Breed Promotion Day at Penllergare Valley Woodland
The enterprising volunteer group that runs Penllergare Valley Woods invited us along to their open day on 21st September. It was a dog themed day so we thought it would be a great opportunity to introduce the Welsh Springer Spaniel to the visitors - especially as there is a special link between the breed and Penllergare.
It was a bright sunny day and we had nearly a dozen Welshies on display and they thoroughly enjoyed loads of pats on the head and tummy rubs from many passers by - and I think we managed to convince quite a few people that their next dog should be a Welshie.
Many thanks to everyone who helped us on our stand and thanks to our hosts for a very enjoyable day - if they do it again next year we will certainly be back.
But what's so special about Penllergare and Welsh springers? The Llewelyn family who owned Penllergare in the 19th century were instrumental in developing and getting the Welsh Springer Spaniel recognised as a unique breed by the Kennel Club. The estate was predominantly a woodcock shoot, a ground nesting bird that Welshies are particularly adept at flushing.
Penllergare is also famous for its association with Fox Talbot, the pioneer of photography, who was a cousin of John Dillwyn Llewelyn’s wife Emma, and spent much of his time at Penllergare and inspired JDL’s own fascination in photography.
It's a lovely place to visit - with or without dogs - check out their website. https://penllergare.org
Below is some of the owners and dogs who helped out on the day (there were a few more but I'm afraid they missed the photo call.
