Having checked the tides, we scramble north from Llangrannog along the coastal path, collecting dry twigs and old man’s beard as we go – we have a fire in mind. We stop to read the story of the giant Bica who lost his tooth between the beaches of Llangrannog and Cilborth, the ‘tooth’ standing in the sea as a reminder to all reluctant toothbrushers, but not for too long: the beach – our beach – is calling us.

We hit the headland, Ynys Lochtyn, and make our way down the middle of the outcrop to marvel at the rock folds, the cliffs, the island separated by a narrow channel – hoping to see dolphins, before retracing our steps to find the precipitous path down to Traeth yr Ynys.

At low tide, the beach stretches empty before us save for  shells, pebbles, a stray strand of seaweed. Time for stone stacking, a surprisingly compulsive occupation – before thoughts turn to lunch. A tepee of twigs constructed below the high tide line lights with reasonable ease, and we cook up tins of sardines and baked beans – a feast, all the better for being eaten out of doors, the fire adding some warmth to the autumnal day.

The tide on the turn, we pick up our belongings and take care to spend two minutes picking up any other plastic we find to take away with us – and realise we are being watched by a solitary seal – clearly curious about the creatures disturbing his shore. Curiosity satisfied, the seal disappears, as we must too – thoughts of the homemade ice cream at the Patio Café, LLangrannog, (peach and wild cherry, perhaps, or apple pie flavour?) spurring us up the cliff.

Images courtesy of David Jones & Paula J James on Flickr

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Hidden away in plain sight, nestled on the banks of the River Teifi, the Fforest Pizza Tipi is probably the most unexpected and delightful place you could possibly want to eat pizza in. The courtyard of wharf buildings lends a faintly industrial vibe to this relaxed and essentially open air space, yet the mellow stone of the buildings which shelter the Tipi from the bustle of Cardigan, softens everything, allowing you to step out of real time for an evening of wood-fired pizza, local ale, music and all round good-time glow.

The menu is simple; a choice six or seven pizzas, each around £7, cooked to order on site in woodfired pizza ovens, using locally sourced ingredients wherever possible. Our favourites were the chorizo and red pepper-topped ‘Summertime’, the anchovy and caper-adorned ‘Maritime’ and a ‘Moroccan’ special – lamb, mint and feta.

There’s also the unbelievably delicious ‘cloud bread’ (focaccia) served with oil and balsamic, substantial pittas (warm from the oven), hummus as well as flavoursome olives to nibble on. For pudding, there’s cake or brownie (baked in-house and absolutely divine), plus a selection of ice creams and sorbets.

And even if the evening sun isn’t lending a warm glow to proceedings (this is West Wales, after all), the eponymous tipi provides ample sheltered seating for you to enjoy your pizza, your beer from the small bar, and the music – live of course – on the banks of the river.

Open July to September, Tuesday to Friday 10am – 9pm, Saturday 10am – 9:30pm. Pizza served from 6pm.

Images courtesy of Fforest Pizza Tipi

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Eschewing the National Trust car park for Penbryn Beach, we park at the top of the hill, opposite the whitewashed chapel hugging the hillside and head down the hill, almost immediately cutting across a field and into the most glorious wooded valley; lush with rainforest-esque foliage, it’s a spectacle in itself. We take the bottom path and after a scramble along the side of the valley, river below, woods above, all of a sudden the beach is there.

A special place at any time, in the early morning, with the dog, and the sun creeping over the headland, it is magical. We make the most of the solitude, the wash of the waves, the lonely cry of the gulls, and leave a trail of footprints in the sand, the dog careering into the surf, never actually catching the sticks and stones we throw for him.

Heading back to the tasks of the day, we can return as we came, or detour via the Penbryn Beach Cafe for a cappucino or hot chocolate, before climbing, rejuvenated, back up the hill.

We’ll return soon. Perhaps next time, after dark. Protected from light pollution by its fern-clad valley, Penbryn makes the perfect spot for stargazing, especially during the summer months.

Images courtesy of Paula J James on Flickr

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Like many children, mine aren’t often overly keen on going for a walk, especially uphill, but there’s one hill they love to climb thanks to the rather peculiar promise of five mosiac covered sheep en route. These are the ‘sheep seats’ on Overton Hill, a permanent reminder of the village’s traditional sheep fair held every four years. Google van Bobalot, Doris, Heather, Baatholemew and Captain ram, as they are known, were created  by the villagers who all did their bit of tile cutting and sticking.

If you want to see them for yourself, head to the car park at Overton Hill on the Basingstoke Road. With your back to the road, take the path through the park and bear right up the hill through the houses. Cross the road and keep heading up the hill. The path then diverges and you can either go straight up the hill, or meander on the paths, passing all the seats, and deciding which is your favourite. There’s a great view from the top, and from there, you can strike off into the more rural surrounding of Overton. However, if you are not in the mood for more strenuous activity, or are accompanied by small children, there are plenty of grassed areas perfect for picnicking and running around in.

Back at the bottom of the hill, the park is well worth a look in. There’s a great pirate ship, a climbing log and a fab spinning swing and a fenced area for toddlers. Finish up by meandering into the village for a slice of Overton apple cake at the lovely Overton Gallery.

Photo courtesy of Jonnee on Flickr

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I recently discovered several very good reasons to visit Whitchurch. One being Velvet Rose, on Church Street, offering “Frills, ruffles and piled on appliques, vintage trimmings, flowers and bows…[a] frivolous collection of off-beat, one-off pieces”. The lovely owner Marsha Swanzy clearly has a great eye and has created an aladdin’s cave of beautiful and individual garments and furniture – restored and more. If it’s not clothes you’re after, there’s a wonderful collection of smaller pieces – corsages, cards, scarves and jewellery. The whole place is a real delight.

Once you’ve enjoyed the visual feast on offer at Velvet Rose, and perhaps purchased something gorgeous, the best place to retire for a cup of tea and a piece of homemade cake must be H’s Coffee Shop, snuggled into a beautiful old building on Newbury street, a short walk away. Run by Jenny and Hannah (the eponymous ‘H’), a mother and daughter team, the olde worlde exterior hides a modern cafe serving delicious, locally and homemade cakes, light lunches and homemade soups. Once replenished, there’s always The Handbag Shop if more retail therapy is required.

Image courtesy of Velvet Rose.

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Come the summer holidays, rain or shine, Pick Your Own is a much-loved tradition in our household. Running up and down the rows of fruit, playing hide and seek and surreptitiously scoffing strawberries while filling a punnet has to be the ultimate in good old fashioned entertainment. Only, this year, the whole affair was made all the more wonderful when I discovered Bourne Valley PYO, a family-run fruit farm established 25 years ago in an area of outstanding natural beauty near the idyllic village of St Mary Bourne.

The great thing about this place is that in addition to the fruit there’s a small playground and picnic area – and you can buy teas and coffees. We took along a picnic and filled a lovely few hours, enjoying the beautiful surroundings and picking perfectly ripe jewel-like raspberries and delicious strawberries, destined for jam, freezer and eating! The farm shop also supplemented our bounty thanks to their very tempting fresh harvest of potatoes, broad beans, carrots, beetroot and cabbage. Fresh, local produce simply doesn’t get any better than taking it home straight from the fields.

Photo courtesy of Claire Sutton on Flickr

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Up on the North Hampshire section of the North Wessex Downs, between Overton and Hannington, nestles David’s Wood – a small, fenced plantation of young trees which makes a fantastic spot for a picnic and game of hide and seek. I usually reach it on foot, passing through on a regular walk with the dog who loves it here. However, come the school holidays, it becomes a destination in itself, a glittering prize for the children, who are not always the most enthusiastic of walkers.

By car you need to head from Overton via the B3400 towards Basingstoke then turn left into Station Road. The road twists and turns a little until, after the turning to the station, you take a right towards Hannington. After crossing the railway you’ll find a small car park on the right. We always take a picnic and head off with the dog racing ahead, and hopefully, the children leaping accross the fields behind him.

The trees in the wood are a wonderful native mixture and the inscriptions on the benches in the centre of the woodland give tantalising clues to the history of the area. The views accross the Test valley are magnificent, so pop down your picnic blanket and enjoy, before engaging in some serious hide and seek. The great thing is that it’s fenced securely so the kids can romp freely and the only concern about the train track that runs alongside is whether you might be lucky enough to see a steam train which occasionally passes along this line.

Photo courtesy of Daniel Incandela on Flickr

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As lovely things to do go, what could be better when it’s cold and damp outside than a whole day of art with the kids? No rules, an unlimited supply of materials, more than enough ideas to keep you going, a wonderfully warm and enthusiastic artist to offer guidance and encouragement, and best of all, someone else doing the clearing up. Well, this is what you get when you attend one of artist Samantha Barnes’ fantastic family art days.

Samantha’s workshops and classes are held at various village halls and venues across North Hampshire. There is no regular schedule of events, but I was lucky enough to spot a poster for one of her family art days that was to take place during October half term, in a beautiful barn north of Andover. It was just £12.00 for the family and we did cutting and sticking, made model animals out of newspaper, sketched tractors, made jewellery – it was wonderful.

We paid to have the very reasonable and delicious lunch provided by the barn owners – burgers and beans to fuel the creative process, followed by lashings of cake – and I had to drag the children away at the end of it, loaded up with various oeuvres and with all thoughts of the gloomy weather successfully banished.

As well as family days, Samantha runs drawing and painting sessions for adults which I can’t wait to attend. If anyone can help you get over the fact that you were ‘rubbish at art’ at school then it’s Samantha.

Image courtesy of Samantha Barnes

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