Yr Hen Stablau, Mid Wales, UK

Yr Hen Stablau is a recently renovated 1840s stables set in luxuriant gardens on a wooded hillside overlooking the beautiful Dyfi Valley near Machynlleth, and in the south corner of Snowdonia. The stables conversion was designed to preserve existing walls and features, use original stone, slates and timbers, and make the building energy efficient.

Features
Heating by LPG gas and solar energy, draught lobby, porch with glazing, double glazing of all windows, thick insulation and draught sealing, low solvent organic paint on all walls, underfloor heating, 92% efficient boiler, passive ventilation, woodburning stove; on site logs. Snowdonia Sustainable Self-Catering Award 2008

Ground floor: Sitting room with wonderful french windows on to slate terrace and woodland view; kitchen/dining room with high ceiling, original beams and farmland view, modern fittings; pantry; double bedroom; shower room/WC; hall; lobby. The ground floor of Yr Hen Stablau is fully wheelchair accessible, including bedroom, shower room and toilet, sitting room, kitchen/dining room, hall and access to terraces front and back. Mobile hoist. All door handles disability friendly, and colour scheme planned for good visibility. Front door entrance level with the road.

First floor: two twin bedrooms with original beams; landing; WC. Cot available on request.

Electricity, gas, CH included; woodstove, one load logs included. Radio: digital TV; DVD player; washing machine/dryer; microwave; fridge; freezer; spring water supply UV filtered; organic cotton bedlinen provided. Smoking outside. Pets welcome but dogs must be kept away from sheep in neighbouring farms. Ample parking. Shops 1 mile.

Garden
Visitors have access to hillside garden to see wild flowers, stream, oak woods, lake, birds and panorama of Dyfi estuary. The garden is best in April-May with a gorgeous display of rhododendrons and azaleas. There are many other unusual shrubs and trees including pieris, tulip tree, redwood and eucryphia.

Local Attractions
There are plenty of lovely walks- Cadair Idris, Darren Hendre, Llyn Barfog Machynlleth (1 mile) – unspoilt market town with independent shops, swimming pool, Tabernacl arts centre, Owain Glyndwr Centre, pubs and restaurants. Mountain bike hire; trails from Machynlleth Centre for Alternative Technology (3 miles) - displays on renewable energy and sustainable living Seaside - Aberdyfi (8 miles) with 5 miles of sandy beach, yacht club, watersports.

There is a wide range of activities to keep children occupied - Talyllyn Steam Railway, King Arthur’s Labyrinth, DyfiActive activity days.
Birdwatching - Ynyshir nature reserve (6 miles), Red Kite Safaris (book in advance) Golf: Aberdyfi, Harlech (top championship courses in N Wales), Borth, Machynlleth. Fishing - book in advance through New Dyfi Fishing Association Machynlleth Festival - in August with art & music.

How does Yr Hen Stablau minimise its impact on the environment and contribute to a sense of place?
Awarded Gold by the Green Tourism Business Scheme, Yr Hen Stablau uses solar panels to heat the water supply and provide underfloor heating, while the wood stove uses logs from the site. The existing walls and features of the stables have been preserved and the original stone, slates and timbers have been used. The recently renovated stables are also extremely well insulated, using 100% recycled newspaper fitted by a local company, plus the porch has a part-glazed roof, sheltering the west of the cottage, preventing draughts and gaining some solar energy. All windows and door panels are double glazed, while the restored gothic windows are triple glazed. The water is sourced from a mountain spring and passes through a UV filter, and all cleaning products are eco friendly. There are no less than seven recycling bins: food waste in the kitchen plus plastic, cardboard, newspapers, glass, cans and batteries in the pantry. With such close proximity to the Snowdonia National Park, there are ample walking opportunities in the Dyfi Valley, as well as wildlife watching and walking trails in the Ynyshir nature reserve.