Den by the Stream

UK Wales Mid Wales Ceredigion Cardigan

A wonderfully secluded eco-retreat for two in its own private meadow!

Adults-only and also dog-friendly, The Den by the Stream is just about as good as it gets if you're a couple looking for an eco-friendly place to stay. Sitting on its own in a quiet corner of a private meadow next to a cascading stream and just a short distance from the coast in rural Ceredigion, this rustic cabin is the perfect place for you and your loved one to chill out in complete seclusion. Arrive here, stash your stuff and.... breathe...

Hand-built and off-grid, the Den is large and light, with picture windows framing a spacious open-plan room. There's a comfy sofa and a wood-burner (with a good supply of logs), a kitchenette with a single-ring stove and all the utensils you need to cook up something simple and delicious, plus an indoor dining area to sit and enjoy it. When you’re ready, you can tumble into the hand-crafted four-poster bed made out of trees from the surrounding woodland.

What the cabin doesn't have is wifi, TV or radio, but that is the point – this is the perfect place to escape from everyday life, with nothing at all to distract you. It has pretty much everything else you'll need for a comfortable stay: towels and bed linen, lots of blankets, bottled tap water and board games and books for rainy days; there's also an underground terracotta cooler beneath the cabin to keep food and drink cool. There's an indoor, attached shower room with an efficient filtered rainwater shower (heated from grass compost), a compost loo and organic toiletries and lighting and power provided by a solar panel– so yes, you can charge your phone! The double-glazed windows are recycled, as is most of the furniture unless it’s been hand-built specially, and the cabin is extremely well insulated, making it a warm and cosy place to stay throughout the year. Outside there's a verandah and a firepit surrounded by logs for seating, along with a Cobb barbecue cooker, complete with its own recipe book.

Arrive here and you might not want to leave. You have the meadow to yourself (there are no other guests); the stream provides a constant soundtrack of running water, which, with the birdsong, makes it hard not to kick back and relax; there are trees all around, and over three acres of land around to explore; and dogs are very welcome to join you on your rural adventure if you have one handy! If you get a craving to connect with other people, the pleasant historic town of Cardigan is a short drive – or 15-minute walk – away, and has plenty of appeal, with lots of indy businesses and artisan stalls and shops, and excellent pubs and restaurants, some of which sit right by the river. The Wales Coastal Path passes right through so you're within easy and scenic reach of all manner of other coastal attractions, not least Mwnt Beach or Poppit Sands; or you can take a boat trip into Cardigan Bay to watch the resident dolphins and seals

However good all of this is, though, it's nice to know that when you're done exploring, your cosy cabin is waiting for you when you get back.

Gallery

The Owner Says

The idea of the Den was conceived as a retreat for couples wanting to recapture the simplicity of childhood or to spend time together to enjoy the little things and to fall in love all over again. It's a place just for two; cosy and romantic, restful and calming. We like to think of it as a den for grown-ups!

If it's solitude and privacy you're after, Den by the Stream could be the perfect place. It's a hand-built comfy eco cabin, full of light and space surrounded by nature. The stream, with exclusive access for our guests, runs by just a few metres away from the Den, beneath the canopy of trees and the area is teeming with birds and wildlife. Sitting on one of the rustic benches placed along the woodland trail, a cup of coffee steaming beside you and a good book in hand, the sound of birdsong and cascading water, this must be one of the most relaxing ways to start your day. Meals can be cooked up on the terrace using the COBB barbeque, or light the camp fire and cook up a chilli. Inside there's a handy camping stove for quick cuppas, and defined areas to relax with comfy seating, a dining area and a comfy hand made four poster bed with tree branch posts, strewn with tiny led lights. There's also a shower room and loo attached to the side of the cabin, so no need to step outside during the night. The Den is particularly cosy in the autumn and winter as it's fully insulated and there's a very efficient wood burner. The Den is well stocked with blankets, board games, jigsaw puzzles and books. Dogs love the freedom to explore the (fenced) area around the Den or you can take them to the larger adjacent meadow for a bit of exercise. With all this rural bliss around, our guests are often surprised that we're so close to the lovely historic town of Cardigan which is just 1 mile away, with the Wales Coast Path running right through it, giving access to 870 miles of walking with jaw-dropping views. Our previous guests have left glowing reviews describing the Den as magical, idyllic, heavenly, spectacular and exceeding expectations and we're always delighted when we see them return.

Who is our property best suited to?

Our guests have ranged in age from late teens to mid 70's, from regular campers deciding to upgrade, to lovers of comfort and a bit of luxury wanting solitude and nature. And of course, those wanting to give their dog a wonderful holiday too! We've welcomed 'all day' walkers, surfers, those who love pottering around the nearby pretty towns and villages, to those who just want to chill, re-charge and never leave the premises. From those who'd never really considered going off-grid before, to those who love having a 'low carbon footprint' holiday. Being eco conscious, we built the Den using locally sourced sustainable materials or from our own tree falls, furnished it with re-cycled and up-cycled items and fabrics. We use composting grass to heat the shower water which has been collected from rain fall and gravity fed to the shower, there is a compost (sawdust) loo and a solar panel provides power enough for lighting and low wattage devices.

What’s special about our area?

West Wales is so under populated that although it gets busier during summer, there is still space to get away from everyone, there's little traffic or queuing and a relaxed and contented ambience. The many artisans, smallholder farmers and crafters who have set up cottage industries here include making chocolate, gin, cheese (including real buffalo mozzarella), organic toiletries, wool, wood and slate products which they sell locally, nationally and some internationally. We're renowned for being really friendly to dogs too and many shop keepers welcome you with your dog into their shops. There are some really good cafes and restaurants, many of them also dog friendly, some of them with fantastic views, serving a wide range of vegetarian and vegan dishes as well as locally produced food. The beaches, coves and villages are stunning, there are so many places to walk, with the riverside, the coastal path, woodland, long sandy beaches or the Preseli Hills (a nearby mountain range) to name a few. But perhaps what we love most of all, it's so breathtakingly beautiful here with the sky so full of stars and, with no heavy industry anywhere near, the air is noticeably clean and the lichen that grows on the trees is testament to that.

Best local places to eat and drink?

There's a wide choice of really good places to eat in Cardigan to suit a variety of tastes and budget. There are also several takeaway restaurants including Indian, Mexican and Mediterranean. Travel a few miles outside Cardigan and the choice widens to include picturesque pubs in tiny coves, seaside specialist fish restaurants, and high end dining.