Ready for the Summer and my visit to Duffryn Gardens

It has been a while since I last posted on here and that is due to being busy and life events taking priority.

But now the summer is here and the weather has taken a drastic turn, which helps us all in different ways. For most, the school holidays has started and that means endless relaxing, catching up with friends and family, alongside trips to the seaside for a casual Sunday stroll.

People love summer for many different reasons. Some people enjoy the warm weather and the feeling of the sun on their skin. Others enjoy the longer days and the ability to spend more time outdoors. Still, others enjoy the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season. Additionally, summer is often associated with vacation and leisure time, which can make it feel more enjoyable.

I understand the argument against the season: It’s hot, sticky and, sometimes, boring. Tempers can flare. There is not enough air conditioning and, because of the climate crises, already too much. But summer is a state of mind. Whatever we do during its few months, summertime remains fixed in our collective consciousness.

This is the season when many of our deepest memories are forged. So dig in and make some new memories, even if your plans are no more ambitious than to take naps, read outside, sleep in a tent and float in a pool in a small getaway or back garden. Not everyone can afford sailing trips and Caribbean vacations, but many of summer’s greatest pleasures are simple and inexpensive.

Summer is full of simple outdoor pleasures, such as the feeling of sun and wind on your arms and legs, freshly uncovered. The season contains a kind of happiness born out of escapes of any kind. It tastes of roasted vegetables and fruit so ripe it dribbles off your chin. I am not a fan of solid fruits, but I am sure in the summer sun, I am told it tastes better. This is the time to get out as much as you can for as long as you can. Tend the garden, climb the trees, swim in the waves, eat outdoors, take a walk early evening and sleep under the stars where possible. The greatest gift you can give to someone is your time, your attention, your love, your concern.

The season is a wonderfully kinetic time, a time of youth, activity, celebration and revolution. It encourages dancing under sprinklers, staying out later in the garden and enjoying the comforts of the heat from the outdoors fire-pit that has been redundant for a many months. It beckons us on long bike rides and hikes. Recently, we have been on more walks in our local area and I have discovered many beautiful places that holds so much treasure and history, the Cwm Colliery, or also known as the Coke Works. Being a keen historian, this triggers me to stop and think about the history and do more research based around my natural heritage.

Summer seems to be the only season that we use our National Trust membership, more than the rest of the year. Last weekend we visited a beautiful estate at Duffryn Gardens, down Sully, that was only 20minutes away and I was blown away how something so beautiful is not advertised more for families and friends to visit. Duffryn house has such character and charm.

The Dyffryn estate can be traced from the 7th century right up to the present day. Many of the large homes in Wales during the late 19th century were built on money made from the industrial revolution. Dyffryn was one of these homes and was built to the grand scale you can see today on wealth made from the coal industry.

During the 7th century the house was then called the Manor of Worlton and was given to the Bishop Oudaceous of Llandaf. In the 16th century the Button family acquired the manor and the first house was built. The family occupied the estate for a number of generations and the name was changed to Duffryn House. The grounds and history of the house were heavenly and made the visit more enjoyable, especially with the warm breeze and trees blooming from every direction. Current life lesson has shown me that don’t rush anything. When the time is right, it’ll happen. Until next week….