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Ty Olaf Holiday Cottage

A superb, newly built, woodland, holiday cottage in and Arts and Crafts village in the beautiful Elan Valley at the heart of Wales.

A superb, newly built, woodland, holiday cottage in and Arts and Crafts village in the beautiful Elan Valley at the heart of Wales.

Trip Advisor review of the Elan Valley

14th May 2015 By Ty Olaf Cottage

The Elan Valley was chosen by the city of Birmingham as the site of a succession of dams and reservoirs to provide the city with desperately needed clean water at the end of the 19th century. Not only did they create a masterpiece of Victorian engineering they turned an area of beautiful farmland into something quite spectacular.
Until recently even Bank Holidays could be quiet in the centre of Wales, but we now notice an increase in traffic but still tiny amounts compared to the English Lakeland.
Approaching the lakes from the small, pretty town of Rhayader there is a Visitor Centre under Caban Coach, the lowest dam. It provides parking spaces, a cafe, shop and information. All of the Victorian dams are set in wooded valleys with hill sheep farms with open moorland on the hill-tops. A more recent dam, opened by the Queen as one of her earliest appointments is in a more rugged position at the head of the Claerwen river.
Fairly narrow, winding roads follow the course of the rivers and lakes, and the railway track, built to carry men and materials to the original building sites provides a good cycle/walking route, tarmaced at its lower levels but well surfaced throughout.
The Elan rises in the southern Cambrians, and, with the Ystwyth marks their southern border. The Aberystwyth Mountain Road follows the two rivers, it is single track in places with great views.
Visited April 2015

Latest

  • Lockdown 2

    The Welsh Government, recognising the dangerous situation created by the Covid pandemic’s second phase, have closed down the country for a two week period. We are therefore not able to welcome any visitors for the period 24th October to the 10th November. We feel much safer because of this action. Like all other places of […]
  • After lockdown

    It was safe for us to travel more than 5 miles, the Welsh Government told us, and we set off for a quick visit to our family. As we left the valley, quite early in the morning, our mouths gaped. What was going on? A stream of cars driving in the opposite direction to us. […]
  • Lock down

    Well, here we are, after over 100 days we are told that everything is OK out there and we can travel more than the five miles that we have been restricted to.  So tomorrow we will poke our noses out, and rather against my better judgement make an expedition to Carmarthen.  Maggie wants new towels […]
  • Village Lighting

    The Elan Valley became the first privately owned landscape to become part of the Dark Skies initiative.  The area was well served as a natural area that could look up to a sky not too badly affected by light pollution.  To make it even better our village lighting was changed.  The old sulfurous lighting was […]
  • Coffee morning for the Bracken Trust at Ty Olaf, 3rd August 2019

      What a brilliantly successful day!  The culmination of two months of preparation and hard work.  For Peter and Maggie Hussey, owners of Ty Olaf, it coincides with the harvesting of fruit from the garden, jam making and post Mid Summer hedge and garden tidying and pruning.  For the Bracken Trust Social Committee it is […]

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About Us

Maggie and Peter retired to the Elan Village after running the Drovers Tea Rooms and Restaurant in Builth Wells for 13 years. Professional standards and a warm welcome have been the basis for their success in the hospitality field.

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