What We Love about the Valleys…. Fresh Air and Good Food!

Here at Jones Battye we are a teeny bit obsessed with property.  You could say, it’s an occupational hazard.  But for us that doesn’t just mean bricks and mortar, in fact, we are definitely the outdoorsy type.  For over 10 years we have been lucky enough to manage and help look after over 30,000 acres of land for our clients.  This includes some pretty amazing landscapes here in South Wales.  Being surrounded every day by areas of natural beauty, open countryside and all the wildlife that goes with it, is another great reason why the Valleys is such a great place to live and work.

So, if you are wondering, “How Green is my Valley?”, the answer is, very! Forget that outdated image of black spoil tips and heavy industry everywhere. These days nature has reclaimed the Valleys and the mountain tops and valley sides are teeming with wildlife.  And with all that Welsh rain, there are trees, trees and more trees.  Actually, there are lots of nationally important wildlife habitats here in the Valleys that are scarce elsewhere, such as native oak woodland, marshy grassland (so important for rare butterflies), traditional flower meadows and upland moorland.  It’s a bird watcher’s paradise too, with peregrine falcons, red kites, nightjars, skylarks, lapwings and many more, rare birds visiting or resident in the Valleys.

Many of the old colliery sites became country parks during the 1980s, and 30 years on are mature wildlife habitats and valuable green space for everyone to enjoy.  There is an abundance of country parks, nature reserves and walking trails all over the Valleys, with something for everybody.  How about horse riding at Green Meadow Riding Centre in the Dare Valley Country Park or taking a pushchair friendly stroll in Sirhowy Valley Country Park or bike riding along the Taff Trail?  And there are also plenty of hidden, quiet places of great beauty to enjoy, such as the Taf Fechan Nature Reserve, Merthyr Tydfil. And of course, the Brecon Beacons National Park and all that has to offer, is also right on the doorstep.  In fact, parts of many of the northern Valleys towns, such as Aberdare, are located within the National Park boundary itself. 

All that fresh air makes us hungry boys and girls, so it’s just as well that there are lovely places to eat and drink in and around the Valleys.  Well worth a mention are our current favourites including, the recently refurbished Red Lion at Penderyn (www.redlionpenderyn.com).  This traditional 12th century drover’s inn provides great home cooked food, cask ales and a warm welcome around the log fire.  But don’t forget to book well in advance because it’s only small and pretty popular with those in the know! 

Just north of Merthyr is the Nant Ddu Lodge (www.nant-ddu-lodge.co.uk). This hotel and spa is also very popular with locals (and busy!) and a great place for quality food in the bar or bistro restaurant.  It was also the venue for our successful Christmas party last year!

But when we are out and about and fancy a cuppa and a cake, we think Bradleys Coffee in the restored old Town Hall in Aberdare (www.bradleyscoffee.co.uk) is definitely worth a visit. And Bradleys have other great locations too including at the Muni Arts Centre in Pontypridd within a beautifully converted church.

So, some great reasons why we think the Valleys are a great place to be. In surveying, local knowledge is paramount and we think we are very fortunate indeed that ‘our patch’ includes the wonderful South Wales Valleys.