Ffos y Ffin

31/01/2025

https://rwas.wales/smallholding-and-countryside-festival/

The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society has played a leading role in the development of agriculture and the rural economy in Wales for over a century, since its formation in 1904.

30/12/2024

Well worth a visit if you are staying here.

Perched upon a windswept hill, the remnants of Cefnllys Castle are little more than a whisper against the vastness of the landscape, its stones lost to time but its spirit still lingering in the soil and rocks. Below, cradled in the shelter of the hill, lies a far older gem: a 13th-century church, its weathered stone walls exuding a quiet, unspoken dignity. The circular churchyard, dedicated to St. Michael, hints at a foundation far earlier, perhaps in the 10th or 11th century, well before the arrival of the Normans in Wales. Surrounding this sanctuary, ancient yew trees rise like ancient pillars, their gnarled limbs reaching into the skies as though to touch the heavens. These venerable trees, older than history itself, seem to hum with a mystical energy. At Cefnllys the air holds a timeless calm, an almost otherworldly stillness that envelops the soul in a peace that is at once profound and infinite an invitation to pause, reflect, and breathe in the quiet grace of the place.
Photography & Travel Landscape Photography Magazine Hasselblad Farmstays Landscape Photography

© Charles Sainsbury-Plaice 2024

09/12/2024

Gaer Hill (Gaer means Fortress) - the view from Ffos y Finn today
Charles Sainsbury-Plaice Photography

27/08/2024

A day trip from Ffos y Ffin, Llanbister

In my search for ancient yew trees with stories, I found myself once again drawn to the stunning ruins of Strata Florida Abbey, nestled within the Cambrian Mountains, camera in hand. The abbey, with its sacred history and captivating beauty, never fails to stir the imagination, but it is one of the two ancient yew trees in the neighbouring churchyard that truly interests me.

The larger yew, nearest the church and rooted in the sacred soil of Strata Florida, has long been associated with the grave of the celebrated 14th century Welsh poet Dafydd ap Gwilym.

George Borrow, the foot steady traveller and chronicler of Welsh life, was similarly captivated by this remarkable yew. In his evocative work Wild Wales, he captured its essence perfectly:
"It was a huge yew, evidently of an enormous age... This is said to be the tree under which Dafydd ap Gwilym, the greatest poet of the Ancient Britons, lies buried."

Strata Florida Trust - Ymddiriedolaeth Ystrad Fflur Ancient & Remarkable Trees

18/07/2024

I am pleased to announced that I am part of a collaborative exhibition "The Hogback Hills" starting at the Sidney Nolan Trust form July 18th. Over the last year 21 artists from all over the country have been focusing their creativity on three small hills on the English/Welsh border just outside Kington. Stanner, Hanter and Worsell, collectively known as the Hogback Hill's are pre Cambrian and the oldest rocks in Wales. They are next to Hergest Ridge for any Mike Oldfield fans!!

The Colony is one of the three photographic pieces I am exhibiting and focuses on Primary succession. This is the process of ecological succession that occurs in an environment that has not previously supported life such as bare rock through to the climax community. An ancient path leads into the woodland scene reminding us of man’s footprint on complex but delicate ecosystems. This work has been produced from compositing macro rock texture images from Hanter with a woodland view from Worsell.

Size: 100cm x75cm
Print: Giclee on Hahnemuhle Baryta Fine Art Paper
Mounted on Aluminium with hanging subframe
Original Print (no copies)

The Woodland Trust Action Oak Powys Countryside Charles Sainsbury-Plaice Photography Hasselblad Sidney Nolan Trust Ridgeway and Ancient Tracks of Britain and Ireland


Thankyou Steve Russell Studios for the amazing prints

12/07/2024

Ffos y Ffin rural retreat

24/06/2024

The Quarry Oak at NT Croft Castle & Parkland is estimated to be 1000 years old.

12/06/2024

Looking for a or break on the Borders?
Dog friendly to well-behaved dogs. Griffin Griffin-Lloyd Shooting Ground 5 miles away, great local pub Lionhotel Llanbister, limitless walks and near Offa's D**e path.

Mindful, tranquil, restful and private vacation rental

31/03/2024

"Gazing into the boundless expanse of a star-studded sky on a night devoid of the moon, I was struck by a profound awareness of my own minuscule presence in the grand tapestry of existence. Yet, in pondering the breathtaking beauty of the natural world it embraces, I was compelled to recognise the weight of our shared responsibility towards its preservation for the generations to come."

This old Crab Apple Tree has witnessed a century of night time sky's whilst it has stood proud on the hill behind Ffos y Ffin on Llanbister Common.

Taken on Hasselblad X2D, 21mm XCD lens, F5, approx 25 minute exposure. ©Charles Sainsbury-Plaice Photography