Cyfannedd Uchaf

Reviews

Wow, missing the cottage already. Set in a stunning location with plenty of room for 9 of us (should have been 11 but parents had to pull out last minute) including two 11 year old boys and two girls (13 and 14 years). We really made the most of this homely cottage finding it well equipped, we did baking (we used the breadmaker too), games, sauna, lake swimming, fires and barbecue plus lovely walks from the property. No need for the tv (kids didn't miss it). It was a comfortable stay and we couldn't get enough of the views even with the changing weather. The eco-credentials were a real bonus and we can see the owner cares about the impact on the wonderful Welsh countryside. We were lucky to meet the owner Paul who gave us some great tips on walks and obviously has a passion for the place. Wish we stayed longer and hope to bring the kids back for Cader Idris. Just what we all needed. Did see hares but sadly didn't see polecats!

The cottage has positives and negatives. On the plus side, then the view across to Barmouth is one of the best we have experienced from a holiday cottage - and we have been to many. Our party of 10 from 3 generations ranges in age from 5 to 70, so we are looking for space, facilities, cleanliness and comfort. The living and bedroom arrangements were just as described and met all our requirements. Pots and pans in the kitchen were of perfect size for large group cooking. We had a great holiday. Having said that, there were a number of disappointments that we would not expect, especially given the price bracket for this property, and our comments should be taken with that in mind. Firstly, although only renovated a couple of years ago, many aspects of the house are already looking tired, as though little time and effort has been spent on upkeep. Some shower fittings and cubicles needed attention. A blind was completely missing on one bedroom window, and in the kitchen area the curtains would not meet in the middle. On arrival, the house appeared only to have had a speedy cleanup since the previous guests and really it is in need of a deep clean, which would remove the mould around some of the showers, windows, walls,etc. We should mention we found hairs in one shower - not acceptable. In general there is unwanted clutter in certain areas of the house which would benefit from tidying up and/or removing. The TV seen in the photos in the small living area was missing. More seriously, we were very surprised on our first day to find that someone appeared to be living in a summer house/studio at the bottom of the 'garden', visible from the main property. This was just not on, as we were expecting the privacy intimated in the website description and photos. Indeed, it appeared that decking was being added outside the summer house (we had to move our car from what we thought was our own private area to enable a van to deliver wood) and this work continued for several days. We have young children and an anxious dog in our party, and were not expecting that other unknown people would be sharing the 'garden' with us. Nor that the master bedroom could be viewed by such people from outside without the curtains pulled, when we expected to be looking out onto open uninhabited hillside. We don't know what is going on here but we should have been notified of this change. We cannot comment on using the sauna, although beware that it is through a gate downhill and across a field and to us did not look inviting. It would have been more sensible to have it closer to the house or provide a games room. The house has considerable potential should the owner attend to it. Nevertheless our holiday was enjoyable overall but we are unlikely to return here.

An amazing house in an outstandingly beautiful location. I have never seen better views. I loved the natural garden and seeing hare and pole cats.

The views from the property were stunning. On clear evenings the sunsets are amazing. We enjoyed the feeling of remoteness, and the 6 gates to open on each entry and exit did not bother us at all. The house was comfortable. The kitchen area with the big table allowed us to cater for and eat with a party of 13 ranging from 6 months to 70 years. Those in the middle of this age group enjoyed saunas in the late evening. We were happy to be partly off grid, however, if you are addicted to tv or fast internet access this might not be the place for you, although mobile signal is reliable. Overall, a good place for a whole family significant birthday celebration.

Level of cleanliness was not really acceptable. Several of the en-suite shower rooms needed to be cleaned by us before they could be used (a toothpick was found in one...) and additionally an old apple core was found underneath furniture in the downstairs bedroom. The downstairs bedroom is described as twin "zip-link" beds, however they do not "zip and link" - they can be joined by hooks at either end of the divans but this does not make them into a double/king as described on the website. There was a double plug socket hanging off the wall in the lounge when we arrived - an attempt had been made by someone to fix it to another socket with masking tape. This was not only dangerous for our family, given 4 x small grandchildren, but when we notified this issue to the owner nothing happened - no-one came to look at it or fix it and we were not updated on this matter at all until I reminded the owner again on our leaving day. Really not acceptable. I felt duty bound to leave a note for the cleaners/next family to warn them. The cottage has a general air of having been done up and not maintained since - so much clutter in the kitchen....and all but one of the camping chairs provided are broken. This is a real shame as the location is unbeatable, we would have gladly returned given the cottage's proximity to Cyfannedd Fach, where we spent many happy holidays with our children when they were small, but given the issues above, we won't be returning to Cyfannedd Uchaf.

A most beautiful and unspoilt area of Wales and this house is in the perfect spot to appreciate it and enjoy walks and climbing in the immediate area.

Absolutely knock out view - arriving to that on a hazy sunny May evening was just bloomin brilliant. So much room inside and out. I absolutely LOVED this house and this remote location - it ticked ALL our boxes (50th birthday celebration with lots of keen walkers/swimmers/eaters/drinkers). We drove down to the beach for a swim every morning and the incredible views very much made up for a few pesky gates! We will DEFINITELY be back.

Beautiful location, the view is absolutely incredible. We luckily had amazing weather which added to it. The sauna was a real highlight, and a lovely big house to accommodate our big family. We had a great family gathering here and some really special memories made, thank you!

Stunning views, really cozy place. Our group had a great time and we were all very impressed with the quality of the cottage and with the unbelievable scenery. We did get extremely lucky with the weather though!

A wonderful house in a stunning location. Warm and cozy with stunning views of the estuary and coast. Opening the 6 gates to arrive and depart were a novelty and enjoyed by everyone. The children used up much energy walking up and down the hill and along the lanes. The beach - a short drive away was amazing. We had a lovely Christmas together with plenty of room. Any queries we had were answered promptly by the owners.

Beautiful surroundings. Lovely place would definately go back.

We have stayed around Arthog on numerous occasions. This is by far the most scenic. Its location guarantees peace and tranquility. We walked from the doorstep for miles. The house is lovely. We spent most of our time in the kitchen/dining room to admire the views. We have 2 large dogs and the garden is definitely secure for them. There is a lot of land and I think this is an ongoing project. It will be wonderful when there is a lawn to sit on and for children to play on. It’s a trek through the 12 gates to the property from Dolgellau but so worth it for the lakes and mountains. We did drive down the steep hill to Arthog but wouldn’t recommend driving up. The better route was sign post cregennan lake. The supplies were gratefully received. Thank you. We hope to return to Cyfannedd Uchaf.

Beautiful house with fantastic views all around. We, all 3 generations, had a really good family holiday. So many lovely beaches and places to visit. Nice thought for the food/drink left for us too.