Llangollen Barns Holiday Cottages

These two self-catering cottages may only be a mile from the spectacular riverside town of Llangollen, but with views of mountains and green valleys, they feel much further away. The road from town rises steeply and narrows as you get closer to your destination and further into the Dee Valley countryside. Once you’ve arrived, you won’t hear the traffic from the A5, which passes through the town, but you might just catch the whistle from the heritage steam train and you’ll almost certainly hear the hoot of a tawny owl.

These neat and comfy cottages are completely self-contained but were once part of the same barn, built of the Ruabon red bricks which come from just a few miles down the road. A careful conversion by owner Martin, who lives in the farmhouse next door, transformed this farm building into two lovely places to stay. He named them for the birds you’ll see and hear outside: Owl, which sleeps up to four in two bedrooms, and Woodpecker, which is just for two – give or take a baby and a dog. In fact, both are dog-friendly holiday homes, not to mention eminently well-equipped. With a double bedroom and a twin, Owl is the natural choice for families, while Woodpecker is a perfect cosy country hideaway for couples.

Both have space to sit outside, but Owl has the larger garden. For the best views, though, head indoors and upstairs where large rooftop windows, and one Martin calls “the Instagram window”, look out at mountains, valleys and the medieval Castell Dinas Brân. You’ll be standing between pine and oak beams which are a constant reminder of the heritage of these houses. The rural aesthetic is honoured throughout, but there’s little else that’s truly rustic. It’s too comfortable for that. Amenities in the oak kitchens include a microwave and dishwasher, and the flooring in the open-plan living spaces downstairs has the look of natural wood, but is warmed by underfloor heating. There’s a Smart TV and decent WiFi in both.

You can walk from your front door out into the countryside or on a downhill route to town. There, you’ll find that steam train, the castle, walks along the River Dee and plenty of independent shops and eateries. In July, there’s the Eisteddfodd music festival, in August, sheepdog trials. You won’t want to miss a horse-drawn barge trip along the canal and over the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. And, if that sounds rather gentle, you could always try a spot of white-water rafting on the River Dee.