Cottage in Furnace

The Haven 16th Century Stone Cottage in the heart of Mid Wales ***New for July 2020*** A meticulous renovation of the original 16th century part of the house, The Haven is an honest and homely space that celebrates wood, stone and all the original materials use to build the house. x It has only taken 12 years to finish! ;0) There are two comfortable double bedrooms, a lovely bathroom (~with claw foot cast iron bath) and compact kitchen all on one level. The space Hi folks :0) We hope this finds you all well and happy x An hours walk to the nearest road, this place is for honest folk who are looking for a simple rural retreat. Ideal as well for riding groups who can stay overnight and keep horses in the field. From the beach to us it is a gorgeous days ride! The Haven is warm and comfortable - and the kitchen is equipped with a ceramic hob and double oven, toaster, kettle and microwave. There is an under counter fridge and a similar sized freezer downstairs in the lobby. All crockery and utensils are provided - and there is normally a good selection of herbs and condiments.... all you would need to do is pick up your main cooking ingredients and you are all set! For those with young children, a stair gate is provided as is a clothes drying rack which can be placed on dry days in the South sunshine infront of the Cottage. Perfect for couples, or a young family, The bedrooms can be used either as one bedroom and a living area - or for larger groups, as two bedrooms. There is no dedicated 'lounge' area, but there are plenty of spaces to relax on site and a table and chairs outside the cottage too. All our guests have use of the large (and very lovely!) Breakfast Room - please see the photos! Each double room has a double bed and a fold-out 'foam' mattress for extra sleeping space if there are more than 4 guests or those who want their own bed. The Haven is fully centrally heated with radiators in each room, and we hope to finish installation of the wood burning stove soon. In the bathroom, there is a claw foot cast iron bath tub - and at least 80 litres of piping hot water available each day. If you prefer a shower, there is an attachment for the teardrop taps for a sit-down shower, and we are hoping to complete the shower cubicle soon. Please do see our other reviews (over 800 Five Star!) to be assured of a welcoming and wonderful stay! Please note that for groups over 2 there is a small surcharge of £10 nightly for extra folk to cover additional fuel use and hot water. The Cottage has beautiful views to the South over the gardens and the stream.... children can be paddling and toasting marshmallows in view of the lounge window! There is no washing machine in the cottage, but for those on longer stays (5 days or more), please ask at the main house, and we would be happy to help. (£15 for a service wash ) There is WIFI available in the cottage, with a reasonable connection (even possible to make internet video calls) - and the key is 'George77' The Cottage is kept clean - but is not the Ritz or sterile and impersonal! It is simple and honest - but we love it and our guests do too! For young families -please let us know if need to borrow our travel cot :) Please note that the £10 per night surcharge for extra guests also applies however small the people are, so BABIES AND TODDLERS ARE COUNTED AS AN EXTRA GUEST. Over the past few years we have found that families with young children tend to use more heating and hot water, need travel cots and often more cleaning x We love hosting children so have remarkable facilities for young families - toys, instruments and games, super gentle and friendly animals, a fire pit for toasting marshmallows, kayaks and food that can be foraged on site! ... to make all this possible and enable inspiring and memorable family holidays, all we ask is a small surcharge of £10 per night per person to cover costs. PLEASE ENTER 'INFANTS' as 'CHILDREN OVER 2' in the booking process to make sure it all goes through correctly (I am in an ongoing discussion with Airbnb about all this) It is uncomfortable for us and for you if I to have to ask guests for a surcharge for their little one after a booking request is made :0( Lets all continue making this place special for folk of all ages! In addition to exploring the whole Permaculture and Conservation site, you would also be able to make the most of our new 'Breakfast Room' - a 10 metre Conservatory with glass on 3 sides, tables and chairs to sit at, a piano and comfy sofas at the other end. This gorgeous space is for use by everyone at Blaeneinion and is perfect to relax in or check emails on wetter days - please see the photos :) There are lots of plants, a stereo system, some childrens toys (wooden train set has been a big hit!) jigsaws and a growing and eclectic mixture of books to enjoy. It is a great spot to enjoy looking out at the stars in the evening or enjoying a glass of wine after a long days walking and exploring :) The breakfast room is super-hot on Summer days and comfortably warmed by even the merest sunshine even in Winter.... the stone wall internally retains heat like a big storage heater well into the evenings. There are delicious home-made jams for sale in the Breakfast room, and please ask if you would like eggs or fresh produce produced on site. Please note that the drive up to Blaeneinion is 10 minutes along a stunning woodland valley single lane track, following the river in places, it is breathtaking, if not a little scary perhaps!? The road is tarmac and fine for all cars - just take it slowly and enjoy :~) We encourage folk to minimise car use - and are very happy to provide a taxi service to and from the station at Machynlleth within reasonable hours for a suggested donation of £20 each way if you need it. Please get in touch PRIOR TO BOOKING if this is of interest. As a taxi would normally cost much more (local firms charge between £26 and £35 for the same journey) and offering this service takes at least an hour of my time, please ensure that your train journey arrival time is mutually agreed and that if you need to do a shopping trip, that time is factored in too so that we are all home by 7pm at the latest. 7pm is when our check-in finishes (to preserve my sanity!) Otherwise, there are some reliable taxi firms in Machynlleth who would be happy to help at usual rates. Also an apology that we cannot accept pets on site - we love animals and have lost both poultry and wild birds and animals from dog attacks. Even the most well-behaved dogs leave a strong scent which deters the wild animals from coming near the house... and although we know it's not their fault, we just have to be strict on this issue. We hope you can understand. ~Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have :) Guest access Bring some 'messy' clothes! We run a Permaculture site here producing fresh fruit and veg, eggs and giggles ;) There are streams, wetland pools and waterfalls on site - so lots of opportunities to go wild dipping, kayaking and so many fabulous walks straight into the Cambrian Mountains from the farm! If you enjoy al-fresco cooking, the fire pit by the stream is beautiful and throughout the warmer months especially, is a great place to make supper and chat! On cloudless nights, the starts will blow your mind as we have 'dark skies' without any light pollution :) Blaeneinion is an idyllic setting - 75 acres at the head of Artists Valley in Mid West Wales. We have planted over 34,000 native saplings in the past 15 years. There is a young 2.5 acre Forest Garden with 100 fruit and nut cultivars and around 800 small soft fruit bushes. Summer 2016 we finished rabbit-proofing the whole garden and are now adding in more perennial edibles and 'bee plants' including Rhubarb and Globe Artichokes. Blaeneinion has a productive vegetable garden and has been supplying around 200 portions of organically produced veggies to a local box scheme and shop each week (Jun-Nov) for 6 years. There are winter greens, spicy salads, leeks, onions, squash and root crops all year round. The poly tunnel and geodesic dome supply us with most herbs, winter salads and oriental greens even in January!. If you would like some fresh produce, please ask for help to harvest, and make a donation - most things are around £2 per portion. We also produce chemical-free eggs, vinegars, jams, honey and we even have some locally foraged dried boletus mushrooms for the connoisseurs! Ask about frozen soft fruits and beans in Winter too. Living on site are Toulouse geese, ducks and chickens, super-friendly (and unusually large!) cats that will try to move in with you if you let them and Beavers of course! There is a crystal clear stream for paddling and using the kayaks, and guests are encouraged to enjoy al fresco cooking in the front garden at the fire pit. There is usually (a little damp) wood scrap available for the fire free of charge - otherwise, you can buy a barrow from us for £10 or collect some in the woods ;) It is a lovely place to hang out with children (rope swing is awesome!) and just exploring the local area, mushroom foraging or looking for lichens, insects or bilberries, preparing meals together or fashioning ornate staffs from local wood can fill your day in a rewarding and simple way. From the Cottage, there are breathtaking walks into the Cambrian Mountains and through Plynlimon, and we are within 45 minutes drive of Cadair Idris and on the edge of the Snowdonia National Park for those who enjoy climbing or a scramble. Close to Ynyslas RSPB reserve and the Dyfi Osprey project, there is wildlife everywhere - there are Buzzards, Kites and Owls on site! In the summer, we have several pairs of nesting swallows and redstarts. 2019 saw spotted flycatchers and grasshopper warblers in the field! Mammals here include polecats, stoats, foxes, badgers (a naughty mink), pine martens have been reintroduced and even naughtier rabbits everywhere (who eat our saplings), and of course there are opportunities to watch our family of Eurasian Beavers at dusk and dawn in their 2.5 acre enclosure every day - although they do slow down in Mid Winter. If you prefer the sea, we are 15 minutes drive from Borth and Ynylas beaches (great surfing!) or you can enjoy nestling into the sheltered sand dunes for picnics and BBQs. In the warmer months, there are opportunities to collect Samphire from the esturine mud. There are boat trips out of Aberystwyth and Barmouth from which you can see dolphins in Cardigan Bay. The historic market town of Machynlleth is 20 minutes drive from the house, and has some fantastic old buildings, bookshops, antique shops and a lively local street market every Wednesday. The world famous Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) is just outside Machynlleth, and is a 25 minute drive from the Cottage. For those who get withdrawals and need a 'civilisation' fix, the University town of Aberystwyth is 30 mins drive away, with cinemas, restaurants, the National Library of Wales and the famous Arts Centre. Aberystwyth is a charming seaside town with donkeys and a cafe on the beach in summer, and all the banks/supermarkets etc... that anyone may need access to. There are a few delightful steam railways still operating locally - well worth a trip to Devils Bridge, beautiful Dolgellau, 'Blue Lake' and to watch the sunset from Cae Du campsite! So whether you are after a quiet retreat walking, reading or cycling - or if you would just like an affordable 'base' from which to explore the local area, there is a wealth of options! Other things to note you do decide to bring your car, please go easy up and down the track - there are lovely old ladies, small children and dogs walking.... From the main road (A487) in Furnace take the 'Artists Valley' turning into a single lane tarmac road and drive for 3 miles until the very end. Make sure to always stay on the tarmac and not head off into the forest! You will see our wooden sign a mile before you reach Blaeneinion. There are frequent 'passing places' along the track should you meet someone coming the other way, and most folk are happy to reverse :) If you are using GPS to get here, we have the coordinates, but they will not display on the site - so please ring or email us and we can send them to you with comprehensive directions. It is VERY important to print them out before you set off as we do not have mobile reception in the Valley. Most Sat Navs will only direct you to a neighbouring property a mile down the road...... so keep going :) The picturesque 3 mile single lane track to Blaeneinion is council-maintained tarmac and sound - but not for the faint hearted! If you are an especially nervous driver.... maybe it is not for you?! In the past 5 years of hosting, we have had a handful of guests who found it very challenging to drive along a road so remote with Valley drops to one side.... so please do not decide to come and then leave negative feedback about 'location' because of the track - it is one of things we especially love and we hope you will too! Check-in is strictly between 3pm and 7pm, after this time, there may not be anyone to show you around until the next morning. If you can only arrive later in the evening for whatever reason, please call us and make an arrangement - and we will try to accommodate your plans. In the Summer months, there are midges here for an hour or so at dusk (and they are really annoying!), so it may be a good idea to bring an insect repellent if you want to watch the beavers or sit out in the early evenings :) We have other listings on site and can accommodate extended family groups or retreats of up to 20 people if needed - depending upon availability.