Thistledown Glamping & Cottages
UK Wales Mid Wales Ceredigion Coed-y-Bryn
Tucked away down a single-track road in West Wales, Thistledown Glamping and Cottages is a real family affair. A collection of two shepherd's huts and two one-bedroom cottages owned and run by Claire and Tim with the help of their two children and Claire's mum Debbie, it's a gorgeous little oasis, a smallholding with chickens and ducks, a couple of sheep and an upcycled vibe that fits perfectly with its restored traditional Welsh longhouse and adjacent deliberately natural, flower and thistle-filled meadow. It's an eco-friendly sort of place too, with a homemade water wheel turned by a natural spring that will one day power the outside lights, and all the accommodation is dog-friendly.
The accommodation here consists of two one-bedroom cottages – Fern Cottage and Bramble Cottage – and two hand-built shepherd’s huts, Wren and Finch. Fern Cottage comfortably sleeps two, furnished in contemporary style, with wooden floors, an open-plan kitchen and sitting room, shower room and a bedroom with a super-king-size bed. It has good wifi, and ramp to the front door and slightly wider doorways so is a good bet for wheelchair-users. Next door, Bramble Cottage is very similar but also has its own wood-fired Scandinavian-style hot tub for a spot of lazing and star-gazing.
The smaller of the two shepherds huts, Wren, sleeps two, and is beautifully finished inside, with a compact kitchen equipped with a fridge, sink, hobs and everything you need, and a raised bed that is positioned for the best views from the window in the morning. In the same meadow, a second, larger hut, Finch, matches Wren for beauty and functionality, but has an added room with a set of sturdy bunk beds. Both huts have their own hot tubs and their own private bathrooms a short walk away.
Finally Thistledown it's a great location too – for exploring the nearby beaches of Cardigan Bay, the castle ruins of Newcastle Emlyn or just strolling along the nearby River Teifi. Not only that, there's a really nice (dog-friendly) pub a 5-minute drive away – if you can tear yourself away, that is...
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Facilities
Fern Cottage is the end cottage in our longhouse. It sleeps 2 in a super king size bed, with plenty of room for a travel cot if needed. It has a shower room and an open plan kitchen & living room. The cottage has a ramp up to the front door, slightly wider doorways and wooden floors throughout, which may make it suitable for those who are less physically able. It accepts three dogs.
Bramble Cottage sleeps 2 adults in a king-size bed. It has a quirky layout and a luxurious finish, and a garden with a wood-fired tot tub. One dog welcome, off road parking
Wren sleeps 2 in a raised double bed. 'Finch' sleeps 4 - 2 adults & 2 children under 16, with the raised double, plus bunk beds. Inside you'll find a compact kitchen with a 2 ring electric hob, kettle, toaster, sink, cutlery, crockery and basic cooking utensils, plus a table and chairs, externally controlled heaters, a TV, free Wi-Fi, shelving and storage. Towels and bedding all provided. In the enclosed outside area there is decking with table and chairs, a fire pit with BBQ utensils and skillets. Both Huts have a private, wood-fired hot tub directly outside, perfect for star gazing on a clear night. Our wood fired hot tubs are provided for a relaxing experience and are not suitable for children to play in (children under 12 are not permitted to use the tub). Each hut has its own private bathroom a short walk away – this has a rain-head shower, flushing loo, a sink, mirror and a heated towel rail.
Suitable For
Self Catering only, both cottages and huts suit couples looking for a romantic, peaceful break or (in Finch) families with slightly older children looking for a glamping adventure. We promote a quiet, peaceful site and request that no loud music is played and that you are respectful of other guests.
Nearby
It's a 20-minute drive (11 miles) to Cardigan Bay. Famous for its bottlenose dolphins, you can join dolphin watching boat trips from New Quay's pretty harbour (also the place to go for fish and chips; see Food & Drink) or try visiting the shingle beach at Cwmtydu, which is also known as a regular place for spotting dolphins and seals (from mid September onwards you can often see seal pups on the beach). Owned by the National Trust, Mwnt (16 miles) is a particularly good beach – there is no avoiding the long, steep walk there but it makes it one of the most secluded spots along the coast – and Aberporth (12 miles) is also recommended – a blue flag beach with excellent water quality. The National Wool Museum (02920 573070) is a short drive from Thistledown Glamping, while Newcastle Emlyn is 12 minutes away and boasts the ruins of a 13th century castle, good restaurants, and a country market every Friday. The River Teifi offers trout fishing, walking trails and canoeing in most places. If you're here with the kids, a ride on the local steam train is a must. The Teifi Valley Railway (01559 371077) is a narrow-gauge tourist railway located at Henllan. Until recently it has been closed and disused but it has just re-opened for rides and is a real hidden treasure.Food & Drink
There's a guest information file in each hut with lists of local pubs and restaurants nearby. It's a 5-minute drive to The Daffodil (01559 370343) in Penrhiwllan, a very dog-friendly local pub with a delicious choice of food. It can also be reached by a scenic, 40-minute walk down an old country road directly from Thistledown Glamping. If you're heading to the coast, The Lime Crab (01545 561400) in New Quay offers the best fish and chips in the area (according to Tim and Claire at least) and also offer gluten free options. There's also a good ice cream parlour (01545 561307) in New Quay, along with a range of independent cafés, bars and restaurants. The local town of Llandysul also has a range of takeaways if you want a bite to take back to the shepherd's hut.Open
Open all year round.Pricing
From £75 per night.The Owner Says
Nestled in a quiet corner of West Wales, our holiday cottages are across the a single track road from our Shepherd Huts. They form part of our traditional Welsh longhouse set on our small-holding here in West Wales. We currently have chickens, ducks & our 2 sheep Eira & Seren, and of course Meg the dog!
There are two 2 quirky 1 bedroom cottages each sleep 2 adults, each with their own unique style. They are also dog friendly - Fern Cottage welcomes up to 3 dogs & Bramble Cottage welcomes 1 dog.
The Shepherd huts have been entirely designed, created and built by Tim & Claire. With their unique touches & quirky style we aim to bring you a little bit of luxury in natural surroundings. Wren sleeps 2 adults, and Finch can sleep up to 2 adults and 2 children aged 3 to 16. Both huts welcome up to 2 well behaved dogs, Finch is more suitable for larger breed dogs. The huts have electricity, WiFi, heating, quirky private bathrooms a short stroll away & indoor cooking facilities as well as a fire pit, wood fired hot tub & outdoor seating.
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Accommodation
Two self-catering cottages, each sleeping two, and two luxury shepherd's huts, one sleeping 2, the other sleeping 4.
Finch
Wren
Fern Cottage
Location
Contact Website 01239 851 416 Thistledown Glamping & Cottages, Thistledown, Panteg cross, Llandysul, Ceredigion SA44 4SS
Getting There
The nearest railway is 3 miles away but, since it's the truly tiny Teifi Valley narrow gauge railway, it's not much use as a convenient mode of transport! For the nearest main-line station it's an arduous near-20-mile trip (half an hour by car) to Carmarthen and there's not a particularly frequent bus service to this area. In short, don't rely on public transport to get here.
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