Many a walk is improved by the guarantee of a coffee and cake stop en route or at the end. And in the middle of some Vale of Glamorgan farm land there's a new café and patisserie which is now the highlight for many locals and walkers keen to have some refreshments while out on their daily hike.
Fredwell cafe was opened by business partners Chris Birch and Jak Bjornstrom who in their other professional life manage holiday properties on the land just outside Cowbridge. It was after feedback from guests who thought a nearby café would be welcome that they had the opportunity to renovate what Chris calls an "old muck heap with a lid on" into one of the most stylish cafes in the area.
Work on the venue, which is found at Pant Wilkins Stables' land near Aberthin, began last July and the pair have finally opened up, serving coffees, locally-made cakes (by a baker in St Hillary), macarons, and tarts as well as pancake breakfasts and pizzas, platters, and baguettes for later in the day.
