A house to book on the Welsh borders with just the right amount of rustic charm
A weekend away with a few of my oldest girlfriends (whom I see too little) was always going to be uplifting and nourishing wherever we found ourselves. But I hadn’t quite appreciated how a very special setting, one that appealed to all four of us, would add to our weekend on the Welsh borders. Not only was this house, Charity, comfortable and welcoming in all the right ways, with everything you might need and more - from a sauna to pizza oven and a 7-metre projector screen for watching films - it was also inspiring. We drove home at the end of our weekend there, uplifted by the long walks and spending time together but also by the house itself, its wonderful views towards the Brecon Beacons, and the imaginative and thoughtful way that this collection of farm buildings had been restored and revived.
Entering via a pretty courtyard, the house bids you a warm welcome after a 15 mins or so drive along a bumpy mountain road, with scarcely a house in sight. A sense of arrival to somewhere special is immediate. You enter into a kitchen, with a huge window looking down the valley; the units, fixtures and fittings all beautifully made by the owner himself. A recipe book was laid open, next to a bag of flour, with a note telling us this is a favourite pizza recipe and we would find the rest of the ingredients in the fridge. My friends had arrived before me and there was a fire lit in the sitting room.
The owner, Henry John, is an artist. The house was bought by his father, Ben John, in the 60s so it has always been part of Henry’s life, but when his father died he bought it from his siblings and has invested a huge amount of effort and time into making it comfortable - deeply so - for 21st century living. But it is not the mod cons, the bar and snooker table, or the sauna that make this a place I hope to return to (although they were much enjoyed), it is the details, the thoughtfulness, and the collections of art and objects that Henry family has gathered and so artfully displayed. We sadly didn’t fire up the pizza oven, but we did make use of the sauna, using the hot tub in the courtyard as a cold plunge, but most of all we delighted in the little arrangements and still lives on shelves and in corners, the books, the geraniums on every ledge and windowsill, the pottery on the dresser, the bedroom door that doubles as a bookcase, the loo roll holders with the wind-up musical machines attached, a book entitled Stacking Wood balancing on radiator and clearly a guide to the rather beautiful stacks outside, the arrangement of old tools on the back wall of the big barn, all found on site and the ingenuity - like the hanging fireguard - on pegs in the beam above - rather than sitting precariously on the floor. I could go on. And of course, there are Henry’s own paintings and drawings and those by his great-grandfather Augustus John. It’s a richly artistic mix.
We were just four of us, but the house sleeps 12 in 6 zip-and-link bedrooms all with ensuite bathrooms, and there is a long dining table in the living room. We had a peaceful, nurturing time, but this house would also be brilliant for a celebratory weekend with friends, complete with a party space in the barn, the bar and an outside barbeue area too. Hopefully I will find an excuse; this is a place that you want other people to experience too. Ours was a winter weekend, but it would be blissful in summer too.
To book Charity visit Unique Homestays | + 44 (0) 1637 881183
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