The house is situated next to a large working dairy farm. There are the usual associated noises and smells from that. Just down the road is the river Aron which is stocked with trout in the spring and is very popular for fishing although you will need a permit for that. The house owns the land opposite from the path down to the river but is used as access for the farmer to his field and for people to park and enjoy the path. The road is not busy but be aware of the blind corner coming from the village. There are often groups of walkers, cyclists and horse riders using the path, sometimes for events. Please respect this. It is often a muster point for them to wait to catch up or take a break. It can be quite a social place for some conversation, at any time.
Apart from the obvious cows and horses around the house, there can be wildlife to be seen if you look.
You can spot deer, often first thing in the morning, in the fields to the west.
Look for red squirrels, they tend to be much shyer than grey ones.
You might see a pine marten which is a chocolate brown pole cat type animal with a flash of creamy apricot on its chest. They tend to keep away from humans once they know you are around but will look for food.
Wild boar are around too, again they are not always easy to spot.
The large wing spanned birds that screech are the black kites. Similar to our red kites in the UK, but more noisy. You can spot them sat on posts and poles. They scavenge and look for carrion or decaying meat.
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Look out for snakes. There are the ‘couleuvres’ which are a plain green/ grey colour and a yellower underside. They are not dangerous but can get quite large, a metre or more in length when fully grown. Other snakes are around and generally the more pattern they have the more dangerous they are.
Bugs and insects tend to seem bigger, more colourful and with more bite than those in the UK, so be protected. The ferns in particular can hide a multitude of bugs, especially ticks. There are plenty of lizards living in the rocks and stone walls sunning themselves.
Take note that, on a clear night, with near-zero artificial light interference, the night sky stands out extremely clearly. Take a moment for your eyes to adjust as you stare upwards to discover stars and planets rarely visible in light-polluted skies of the UK.
