The Hut at Hafod Las

Sitting at the top of a sloping meadow on a smallholding, The Hut at Hafod Las offers lovely countryside views on the edge of the Clwydian Range. This is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and from here on the hillside, you can well believe it. The view is green, the sounds are birdsong, church bells, and the baas of sheep. It’s pure countryside bliss. And though you feel totally secluded here, those bells are a clue that there’s a little civilisation nearby. Rather handily, that includes a welcoming local pub, just five minutes’ walk away.

While dinner at The Tyn-Y-Capel is recommended, heading there is not a necessity as the hut is well equipped for a self-catering stay. It’s designed as a bolthole for two with a double bed, a kitchenette, a table and chairs, a log burner and its own shower and loo. It’s all under the classically-shaped curvy roof of this traditional-looking shepherd’s hut, which also has a fire pit and outdoor seating. Rather appropriately, the meadow that surrounds it is often grazed by sheep and the interior has a few nods to them too. There are sheep in the curtains, on the cushions and on the walls. Even the duvet on the bed, which doubles up as a sofa, is made of pure sheep’s wool.

This location on the edge of the village of Minerva sits a few miles outside Wrexham and is linked to it via the Clywedog Trail, a riverside walking route. It’s one of the places you might like to visit while you’re here—but there’s an abundance of those. The location is as good for hikers as it is for bikers who’ll be headed straight for the MTB trails of the Llandegla Forest a couple of miles up the road. And, with grand houses, castles and a World Heritage Site at Pontcysyllte Aqueduct all within 10 miles, it’s as good for sightseers as it is for those who want to do nothing at all. Both seem like good options here at Hafod Las.