FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q.     Can I bring my dog(s)

Absolutely! We have a dog ourselves and always take her if we go away. We have relaxed dog rules, they can go in any room and on the sofas. If they sleep on or in the bed please bring your own bedding. We provide bowls and poo bags (please do pick up in the garden). The garden is wire stock fenced and hedged on all the boundaries. The lowest point is 4 feet: this section has hedging in front. There is a dog next door, as well as sheep and poultry. We have an extra freezer for raw food and a medium crate available to hire. If you have a reactive dog Hendre Ddu can be an ideal place to stay, please ask for more information.

Q.   Where is the nearest....?

(All timings are for driving. You could walk to some but it would take a while!)

Place to buy basics: Mallwyd Service Station (10 minutes)

Pub: Brigands Inn, Mallwyd or Penrhos Arms, Cemmaes Road (both around 12 minutes)

Medium supermarket: Coop Machynlleth (25 mins)

Big Supermarket: Morrisons, Lidl, Tesco in Aberystwyth (50 mins) same in Newtown (50 mins), Welshpool has the same with Aldi instead of Lidl (1 hour)

Beach: Ynyslas (40 mins) Borth (45 mins), Aberdovey (40 mins) Barmouth (40 mins)Cafe: Ty Cemmaes on Cemmaes Road opposite the pub. Caffi'r Hen Siop in Dinas Mawddwy (15 mins) Lots of cafes in Machynlleth.

Wifi: Camlan, Penrhos Arms, Cafe in Dinas, Brigands Inn

Mobile signal: Throughout the village itself up to the crossroads as you come in. Depending on phone and network you may find you get signal higher up towards the lake. Some networks get a data signal outside the cottage.

Q.   The cottage is off grid, what should I know?

We are not connected to any mains services. Electricity is supplied by solar panels which is then stored in batteries and converted into the correct voltage, you can use normal plug in appliances but we'd be grateful if you keep this to a minimum and turn off lights etc. There isn't a microwave, dishwasher or hairdryer as these use a lot of power. Being Wales, we don't rely on sun alone but have a back up generator which is automated to come on if the batteries get low. The cooker is LPG gas, works just as well as mains gas. The water is a naturally fed private supply. It is filtered as it enters the cottage but not treated. Absolutely fine in tea and coffee but you may wish to bring drinking water. We are not able to provide WiFi. There is a payphone landline and the number is provided with the directions.

Q.  What is the accessibility like?

The ground around the cottage is flat and there is a parking space right next to it. There are original slate slabs both outside and inside on the ground floor. Due to their age, these are a bit uneven/wobbly in places. The doorway at the back is wide and low with a low threshold. (Front door has 1 step) All the bedrooms are upstairs. There is a small bathroom downstairs. The painted wood stairs are a modern replacement so are not too steep, and have handrails. There are wooden floors upstairs. The slate outside is slippery in the wet. The shower enclosure downstairs has a small step up. The garden is sloping with a few sets of steps.

Q.  Will I need 4 wheel drive to get there?

Not usually, and the property has been lived in full time by people who had regular small two wheel drive vehicles. The driveway is a little steep but as long as you have decent tyres and are OK at hill starts you'll be fine. As you would expect, once you leave the main A road the minor and private roads used to reach the cottage are not treated in snow or ice. The forestry roads actually have better traction than the tarmacked ones in these conditions. We regularly drive the route in and will always let you know if we find any issues. Please do take it slow on the forestry roads to avoid damaging your tyres and because they are used by walkers and cyclists who might not be expecting any cars.

Q. Can I get a supermarket delivery?

Not to the cottage itself, as they are not allowed to use private roads. You can get Tesco deliveries to the Village Hall in Aberangell which has space to park, meet the driver and decant the order from their van into your vehicle. The postcode is the same. We can send you a hand drawn map showing where this is (7 minutes drive)