I mentioned in an earlier post that I am beginning work on writing the conservation management plan for Dyffryn Mymbyr, an iconic Welsh hill farm made famous by Thomas Firbanks book “I Bought a Mountain” which was published in 1940. Yesterday we climbed high up above the valley where the farmhouse sits and onto the imposing, rocky Glyder range which drops precipitously down into Cwm Idwal and the Nant Ffrancon Valley, a perfect u-shaped valley which was carved out by the glaciers that eventually receded around 10,000 years ago and which adorns the cover of many a geography text book.
Firbank beautifully described how, when the sheep needed to be gathered for lambing and shearing, the men and dogs from all of the farms in both valleys assembled high up along the ridge so that they could drive the sheep down to the pens for sorting. The flock had not been seen as a whole for months and, when the men reached their stations, the dogs were sent out to right and left and the line moved forward. The place is high, free and, when the sun beats down from clear blue skies as it did yesterday, glorious.
It was here, high up on the mountain, that a few years after the Great War a shepherd stumbled over the skeleton of a man. He had been lying there for about a year, and the crows had not left any flesh on the bones. No one ever discovered who he was or what he had been doing, and the few shreds of cloth that flapped in the wind gave no clue.
Sometimes the wild goats would appear on a ledge and the dogs became wildly excited. These goats were introduced thousands of years ago and have become feral in large herds throughout Snowdonia. And sure enough we came across a few shy individuals yesterday who made off as soon as we appeared on the skyline.
On the occasions when Firbank climbed to the ridge for the gathering he often mentioned the imposing, sheer rock buttresses of Tryfan, another peak which towers over the Ogwen Valley and which, yesterday, we glimpsed as we neared the summit of Glyder Fach.
The massive rocks on the summits of Glyder Fach and Glyder Fawr are a tumbling, sprawling mass of interesting shapes, sculpted by countless winters of wind, rain and freeze thaw, the most famous of which is the cantilever stone.
The route down for the shepherds gathering 3000 sheep must have been arduous and precipitous, but when they had brought the flock down below the mountain wall into the “ffridd” they returned to the farmhouse for copious amounts of jam and bread, cakes and cauldrons of hot sweet tea.
The house has been renovated by the National Trust and today is let as a holiday home. This is what Esme wanted and arranged before she died. She didn’t want the farm to be sold to the highest bidder and broken up and sold off in parcels, she wanted it to remain a working farm. And so it is. The tenant farmer still keeps a flock of sheep (although much reduced in numbers), and a herd of Welsh black cattle graze the lower slopes and valley fields. They keep the mosaic of rare and precious habitats in good condition as the peat begins to grow back, locking up carbon, restricting the flow of water and reducing soil erosion, and supporting rare and delicate upland plants.
Today, whilst doing more research, I learned that when Esme died, after living at Dyffryn for nearly 70 years, she wished to be buried in a small plot near the sheep pens on Glyder Fach. Had I known I would have liked to have visited her grave had I been able to find it. I can think of no more beautiful place to be buried, in the very earth that she loved so much.
Mike Howe 
Esme must have been deeply connected to this beautiful land in the mountains, and I’m happy she’s buried here, with a forever view of the snow capped moutons and the deep blue sky above. Your story and photographs are wonderful.
Thank you Elisa it has been real privilege to be able to learn about Dyffryn and relay the story, I am very lucky
I agree with the other commentators – beautiful writing and awesome photos. You should somehow combine both with your music and create a new genre of ‘educational art’!
Thank you Elke that is really kind, I guess when you really care about something its easy to write about it
Your writing and photos are as beautiful as your music, Mike. What a lovely post.
Thank you Lesley that is lovely of you, I’m glad you enjoyed it
A part of the world I have never visited so I hope to correct this when we come to Anglesey this year. The pictures you use are stunning & your words just make me want to explore.
Thanks Ash im that you will love it when you visit its so beautiful
How beautiful, Mike, both the story and your photos. What a stunning place to live and to work! I remember it well from the times I used to drive through there but sadly I never climbed up onto the Glyders. What fantastic scenery and rocks up there! And an amazing heritage that you are working with – very sensitively by the sound of it.
Thanks Jo, yesi am very lucky to be able to play my small part in helping to look after such a magnificent and loved landscape
Such beautiful shots of this spectacular landscape. How reassuring to know Esme is certainly resting in peace and best wishes to all for ongoing conservation plans!
Thank you very much Patti I’m glad you enjoyed it 😃
Thank you for the photos, Mike. After reading your first post about Dyffryn, I purchased a copy of the book and have begun reading it. As you said, it is beautifully written, and I was hooked from the moment I read the opening paragraphs. Hoping you take us back to Dyffryn many times, Mike!
Thats great Dave I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did. When I go there now it makes it so special to be able to see the places that Firbank wrote about and to imagine what it was like for them back then
Such a lovely place. And I have never seen such shaggy goats!
Ha yes the goats certainly need the shaggy coats up there
Thank you for this wonderfully written post with the majetic images, Mike! ❤
“majestic”
Thank you Steffi I’m glad I could share such a wonderful experience
This is really beautiful! I think when you’re done writing the plan, you should consider putting together an annotated version of “I Bought a Mountain.” You speak of it so beautifully and obviously love the place. I have the book, though I haven’t started it yet. When I get through the book I’m reading now I will do so.
Thanks Pat, I’m sure you will love the book, it’s a charming step back in time. I’m going to liberally sprinkle extracts from the book throughout the management plan, make it more attractive and less technical
Will that be available to the public on line?
I’m not sure Pat, it’s the 75th anniversary this year of the publication of the book so they may at least publish extracts. I hope so, depends how well I write it I suppose!
Cold and bleak, yet beautiful. I can see why those wild goats need long coats. Lovely photos!
Thanks Anneli, yes they certainly need them 🙂
ethereal!