Notes on BEECH TREE AT LLUEST ABER CANOL, Elan Valley, Rhadnorshire 2010

I had all but forgotten about a small and ruined property called Lluest Aber Canol and whilst driving by after a visit to the Cwm Elan Mines I made a spontaneous visit. My last visit was in 2001 and since then the A frames and wooden beams had come down exposing the small house, with its three chimneys to the elements.

The most impressive feature of this small property is however not the house or its location but a mature beech tree,a s seen in this photograph, in the field behind the house. Solitary yet spectacular in its barren setting, the leaves blew in slow motion in the high breeze suggesting the bulk of the tree pulsating against the skyline. A narrow but well formed sheep path led from the house to under the sheltering tree.