It’s amid the greenery of this young, developing woodland that their newest venture is beginning to take root. A fresh branch to their well-loved business, Tŷ Cerrig Woodland Retreats is a site set to feature four stunning glamping hideouts, though for now there are just two of the gorgeous abodes ready to use.
Each nestled in their own quiet clearing, Bwncath and Gwdihŵ are charming glamping huts housing a wealth of modern comforts. The names (translating as Buzzard and Owl in Welsh) are an obvious title once you’re here – open your window a crack and enjoy the singing dawn chorus while, at night, the ghostly hoots of Little Owls and Barn Owls whistle through the trees. It’s this proximity to the landscape that makes Tŷ Cerrig so special and the off-grid, solar powered huts seem to have a real affinity with the surroundings – not least because of their fine wooden design.
Needy glampers shouldn’t put up a cry at the sight of the words ‘off-grid’ though. These are far from the humble hillside huts of old. Inside they are furnished with everything you could possibly need for a more modern getaway in the hills. Through Gwdihŵ’s, shepherd hut stable doors guests find not only a fitted kitchenette with a fridge, hobs and deep, Belfast sink, but also an en-suite bathroom with a proper shower and flushing toilet. The oak dining table folds down before a double bed is revealed, pulled seamlessly out of the wall, and, on the opposite side, a bench becomes the lower half of two comfortable bunks.
Bwncath has been composed in a similar vein, though it's more like a small, static cabin than a home for moving shepherds. Far larger than Gwdihŵ, it has two different bedrooms, one with a double bed and the other two singles, while separately there is a full kitchen, dining room and bathroom facilities. Large, French windows invite the outside in – excellent in the height of summer – and a broad patio out front provides somewhere to sit around.
While clever use of space makes each hut a cosy place to stay, it's the thought that’s gone into it all that give the real warmth (and the log-burning stoves, of course). Charlotte handmade the curtains and blinds with fabric bought in the local shop and the draws are stocked with a handy stash of board games so you can enjoy real family time without the distraction of the gogglebox.
Not that this is really a place for board games. Certainly there’s a romanticism to rainy evenings, hemmed within your hut with fat drops tinkering on the rooftop, but any time permitted outside should very much be taken. Tŷ Cerrig treads the perfect line of inland countryside and rural remoteness, while still being an easy car journey from the beaches of South Wales and the hive of activity that is central Cardiff (20 minutes in the car). It means your holiday is one of choice; quiet hideaway, adventurous daytrips, beachside mornings and city afternoons. Pick a card or roll the dice, then fold up that board game and head wherever it takes you.