not agree with the idea that older folk have to slow down etc etc. Let's overtake the young ones
and rock on into the 21st century.  I am re-furbishing the old stables slowly and this is to be our new 'studio' and 'garden room' with wood burning stove new windows overlooking the gardens.


Here's John and Laurette in the kitchen at Penfeidr, saying 'cheers' to you all out there! And here's the house at Penfeidr, taken from across the lane. Inside there's the inglenook fireplace and Topsy the
cat sat on the back of the sofa. And a picture of the old stables in the right hand picture, taken from by the pond with the house in the background. There are more pictures throughout the web site.

      Thanks for visiting our site - do call in for real sometime.     John and Laurette     November    2008

                                                                                                             Click on the LINKS below to visit our other pages on Penfeidr's Web Site                         
                                                                  To return to this page - Click "BACK" on your browser - or "return to Home Page" for the same links                                                      
 THE LINK descriptions IN Yellow Type ARE FILMS - -
TO PLAY 'DOUBLE CLICK' ON LINK AND IT SHOULD PLAY IF YOU HAVE MEDIA PLAYER - WHICH YOU SHOULD HAVE WITH WINDOWS 98 OR XP.
                                            There's also music podcasts below and on 'John's Poetspages''          You can play these by clicking on the play bar on MP3 Player.                                                                 
    Places of interest to visit - here and there around Pembrokeshire with links to various web-sites 

               Laurette's Page - pictures and more to come soon

              Laurette's Photographs of The Preseli Hills -  a recent walk to the top of an Iron Age Hillfort - August 2007

              The Penfeidr Woodland Garden - pictures of the woods and river

              Tom's Page - Our good old friend died in October 2008, here's a few pictures of the old cat and when he was a kitten in '93.

    John's MUSIC  and  Poetry Corner -  some of John's jottings over the years - poems and songs

  Local walks  - take a hike around the hills - some walking guides to local sights

  Celtic Tradition  - The Ogham Alphabet - the ancient Celtic language explained

    Dylan Thomas Trail - the Swansea Boyo

              Clydai Church near Penfeidr - Has some celtic Ogham Stones in the nave that are most interesting. See the photos of them and a history of the building.

                    Family History Page [ NEW ]  A NEW page to show family History etc - It's in Test mode at present!

             Stable Project - my building work on the old stables to create Gallery/studio/garden room

             

         

   FILMS made by John are below. Dawn Chorus film : click on player and the rest click on the 'link'

This is a film from a Dawn Chorus Walk 4.30am May 5thh 2008 in Ty Canol woods

         meditation -   Watch a film about our river, plus music on guitar & keyboard
                           loco#shore  -    Watch an Art Film made by John  - North Wales locos  and a pembrokeshire beach close up - with Original music by John
                                       Snowtime -  Laurette and John go sledging in the snow - 2 days of it last winter!
                                     The 3 Films below record my tour in September 2006 to Ireland, from Liverpool to Belfast and Dublin, my Brother Graham, 5 years younger than me, cycled                                                         right around Ireland that September, camping, hostelling and B and Bs.  In rain and shine! I met up with him at the end of his tour in Belfast. You can check out                                                         his Blog on :-    http://grahamonbikeagain.blogspot.com/     Click here to go there.
                               Pop goes to Liverpool -  Play Part 1 of a Film of John's Visit in September 2006, to Liverpool where I did my MEd. back in the eighties.
                                              Belfast  -  Play Part 2 of the Film of John's visit. To Belfast's  Shankill Road & the Falls Road, Plus the Crown - the best pub!
                                                        Pop Goes To Ireland -  Play Part 3 of my film where I visit Dublin and to Rosslaire and home via ferry to Fishguard.
                                                         Note : When you watch the films you'll notice that 'Part1 = part2, part 2 = part3 & part 3 = part1' on the titles : Too much Guinness

           Play some of John's Music . . . . .there,s a podcast player below, click on the song you want to hear . . .
     Infinity, Butterflies Dance, Be Still, John Turvey', MOONRISE' & 'Mower Meditation'   These are some of my compositions for guitar and keyboard - Just Click on Player.
           Scroll with mouse on the right of the PLAYER to see all music tracks
                               Here's where I record this and that

                                                                                                                                    Click to activate and use this control [MP3 player]       
                            See also this page >>>>> John's MUSIC  and  Poetry Corner -some of John's jottings over the years
       You can also visit my Podcast to hear some of my music and songs and Download them via  a podcast to i-tunes . . . . .
                                                - just CLICK ON this link :  "John Graham's Poetspages"