Review: Coastal Cottage Ceredigion, West Wales
Feeling like a planning an escape to the simple country life now that the nights have drawn in and the evenings are best spent with a good book? I suggest you light the fire, pop the kettle on and while away a wet afternoon at what might just be Wales’ cosiest cottage. Meet Coastal Cottage Ceredigion, one of Kip Hideaways collection of handpicked British boltholes and ‘small places with soul’.
Down a lane somewhere in Wales, tucked among trees and bordered by a clear-flowing brook, there is a spick-and-span white cottage. The thick traditional thatch topping it is a dead giveaway to what’s inside this traditional ‘crog’ house – all the trappings of cosy cottage life are here, from an inglenook fireplace and wooden floors to piles of Welsh blankets and beams dating back to when the cottage was first built in the 18th century. And if you come in out of the cold to the welcome warmth of Coastal Cottage, you’ll find a little extra secret that book fans will love. A ladder from the sitting room leads up to the original crog (or loft) bedroom tucked into the eaves, now converted into the perfect reading space to escape to and complete with bookshelf, comfy chair and a warm-hued reading light.
Things are delightfully simple elsewhere, too. Interiors at the cottage are a wonderful mix of traditional paints and furniture with modern prints. There are two neat white bedrooms sleeping four in total, a kitchen perfect for cooking up a Sunday roast in and a peaceful garden designed to encourage the bees to visit and with the brook’s song acting as a backing soundtrack.
Wondering where the ‘coast’ in ‘Coastal Cottage’ is? You’re a 10-minute drive down a winding woodland lane from Cwmtydu, a quiet little beach often also called Seal Cove due to the inquisitive aquatic visitors you might spot lolloping on the sand here. You can pick up the Wales coast path for a windswept hike, or continue on to reach the arty town of Aberaeon, where tall houses in chocolate box colours parade along the harbour and the bright lights of the Harbour Hotel and the Hive cafe invite wet visitors.
We ventured further afield into Pembrokeshire from the Coastal Cottage, on a wild swimming safari to the Blue Lagoon at Abereiddy and to a hidden quarry pool. It was a wonderful day out – and some of Wales’ wildest coastline is on your doorstep – but really, the best bit of your day has to be coming home to Coastal Cottage, popping the fire on and holing up under the thatch.
Stay at the Coastal Cottage Ceredigion, which sleeps four, from £80 per night, bookable through Kip Hideaways, which hand picks gorgeous self-catering hideaways for 2-6 people.
