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Ystrad Meurig, Ceredigion

Hawthorn Cottage

Lady's Walk passes Hawthorn Cottage on the Hafod Estate, Ceredigion
Lady's Walk passes Hawthorn Cottage on the Hafod Estate, Ceredigion | © National Trust/Mike Henton
The sitting and dining room with original slate floor and woodburner in the original inglenook at Hawthorn Cottage, Ceredigion
Looking across the old duck pond to Hawthorn Cottage, Ceredigion

Hawthorn Cottage

This traditional estate-worker’s cottage is full of Welsh character. It’s on the Hafod Estate with trails from the gate leading to waterfalls, gardens and spectacular views.

Grid of 32 images
The sitting and dining room with original slate floor and woodburner in the original inglenook at Hawthorn Cottage, Ceredigion
Looking across the old duck pond to Hawthorn Cottage, Ceredigion
Lady's Walk passes Hawthorn Cottage on the Hafod Estate, Ceredigion
The exterior of Hawthorn Cottage, Ceredigion
The sitting room at Hawthorn Cottage, with woodburner in the original inglenook, sofas and armchair, television and rug covering the original slate floor, Ceredigion
The dining area at Hawthorn Cottage, with yellow paint inspired by wild irises that grow in the pond, Ceredigion
The kitchen at Hawthorn Cottage, with dishwasher, washing machine, oven, hob and microwave, Ceredigion
Original meat hooks in the kitchen at Hawthorn Cottage are decorated with Welsh spoons and dried flowers, Ceredigion
The kitchen with fridge, freezer, oven, hob, washing machine, micowave and toaster at Hawthorn Cottage, Ceredigion
The ground floor toilet at Hawthorn Cottage, with a gallery wall with images and art of the Hafod estate, including the old house, Ceredigion
The en-suite shower room on the ground floor of Hawthorn Cottage, Ceredigion
The ground floor double bedroom with en-suite shower room and external door at Hawthorn Cottage, Ceredigion
The ground floor bedroom window at Hawthorn Cottage, with restored shutters and views of the garden and Hafod Estate beyond, Ceredigion
The stairs to the first floor at Hawthorn Cottage, Ceredigion
The first floor double bedroom at Hawthorn Cottage, Ceredigion
The bathroom with shower over bath at Hawthorn Cottage, Ceredigion
The second floor twin bedroom at Hawthorn Cottage, Ceredigion
The garden with dining furniture for six people at Hawthorn Cottage, Ceredigion
In the garden of Hawthorn Cottage, looking across the Hafod Estate, Ceredigion
An aerial view of Lady's Walk, the old duck pond and Hawthorn Cottage, Ceredigion
Lady's Walk passes between the duck pond and Hawthorn Cottage and continues through the Hafod Estate, Ceredigion
An aerial view of Hawthorn Cottage, Lady's Walk and the old duck pond, Ceredigion
Tree covered hills on the Hafod Estate in mist, near Hawthorn Cottage, Ceredigion
Looking across the old duck pond towards Hawthorn Cottage, Ceredigion
The Bedford Monument on the Hafod Estate in winter, near Hawthorn Cottage, Ceredigion
A signpost for walks on the Hafod Estate, home to Hawthorn Cottage, Ceredigion
The River Ystwyth running through the Hafod Estate in winter, near Hawthorn Cottage, Ceredigion
The Silenus Fountain, a male face carved in stone, where water falls from the open mouth. It is in the Hafod Estate, near Hawthorn Cottage, Ceredigion
The Hafod Estate in winter, home to Hawthorn Cottage, Ceredigion
The Hafod Estate in winter, home to Hawthorn Cottage, Ceredigion
A waterfall on the Hafod Estate, home to Hawthorn Cottage, Ceredigion
The Hafod Estate in winter, home to Hawthorn Cottage, Ceredigion

© National Trust/Mike Henton

This traditional estate-worker’s cottage is full of Welsh character. It’s on the Hafod Estate with trails from the gate leading to waterfalls, gardens and spectacular views.

At a glance

Guests
6
Bedrooms
3
Number of dogs welcome
2
Reference
013047
Acorn rating

About Hawthorn Cottage

Described in the 17th century as ‘a neat house… in a picturesque spot’, Hawthorn Cottage is a simple Georgian home with lots of original features. It’s on the Hafod Estate, one of Europe’s finest landscapes in the ‘picturesque’ style, with trails that look wild but were carefully designed to unveil a kaleidoscope of sights and experiences for the gentry who visited the estate. The Lady’s Walk passes Hawthorn’s front gate before eventually leading to Mrs Johne’s Flower Garden and views into the valley; loop onto circular routes to see Peiran Falls, Mossy Seat Falls and other restored bridges and features. The Johnes family created Hafod estate as their own paradise in the 1700s, and while their mansion is long gone, their church survived and now houses an exhibition about Hafod’s history.

The rubble stone cottage is tucked into the edge of the woods and overlooks a pond. Inside, it is traditional and homely. We have restored the shutters and panelling and conserved the slate and wood floors. There is a woodburner in the inglenook fireplace, and carved furniture, wool rugs, watercolours and local ceramics all in keeping with Hawthorn’s past. The money you spend on your holiday helps us restore and care for special places like this.

Hafod is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and rich in wildlife. You might see otters or a kingfisher down by the river. Roe deer and hares live in the woodland; look out for the elusive pine marten.

The valley is about 40 minutes from the coast at Aberystwyth, passing through the Cambrian Mountains and the wild mid-Wales landscape. The Devil’s Bridge, with its famous waterfalls, is just four miles from Hafod; a restored steam train ride sets off from here at certain times of the year.

Layout

Ground floor: Sitting and dining room with woodburner. Toilet. Steps up to kitchen. Kitchen leads to double bedroom with en-suite shower room. 

First floor: Double bedroom. Twin bedroom. Bathroom with shower over bath.

Outdoor space

Enclosed garden wrapping round cottage. Front garden looks onto the Lady’s Walk and duckpond. Table and chairs.

Features and facilities

  • Wi-Fi, not available
  • Garden, available
  • EV charging, not available
  • Fridge, available
  • Freezer, available
  • Microwave, available
  • Open fire / wood burner, available
  • Television, available
  • DVD, available
  • Washing machine, available
  • Dishwasher, available
  • Tumble dryer, available
  • BBQ, not available
  • Cot & high chair, available

Location

Accessibility

Cottage is a five-minute walk from parking spaces, along a gravel path which slopes down. There are benches and handrails along the way. Luggage trolley is provided. Steps between some rooms on ground floor. Steep internal staircase, enclosed by doors at the top and bottom. No stairgates can be fitted due to the doors. Garden is fenced, but opposite large pond beyond the gate. The edge of the pond can be hard to spot. Find more information in the Accessibility Guide. Accessibility questions? Email holiday.enquiries@nationaltrust.org.uk or call us on 0344 800 2070.

Read our accessibility guide 

More information

Parking: Two spaces, a five-minute walk from the cottage. A luggage trolley is provided as it's not possible to get cars any closer to drop off. 

Heating: The cottage is heated with electric radiators. 

Offers: Guests will benefit from a late Sunday checkout of 4pm at this cottage.

Please note: The cottage is next to a pond, which is outside the garden fence but accessible through the gate. The edge of the pond can be difficult to spot in places, so please supervise children and dogs.

Sheep graze on the parkland around the cottage. Please keep dogs on leads when in the parkland, and don't leave them unattended in the garden.

Your top three questions answered

Visitor walking by the Gothic Arcade, Hafod Estate Ceredigion
Place
Place

Hafod Estate 

One of the finest examples of a Picturesque landscape in Europe

Ystrad Meurig, Ceredigion

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