What can we say, this has been an unprecedented few years for everyone all over the world. We wanted to say a big thank you to all those that have chosen to holiday in our cottages over the last few years and also say a big thank you to all those that have helped keep our houses clean and in working order for all the visitors. Pembrokeshire is a great place to visit, so we hope that there have been plenty of smiles on faces as people explore the coastline and beaches on offer.

This winter we have taken the opportunity to update the main bathroom in Meadowlands. Our local builders have done a fantastic job in renovating and modernising the space. The bathroom now boasts a large shower cubicle, new toilet, sink and radiators and is tiled from floor to ceiling. This was a challenging job for our builders (mainly due to a massive piece of stone protruding into the room that was hidden by the old bath!), but I hope you all agree that they have done an amazing job.

Shepherds cottage is the newest of our holiday rentals, although the building itself is over 400 years old! We bought it back in 2014 and to say that it was run down is maybe a slight understatement! The garden was over grown, there was no access to the rear for parking and the roof was leaking and starting to fall in. Basically we had to start from scratch to make everything work.

We have renovated from ceiling to floors and now the cottage is a perfect, cosy place to come and relax.  We have tried to use traditional techniques and materials where possible, including welsh slate roof tiles and lime mortar. We have also added a modern touch with solar panels and a solar powered hot water system.

The garden was full of over grown trees and plenty of rubbish in the old stone walls. We recycled as much of the old stone into the garden as we could. Now there is a lovely sunken seated area with a great view over the farm fields.

Shepherds Cottage is perfect for a couple or for a small family. Plenty of walking along the Coastal Path and up into the hills. Plus some lovely beaches to discover nearby. We hope to welcome you soon.

Our adventure in Wales started with a family holiday to the beautiful area in Pembrokeshire. We stayed just around the corner from Granston and really enjoyed exploring the area with family walks, bike rides, trips to the beaches and lovely restaurants. We even crossed on the ferry to Ireland for a day trip, so easy to do and perfect for sampling a Guinness and Irish stew. Wales had won us over and we decided that this was where we would like to visit time and time again as we had barely scratched the surface of things to see and do in Pembrokeshire. Plus, it was only a car ride away! No ferries, no tunnels.

When we were there, we noticed a beautiful cottage for sale, and decided that was for us. So in 1996, Granston Cottage became ours. We worked hard on preparing the cottage and it was open for the holiday market in 1997.

Granston has two bedrooms, a lounge/diner with a wood burner to keep it nice and cosy and a small private garden, perfect for enjoying a cup of tea or a glass of wine. It is in a small hamlet with only a few houses and a lovely church situated opposite the cottage.

If you like walking, you can walk directly from the house to Abermawr and Aberbach beaches, walking through woodlands and country lanes. You can also park near these beaches and walk down to enjoy the Pembrokeshire coastal path and listening to the waves going up the pebble beaches.

Pets are welcome at this cottage. So if you are looking for somewhere to explore with your four legged friend, then please take a look at the availability. I’m sure you will fall in love with the area, just like our family did all those years ago.

Understandably, the start of 2020 has been really quiet at the cottages (a bit of an understatement there!). Before the busy holiday season was due to start, we had plans to do some work to the houses. Thankfully we were able to complete these (builders were able to work and socially distance. Keeping themselves safe and healthy).

Shepherds cottage had a beautiful new slate floor put in place throughout the dining room and lounge. New rugs, dining table and chairs all work together with the wood fire stoves to make this a lovely, cosy cottage.

In Granston Cottage some of the slates on the roof had slipped and maintenance needed to be completed on the chimney. The roof tiles were all taken off and replaced and now a new, wonderful roof awaits visitors!

In Otter Cottage, we decided that it was time to update the kitchen sink and surface. Now there is a brand new, gleaming sink waiting to be used.

In the garden across the road, we have worked hard on renovating the small summer house. This is now looking fantastic and a perfect place to hide away, amongst the flowers, looking across the fields (maybe to enjoy a cup of tea or a glass (or two) of wine).

These are some of the things that we have been working on over the winter and spring. Now we are getting ready for visitors and hope to welcome you very soon.

When you venture away from home, sometimes it is hard to work out where to get the ingredients for your special holiday meals. Below are some of our family favourites, but if you know of any other gems local to Dinas and Fishguard then please let us know in the comments. We are always on the lookout for new things!

We love to use the local shops to get our meat and vegetables. For a turkey (or other festive meats you choose to cook), start thinking about placing your order now. There are plenty of local butchers to choose from in the area. We love the little butcher in Newport (T.G. Davies and Sons, Newport), 5 minutes down the road from the cottages in Dinas. Gwaun Valley Meats (https://www.gwaunvalleymeats.co.uk/) and Carn Edward’s (https://www.carnedward.co.uk/) are great for beef and mutton. If you are travelling a little further down the road to Cardigan (approx. 25 mins), then why not pop in to Dewi James’ butchers (https://dewijamesbutchers.co.uk/index.php).

For the vegetables, there is Glebelands Market Garden (http://glebelandsmarketgarden.co.uk/). The farm shop is open Thursdays to Sundays and vegetables are grown onsite. Or you can visit the local markets. Fishguard’s Traditional Thursday Market is a chartered market and the original local market. Held in the Town Hall every Thursday 08:00-15:00 (http://www.gofishguard.co.uk/project/thursday-market/). The Fishguard Farmers Market is open in the market hall of Fishguard’s town Hall every Saturday from 09:00-13:00 (http://www.gofishguard.co.uk/project/fishguard-farmers-market/).  No matter the time of year, you’ll always find the markets busy selling local produce from bread, cakes and delicacies to eggs, poultry, meat, seafood, cheese, vegetables, and many local crafts too.

Cheese is also made locally. For cows and goats milk cheeses why not try Pant Mawr Cheese (https://pantmawrcheeses.co.uk/).

And last, but certainly not least. There are a couple of local breweries not far from the cottages. (https://www.bluestonebrewing.co.uk/ and http://www.gwaunvalleybrewery.co.uk/)

I hope you have fun sampling the local delights in Pembrokeshire. There are so many out there, maybe you will have to visit a few times to try them all out! If you do discover some places not mentioned in the post, please do let us know.

Half term holidays will soon be on us* and you might be wondering how to entertain your brood. Why not try a break down in Pembrokeshire to explore the beaches, walk the coastal path, and see if you can spot any grey seals in the sea?!

“Wales in October?!” I hear you say.  Yes, it can be cold. Yes, sometimes it rains. BUT the sun does shine, you can see some fantastic things and the children will have a blast! There is no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing. Get wrapped up warm, stick the wellies on and go and explore! Then, at the end of the day, snuggle up in front of a log burning fire.

Some of the activities you can do in October:

1. Visit the local beaches. There are pebble beaches within walking distance of all of the cottages. What kid doesn’t like throwing stones into the sea? There are also sand beaches close by, so get the buckets and spades ready!
2. Walk the coastal path, visit Strumble Head lighthouse and try to spot seabirds, dolphins/porpoise and grey seals.
3. Visit Folly farm. A great attraction for children of all ages!
4. Enjoy a fantastic meal at a local restaurant. One of our family favourites is The Sloop Inn, Porthgain but there are many to discover and enjoy!
5. Explore St Davids cathedral and the magnificent ruins of the medieval Bishops Palace. Or take to the seas to explore the islands just off the coast.

We spend a lot of time at work, in school, running kids back and forth to various activites. Why not take a break and make some amazing memories for all the family to share? These pictures are just a small amount from ours.

(*Please check with your schools for the holiday dates. The holidays all vary depending on the county/country that you live. It’s great that they are all at different times. It means that there is a better chance of finding a week free in our cottages!)