Back to Bont Goch.

Still sunny today but a lot colder.

In past years the RNLI shop hasn't opened during the week until Easter but for some reason the powers that be (salaried management) decided it would be a good idea to open from half-term. Which meant that for the past two Tuesdays Peter has sat in the shop without a single customer coming in let alone buying anything. I know the shop is manned by volunteers but it still costs to have the heating and lights on not to mention making the volunteers disheartened. Peter had a word with the local manager, also a volunteer and he won't be manning the shop until Easter unless there is a sudden influx of customers. Instead we decided to  repeat Sunday's walk as although 5 miles it was fairly easy going.

It only took 15 minutes to drive to the secluded valley in which sits the village of Bont Goch (red bridge). I parked in the same spot  and soon we were passing the sign that says 'Kill your speed. Not my pets.' before turning down the track to the river. There were so many birds singing in that valley and somewhere a woodpecker was tapping away too.

Then up through fields of sheep, past the ruined farm and up to the wind turbines.

Lots of sheep but this was the only lamb we saw. We gave the pair a wide berth as it was a very new lamb, only days old.

Reaching the hillfort I took Peter through the gateway and then up to the summit which was very steep and hard going for Peter.

Luckily I spotted a track that wound its way up the side of the hillfort which gave us a gentler way route down.

That was after we had found a stone wall in the hillfort where we could sit and have our food and coffee. From there we could see down to Tal Y Bont and across to Aberdyfi on the other side of the estuary.

Inland stretched the bare wild hills of mid-Wales. These were deforested around 3000 BC by the actions of the Neolithic inhabitants as they began farming the land so would have already been bare for two and a half thousand years when the iron age people first built the hillforts.

Peter was thankful that the return journey was almost all downhill as five miles is more than he has been able to walk for a long time.

Back home I found a 'failed delivery' note in the letter box. Parcelforce had tried to deliver some chairs on Monday when we were out. I'd phoned the number on the first 'failed delivery' note, pressed all the right buttons, gave the address and was told re-delivery would be on Wednesday. This time at least they left the chairs with our neighbour. He is out now until 6.00 so I'll have to pick them up after Pilates. The postman had managed to deliver some pond snails and they have already been put in the pond.