About Us
As a family we have always yearned for the ‘good life’, even when we rented our first flat together with a postage stamp sized garden, we crammed the borders full of veg and herbs in an effort to have our own home grown goodies. Then as soon as space allowed we got ourselves a hand full of chickens, quickly followed by ducks.
Channel 4’s ‘River Cottage’ has a lot to answer for. We loved the idea of a cottage with a stream running through the grounds, a few animals of our own to grow up, the chance to forage from our back doorstep and live in a quieter, more lush and fruitful place. We wanted to essentially get closer to the land and take our own small steps towards self sufficiency.
In 2017 we made up our minds to take the plunge and leave our regular day jobs and village life in the midlands and search for our perfect hideaway. By the end of the year we had found a truly amazing spot, perfect for us to live out our dream.
With acres of woodland, streams running through the valley and a paddock for livestock …oh and a house: Cwmbychan (which translates as ‘little valley’) was the answer .
In the few years that we have been here we have made the place our own, adding vegetable gardens and a polytunnel, chicken coops and duck houses, fencing for our four legged animals (2021 saw our first Little Valley lambs born). We’ve planted more fruit bushes and have enjoyed making jams and chutneys. We try to grow as much of our own fruit and veg as we can, particularly through the summer months and are now trying to rear our own meat too. With our small, but growing flock of sheep, the poultry and occasionally pigs we hope to ensure good quality happy meat for ourselves in the freezer.
We are looking forward to the coming years when we can enjoy all that we have here at our fingertips. We love going to the beach, catching our lunch and cooking it up on a wood fire right there on the rocks. Foraging around our woodland and hedgerows, picking natural delights to scoffle or cook up: The first elderflowers made into cordial or deep fried in tempura batter, the bright ruby rosehips to make syrups and jams, the first tomatoes from the green house which just seem to smell and taste more tomatoey! Fresh eggs from our ducks and chickens, nothing beats a poached duck egg on toast or wild garlic mixed through your egg mayonnaise.
Sven is experimenting with curing and air drying meats to make our own Salamis, Lomo and Bresaola which are wonderfully tasty. this year, alongside setting up the Caban Bach, we have made a smoker out of an old dishwasher to add flavour to our meats and produce. Sophia is into composting and exploring the principles of permaculture giving a massive boost to the veg patch. Also keeping and breeding the poultry for both eggs and the table. This year we aim to produce all of our own chicken rather than buying from the supermarket.
Although the main house here at Cwmbychan was in good order when we moved in, the surrounding milking sheds and barn, some of which dated back to 1700’s were in poor repair and beginning to crumble. We embarked upon a big renovation project to bring them back to life, this means that we can now offer ‘Bwthyn Bach’ (Little Cottage) as an enchanting getaway destination. Still maintaining as much of the original character as possible the cottage with open plan living area down stairs and a huge loft upstairs with comfy bedroom and space to relax. There is a private garden for sitting out and taking in the surroundings – that’s bird song, wind in the trees, the stream running past, red kites and buzzards flying high over the woodland and at night the huge star-filled skies…everything we love about this place.
We are proud of what we have achieved here so far, both with the renovation of our barns and the way that we have established our smallholding. We hope that it will make the perfect place for you to come and stay and enjoy the relaxed Little Valley atmosphere
Accommodation
Bwthyn Bach
(Little Cottage)
Sleeps 2
The barn was originally built around 1740 out of the local stone and clum (a mixture of animal manure, mud and straw). The stylish interior is a mix of upcycled, antique and modern pieces which gives Bwthyn Bach a unique character.
Caban Bach
(Little Cabin)
Coming Soon – 19th October!
Nestled into the slopes of the woodland, the cabin will be the perfect retreat for couples wanting to get away from it all. Caban Bach provides a self-contained hideaway with a view where you will be immersed in stunning natural surroundings.