Hendre Ddu Cottage

27/10/2026

🎃 Halloween
Are you a fan or is it not your thing?
I love it, always have done.
Do you like to see a few Autumn/spooky decorations in a holiday cottage?
🎃🎃👻🕷️🧹🧙🏻‍♀️

25/10/2026

Daft dog rules...
I saw a post on another page recently, asking people about the daftest dog rules they'd seen in a cottage. It's a question that always generates a lot of responses. In among the answers I saw one that made me feel really sad.
Someone had said not being allowed to leave them in a cottage, not even crated, was a stupid rule because it meant they couldn't have a 'normal holiday'.
As I was doing the changeover yesterday, I thought about why it made me feel the way it did.
I have loved animals my whole life. I grew up with cats but there were wonderful dogs in the family too and I dreamed that one day I might share my life with one. For a long time we couldn't. We were renting, then working full time, then I was studying AND working full time (yeah, that wasn't fun)
Finally the time was right and by working different shifts we could make it work. Along came Maia.
She isn't a dog I can take into pubs or cafes or busy places, but when I leave her at home I really miss her. I would not leave her in a strange place because she would panic. Most dogs would feel a bit uneasy about that.
To me a holiday with your dog(s) means doing things together.
At our cottage we do allow them to be left for short periods if crated and already crate trained, especially if they are older dogs who can't walk much. But really, it is their holiday too.
I cherish every moment I get with Maia, especially now she is a senior. It is a privilege to have her in my life and one I waited a long time for.
Here's to our pets and spending time with them!

20/10/2026

All aboard the gin train!!! 😍😆

18/10/2026

We have news!
Our little off grid cottage has been dragged into the modern age.
Starlink is up and running.
I have mixed feelings and can't promise I won't leave WiFi off when I'm there.
But due to the copper landline switch off it had to be done.
Thanks to Cader Networks for the installation and Pauls' impromptu wiring lesson.. where does orange stripey go again? 😆

03/10/2026

Just had to share this image from a recent guest.
At Aberdyfi, one of the nearby beaches 😍😆
Must be why they are called Springer spaniels...

01/10/2026

Somehow, it's now October!!

Availablity update:
Nov: 9th onwards
Dec: all dates up to the 23rd available
Christmas and New Year are already booked out
January 2027: 3rd onwards
February 2027: 1st to 17th, then 21st onwards

🗓️Don't leave it too late if you need specific dates. Just £100 deposit and the balance a month before.
Dark skies, peace, stunning views, miles of traffic free walks and properly dog friendly 🐶🐕‍🦺🐕🐩
❤️Reductions for returning guests (any number) and solo travellers/couples using one bedroom.
We are a micro business not listed with any big sites and we can only do this with your support so please like and share.
HUMAN MADE>> NEVER AI

25/09/2026

I haven't shared a cake photo for a while! This looks amazing. Caffi Glyndŵr is well worth a visit: great atmosphere and in an amazing historic building. If you go to the loo look out for the very cool carved stone head on the stairs.

IT’S BACK!!!
Battenberg cheesecake is back at Caffi Glyndŵr. Freshly made and delivered by Dyfi Delights this afternoon, and available from tomorrow.

23/09/2026

16/09/2026

Love this! The cottage grounds and surrounding forest are a great place to spot ffyngau 😍

12/09/2026

Important words from one of our local mountain rescue teams. Sir Edmund Hillary, Tenzing Norgay, and the rest of the 1953 British Mount Everest Expedition team used Eryri (Snowdonia) for their winter training. Think about that before heading up!

After 59 callouts in August, the busiest month in our history, we think it is time for a serious conversation about what is happening in our mountains.

Our volunteers carried out prolonged rescues in darkness and poor weather, dealt with serious injuries, heat-related issues, assisted people stuck in serious terrain and, sadly, attended incidents where people and animals lost their lives.

What concerns us most is the increasing number of people taking on difficult terrain while completely unprepared for what they are facing.

The mountains have not suddenly become more dangerous. More people are visiting them, and the way routes are discovered and accessed has changed.

Routes once mainly attempted by experienced hillwalkers and mountaineers are increasingly attracting people with little or no experience.

A photograph or video of Crib Goch can make an exposed Grade 1 scramble look like just another route to the summit. What it doesn’t show is how intimidating that ridge can be in cloud, rain or strong winds or how quickly a manageable situation can become a serious emergency.

We want people to enjoy Eryri. We understand the physical and mental health benefits of spending time in the mountains but accidents happen, even to experienced, well-prepared people. That is why we volunteer.

But enjoying the mountains also comes with personal responsibility. Too often, people simply don’t know that a route may require specific skills, equipment, fitness, experience and judgement and how quickly conditions can change.

Our callout numbers tell the story:

147 in 2020
237 in 2021
233 in 2022
308 in 2023
327 in 2024
359 in 2025
Around 440 projected in 2026.

This trend is not sustainable.

The answer cannot simply be more Mountain Rescue. There has to be greater focus on prevention and personal responsibility.

We will always respond when someone genuinely needs our help. The bigger question now is: how do we stop so many people from needing help in the first place?

Enjoy the mountains but please try to understand the environment you are entering and if the terrain or conditions don’t feel right, turn around.