Penarth Fawr
Medieval House
Our neighbours at Penarth Fawr, are just a couple of hundred meters down the lane from Ysgubor Degwm.
Step inside this hidden gem to discover a medieval hall house built to impress. Within thick stone walls lie high ceilings and beautifully carved timberwork. This was the order of the day for a high-status house in the 15th Century, even though wood was in short supply! The hall is located at the ‘high end of the building, opposite the service rooms at the ‘low end. It survives today much as it was originally when the room was the social hub of Penarth Fawr. Here the family would have eaten, slept and entertained important guests. The hospitality at Penarth Fawr was so impressive it inspired medieval poetry!
Portmerion Village
Architectural heritage and gardens
Portmeirion is a tourist village just south of Portmadoc in North Wales (and approximate 12 miles from Ysgubor Degwm). It was designed and built by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis between 1925 and 1975 in the style of an Italian village with colourful villas, majestic mansions and elaborate mature gardens.
Portmerion village offers woodland and coastal walks; three restaurants, a cafe and ice cream parlour; spa; history and unforgettable architecture.
A list of upcoming events at Portmerion Village can be found here.
Bodnant Garden
National Trust
Bodnant garden spans 80 acres of hillside and includes formal Italianate terraces, informal shrub borders stocked with plants from around the world, The Dell, a gorge garden, areas of the woodland garden, meadows, winter garden and a waterfall.
Bodnant Garden is famous for its Laburnum arch, the longest in the UK, flowers in May and June.
The drive from Ysgubor Degwm to Bodnant Gardens, through the stunning Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park, takes approximately one hour fifteen minutes. The journey is spectacular, with plenty of beautiful villages and vistas.
Nany Gwrtheyrn
Welsh Language and Heritage
Nant Gwrtheyrn or “the Nant” as it is often called locally is the Welsh language and heritage centre located in a magical place on a former quarrying village on the northern coast of the Llŷn Peninsula in North Wales. The Nant is just 9 miles from Ysgubor Degwm.
The history contained at The Nant is fascinating and combined with a wonderful cafe with sea views towards Morfa Nefyn and a beautiful sheltered beach this place makes a great afternoon trip. There is a car park on top of the hill before you descend to the Nant. The walk down is spectacular. The walk back up is not for the faint-hearted! There is a car park at the Nant but you will miss some of the photo opportunities.
Festiniog & Welsh Highland Railways
Heritage Railway
The Ffestiniog Railway is the world’s oldest narrow-gauge railway with almost 200 years of history, taking you on a 13½-mile journey from the harbour in Porthmadog to the slate-quarrying town of Blaenau Ffestiniog. Historic trains climb over 700 feet from sea level into the mountains through tranquil pastures and magnificent forests, past lakes and waterfalls, round tight bends (even a complete spiral) clinging to the side of the mountain or tunnelling through it. The Ffestiniog Railway and its infrastructure are now an integral part of the UNESCO “Slate landscape of North Wales” World Heritage Site.
The Welsh Highland Railway is the UK’s longest heritage railway and runs for 25 miles from Caernarfon, past the foot of Snowdon and the picture-postcard village of Beddgelert, then through the stunning Aberglaslyn Pass and on to Porthmadog. Passengers ride in some of the most comfortable carriages on any heritage railway in the UK, including first-class Pullman luxury and freshly-cooked food delivered to your seat.
The perfect secluded getaway
We stayed as a family of five (2 adults, 2 young kids, and a dog) and loved every moment. The house is exceptional, it is a distance away from others - you find yourselves isolated (in the best meaning of the term), in a very quiet area and with an abundance of space to enjoy yourselves. The house is very well kept, extremely tidy and clean. It is stocked full of games, kids toys, fascinating books and films. The decoration makes you say “ok, I’m stealing this idea when I get home”. The swimming pool is fantastic. It would be hard to find something negative. As for the area - do try out the recommended fish+chips shop. You will love it. Everything we wanted to see was within a suitable drive for kids, and plenty of beaches were nearby too. The owner/host is very friendly, always accommodating, and extremely helpful in making the stay the best it can be.
Jamie H
Apr 2021