Pontbrenmydyr National Trust Cottage

Pontbrenmydyr Cottage is an absolute delight! It is a rustic, 'vernacular cloms' building and given its age and history, it has several quirks and loads of character. Before the NT restored it, it reputedly was unlived in for 50 years.

Things you can appreciate about the cottage include: its cobbled tile and stone floors, thick walls, unique bathroom with stable door, plus it's peaceful, private location. Each room is well-furnished, with many character pieces. The living room has a wood burner and small shelf of books upon walks, wildlife, tourism and other NT properties. Energy for the cottage is obtained through eco-friendly biomass heating and solar energy. Once warm, the incredibly thick walls of the house helped retain the heat. Both external doors have heavy curtains to help keep out the cold. We found the tap water is incredibly clean and refreshing too, something we don't have back home sadly.

The cottage does have a thatched roof underneath it's corrugated iron hat, so subsequently there are some tiny spiders about, both inside and outside the building - these are completely harmless though. Bats apparently live in the roof space, yet cause no harm. If anything, they feed off the spiders and other insects.

Outside, the garden is a good size and has a river running beside it. It sounds gentle and calming. There is a good sized grassed area, high hedging to shield the neighbouring cottage, a bistro table and chairs and a laundry line. We moved the bistro set around to make the most of the sun and also take in views of the river. Local wildlife was plentiful. It was lovely, watching the bats upon dusk and listening to owls🦉 Some additional loud splashing in the river, lead us to believe it could be an otter, yet sadly not confirmed by sighting any.

The location is superb if you appreciate nature, open space, plus peace and quiet. We also felt it was a great base to use, to explore this region of Western Wales.

Several local walks take you to Llanerchaeron Estate NT (approximately ten minutes across the field) to explore the house, church, gardens and nearby forest/river walks. Thoroughly recommended, but check for opening days of the house.

There is also an abandoned railway walk at the front of the property leading off the driveway. This takes you in to Aberaeron in approximately 45-60 minutes. The old corrugated iron, train station seen from the driveway is the starting point. It starts off a bit rocky and uneven, but soon levels out into a very suitable and accessible walk. Plenty of foraging to be had during high summer.

The cottage is rated with 3 acorns by the NT. To access it, you do need to drive 200 metres down an unnamed roadway/driveway, open a gate marked PRIVATE outside the neighbouring cottage and drive to the left of this house for a few metres before you see the second gate to Pontbrenmydyr Cottage. We found that mobile reception is limited inside the building, possible due to the thick stone walls.

One thing about the cottage that took us some getting used to, is the shower in the bath. You are unable to stand under the shower, instead you need to sit in the bath to use it, or hold it in your hand. This may prove difficult for people who are less mobile than ourselves. Additionally it might not be to everyone's preference. Given the beautiful and character-laden bathroom, we got over this and ourselves quite quickly and enjoyed it for what it is. 😀

Would we stay again?
MOST CERTAINLY! 😄

(Time of visit: last week of August)

Loved the house, its history. The gardens are beautiful. Plenty to see and do.. Well worth a visit...