Glan Dwyryd

The house has belonged to our family for 30 years. We try to make our guests comfortable and well-equipped with necessary essentials but it is our holiday home and not a five star hotel. Children and teenagers particularly love the house as it is simple in decor and relaxing.

The place is full of books. There are numerous DVDs and a number of games.

The geographical position of Glan Dwyryd is unique. The setting is picturesque and tranquil. The conservatory and the kitchen look out onto an area of natural beauty, a favourite haunt of a dipper and a resident heron. Recent reports tell us that a pair of otters have made their home there too and a kingfisher has been spotted recently.The conservatory is the room where you will want to take your meals, particularly in summer, though the room is usable throughout the year.

The rivers Dwyryd and Tegel meet below our garden wall. They are more like small streams but can become fast and furious on very rainy days. The view can be very dramatic. Most of the time, however, it just adds a touch of timelessness to the place and lulls one to sleep at night.

The garden is small and slopes down from the road towards the house in the front. The steps leading to the cottage may prove to be steep for some, so it is possible to access the cottage from the side entrance. There are steps along the outside of the garden wall and a gently sloping descent to the house. There are also rails to hold on to. In May the garden it is full of azaleas and rhododendrons while at other times it abounds in wild flowers and bushes. At the bottom there is a balcony made of stones which juts out above the bank of the water flowing below. It is a perfect place for an afternoon tea or a barbecue in summer.

Children should not be left in the garden unsupervised.

The house has four bedrooms: two on the ground floor (a double and a single) and two on the top floor (a double and a twin).There is also a Z-bed and a wooden cot plus a foldable one. There is one bathroom. The living room is in the front of the house.

There are storage heaters throughout the house, plus some movable electric heaters. There is a heater in the conservatory which can be switched on/off manually. There is also a wood burner in the living room which makes the place really cosy especially in winter. The name indicates that ONLY wood should be used in it.

The kitchen has an electric cooker with a fan oven and there is also an electric hob. There is a microwave, a fridge freezer, an electric kettle, a toaster and plenty of cupboards in which you can keep your provisions. Cleaning utensils and materials are kept under the kitchen sink and in the cupboard under the stairs.

The bathroom has a washing machine, a tumble dryer and an electric shower.

Wi-Fi is limited to 15GB of data per month (1GB equals 1000 emails and 20 hours of roaming per week). We ask our visitors to refrain from streeming or downloading files.

We hope you will like our cottage and would be grateful for any comments or suggestions how to make your stay even more enjoyable.

Area information

The house is situated within the Snowdonia National Park, in a little hamlet Rhyd-y-Sarn (Welsh: the crossing place), below the A496 connecting Harlech and Betws-y-Coed. There are a number of excellent walks direct from the cottage without using a car. However, the nearest shops are in Blaenau Ffestiniog which has three supermarkets. Porthmadog is the better option for getting provisions. It has a good Tesco store and many local food suppliers plus a good bookshop and well-stocked charity shops. Other worth-a-visit places in the area include Betws-y-Coed, called the 'Switzerland of Wales' - a picturesque and touristy little town, and Dolgellau, the administrative centre of Gwynedd.

Local attractions

Llechwed Slate Coverns in Blaenau Ffestiniog - a must on a rainy day particularly with recent attractions such as: Zip World Titan, Zip Wold Caverns and Bounce Below.
Antur Stiniog mountain biking downhill MTB trails and uplift
It is a Small World with World Crazy Indoor Golf, 6 lane Scalextric Track, R/C Boating Lake and R/C Mini Car Racing Track, G-scale Railway, Mini Dragster Track, model shop and Bridge Café.
Ffestiniog Steam Railway - you can travel from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Porthmadog and back on this toy-like train. Beautiful views on the way.
Harlech Castle - the best preserved medieval castle in Wales.
Harlech Beach - miles of golden sand and possible usage of a nearby golf course.
Portmeirion Italian Village - a folly designed by a famous architect Clough Ellis. A filming location of the Prisoner.
Bodnant Gardens - a bit further away towards Llandydno for those who like exotic plants and nice gardens.
King Arthur's Labyrinth near Dolgellau - an unusual tour of the underground caverns with dramatic waterfall. A good and unusual Craft Centre nearby.
Porthmadog - good for shopping even for shopaholic teenagers hunting for bargains, lots of charity shops.
Alternative Technology Centre for green minded enthusiasts near Machynlleth, past Dolgellau, south of the cottage.
Snowdon - the highest mountain of Wales can be climbed, walked or travelled by train. Start from Llanberis.
Caernarfon and its castle
Llanfachreth village and the Precipice Walk near Dolgellau, a beautiful village and a good, not too demanding walk with panoramic views over Wales.

Eating out

We would recommend the following places:

Kerfoots kitchen shop cafe in Porthmadog at the bottom of the High Street - lovely coffe, cakes and light lunches.
The Harbour Restaurant at the top of the High Street in Porthmadog opposite Edinburgh Woolen Mill - nutritious, simple, home-made food. Closed 2 to 6pm.
The Grapes pub in Maentwrog - a cosy pub, near the picturesque village church offers good food and drink.
Cafe Plas in Harlech - eat and look out over the stunning panorama of Harlech beach and the mountains. A feast to the eye to say the least.

Payment information

Standard weekly letting is from Saturday 4pm until Saturday 11am. Short breaks by arrangement, prices per night equal a fifth of the weekly rental. The rental tariff excludes electricity which is to be charged at cost (meters have to be read and numbers sent to the owner for calculation after the stay).

A 30% non-refundable deposit is required at the time of booking. Balance to be paid 6 weeks prior to staying in the cottage.

Guests are asked to leave the property in good condition: to return things back to their original places, particularly beds and bedding, and to wash up all the used pots and dishes and leave these clean.

We are sorry not to allow smokers in the house, but our previous experience has taught us that this is a necessary policy.