The pub I went to on the way was in Whitchurch and called the Black Bear. Great food, lovely fire and fab staff. Worth checking out the church as well, which is right next door, very beautiful stained glass and so much history.

I stayed at the Mereside B&B which was very lovely, and you can stay without breakfast which suited me perfectly. There is a mini kitchen in the room and the farm is only a couple of minutes walk from The Mere. Very easy to get to and off-road parking as well.

As well as The Mere, Colemere and the surrounding area was very beautiful and easily accessible. Lots and lots of wildlife nearby and plenty to photograph.

The other wonderful pub I went to was The Cross Foxes near Wrexham, which is a Brunning and Price pub. I had a small serve of their Ham, Egg & Chips so that I could leave room for dessert and I was still too full to manage it. Best chips I’ve ever had, right by the river and another gorgeous fire inside.

The National Trust property at Erddig was a little odd because it was off season and quite a lot of it was closed, they were redecorating as well and with very few visitors around it felt a little desolate. There was however a wonderful bookstore and I came home with an armful of books!

Other than those places mostly I spent my time walking, anywhere and everywhere. It’s a great part of the country to simply get out and hike around, lots of well marked paths and beautiful scenery. Even in the -7 degree weather I was happy wandering around.

Fingers crossed I’ll be going back in a few months time.

Vick.