A vision for family-run, sustainable accommodation in the Brecon Beacons
John explains the story behind their commitment to delivering luxurious and sustainable holidays in the Brecon Beacons.
John Davies (Image credit: Farmers Weekly )
We're a local farming family who enjoy sharing our beautiful surroundings with guests. With years of experience as hosts of our farm cottages, the lodges are our latest project, offering guests a luxurious escape far from the hustle and bustle of daily life.
Four generations of farmers at Pentwyn farm
W. Davies and Son was formed in 1930 when my grandparents started farming at Pentwyn, where my dad was born. We had rented Pentwyn for many generations. The family moved around various farms in the local area for the next few generations and managed to buy the farm in the mid 1960’s.
Restoring Lower Pentwyn
Around the turn of the millennium, my wife Menna and I decided to renovate Lower Pentwyn to develop a holiday business. The buildings, having been empty since 1939, were in a very poor state of repair, so very extensive renovations were undertaken by local craftsmen, utilising oak from the adjoining woodland in the windows, doors and floors. The wood was dried and machined on the farm and we were extremely lucky to have a number of local craftsmen who became friends during the process.
Passionate about sustainable farming approaches
Three generations: John, Brychan and Elwyn Davies.
The main family business is a farming partnership, consisting of John, Menna and our son Brychan. We farm over 500 acres where we raise beef cattle and sheep. Brychan is a keen stockman and loves working with the livestock and his dogs.
Our ambition is to produce top quality lamb and beef with a very small environmental impact. To do this, we aim to grow enough cereals and top quality grass silage to feed our stock, along with swede and turnip for the sheep in the winter. One of our more recent approaches is the use of herbal leys which are made up of a range of herbs and grasses, giving better drought tolerance and access to natural minerals through their deep roots for the livestock.
A vision for sustainable, eco-friendly holidays in the Brecon Beacons
Wanting to take our commitment to sustainability one step further we turned our attention to developing the sustainability of our holiday business, developing plans for two new luxury low-carbon lodges at the top of the farm.
Glanllyn lodge under construction.
(Image credit: Severn Wye)
Our aim is to be able to offer a holiday experience with a difference, to rival the much larger carbon footprint offered by overseas travels.
We were fortunate to work with a fantastic team to plan and build the lodges to the highest standards of sustainability. Glanllyn and Trem y Fan lodges feature superior insulation and triple-glazed Pilkington K glass to minimise overall energy consumption. The lodges are powered almost entirely by solar generated from within the farm. We fitted solar panels and a battery system to our cattle sheds, which provides enough energy during the summer months to power both cabins and their hot tubs.
The project has been described as "a model of innovation" by sustainable energy consultants Severn Wye, who worked with us to create a green energy plan for the lodges.
“It proves that through determination, collaboration, and the right expertise, sustainable tourism can be both environmentally and financially viable.”
We have a real ambition to deliver net zero holidays across the farm and hope to explore hydro and wind options in the future to further cut the environmental footprint of our farm and our holiday properties.
A warm welcome from our family to yours
Brychan, Shauna, Menna and John.
One of the most pleasurable aspects is welcoming guests to our beautiful part of the world. Brychan’s partner Shauna handles the social media and website bookings and it’s always a pleasure to meet our guests and see the joy in their faces when they arrive and take in the view.
Community, culture and language is very important to our family farm and it’s a pleasure to welcome people from all over the world to Merthyr Cynog and make their stay memorable.
Croeso cynnes i Trem y Fan a Glanllyn.
John, Menna, Brychan and Shauna.