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PEN CEFN AND ITS SURROUNDINGS

Pen Cefn is a quiet and beautiful
location. We believe we have some of the loveliest views in Wales and
none of our guests have ever disputed this, in-fact many of our guests
have been returning to us for holidays and short breaks since we opened in
2000.

Apart from each of the private cottage
gardens we have another garden for all the guests to enjoy, which has two
ponds, plenty of seating and is an ideal spot for relaxing, or studying
the wild life. In early spring the frogs, newts and toads return to spawn
and their croaking can be heard all over the gardens. The resulting
tadpoles turn the ponds into a writhing soup and, at this time, our heron
finds it difficult to eat fast enough! We also have some mallard ducks and
drakes that visit in spring, so only the very wily tadpoles survive!

Later on in the summer we have the most
fantastic dragon flies some as much as three inches long. There is an
endless variety of tiny creatures and plant life in this area, so if you
feel like a lazy day, there is still plenty to see and do on your
doorstep. There are many beautiful walks in the local area to suit all
people, and the scope for the photographer is unlimited with magnificent
scenery in every direction. The smell of clover and heather on a hot
summer day is intoxicating so don’t feel you will have to take your car
every day to find places of interest. We also have a “football
field” with two goal posts for children (and adults!) to kick a ball
about. There is seating here as well with a panoramic view of the Arenig,
Aran and Berwyn mountain ranges.

For the bird watchers, one guest counted twenty seven
different species of birds in the local area (not including the chickens!)
Some are summer or winter visitors only, some just pass through and some
are with us all the time. Buzzards and Peregrine Falcons are a common
sight especially in spring and early summer, but we also have an
occasional visit from a Red Kite. Yellowhammers come to the feeders
regularly and, later on in the summer, when the thistledown is plentiful,
flocks of goldfinches can be seen feeding in the fields and hedges. We
really feel summer is on the way when the redstarts and swallows return to
raise their young and the cuckoo sings all day. Later in the year the
Canada geese are often seen migrating in formation and then we know winter
is just around the corner. Our chickens are a favourite with the children
who love to collect the eggs.
Bala, our nearest shopping
facility, is approximately 5 minutes drive away from Pen Cefn. It is an
attractive and lively historic market town, straddling the A494 Dolgellau
road, and within the boundaries of the Snowdonia National Park (designated
an area of outstanding natural beauty). It is ideally situated for touring
North and Mid Wales. One would have difficulty finding a location as well
situated as the Bala area. It is within an hour's spectacular drive of
most of the coastal resorts of Mid and North Wales, not to mention the
innumerable beauty spots and magnificent views within the interior of this
beautiful region. There are interesting shops, inns, restaurants and an
intriguing historical Town Walk. Bala boasts its own lake - Bala Lake or
Llyn Tegid, the largest natural lake in Wales, alongside which runs a
charming narrow-gauge steam railway. Llyn Tegid is the home of a unique
fish, the Gwyniad (that's for real, not a legend) which is said to date
back to the Ice-Age.
The Bala region is brimming with outdoor
activities. It was the location for the World Canoeing championships on
the challenging River Tryweryn. At the excellent centre you can book a
white-water rafting experience! This is great fun and we can recommend it!
Bala Lake has a sailing club and a waterborne activities centre. People
come from far and wide to use the lake for windsurfing etc. The River Dee
is famous for fly fishing and there are opportunities for shooting game or
clays.
Places to visit in Bala
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