Yr Hen Ysgol

Yr Hen Ysgol is one of eight family-run award-winning holiday cottages at Plas Farm, the former home farm of the historic Plas Cilybebyll Estate, situated between the Brecon Beacons National Park and Gower Peninsula

Filled with character, Yr Hen Ysgol is a traditional detached cottage tucked away in the grounds of the Plas Cilybebyll Manor House, between the folly and the walled garden. It is a wonderful peaceful spot for four plus pets to holiday in rural bliss.

Yr Hen Ysgol has it’s own expansive lawn and offers a delightful space for al fresco dining or a few drinks together. Relax in the sunny orangery with the window open and you’ll hear the babbling stream.

Yr Hen Ysgol (‘The Old School’), so called because it was once a school for servants and children of the estate, is now a charming countryside cottage with Rayburn cooker and wood burning stove in an exposed stone wall keeping the whole house cosy for restful evenings in. With one super king/twin bedroom and one double, a well equipped country kitchen, HDTV and free WiFi, you’ve all the comforts of home in the country. Guests are free to enjoy the beautiful grounds which includes lawn areas, a mountain river, ponds, and a tennis court.

In the early 20th Century, the building was used to hold the church Sunday School, which earned it the name of School Building. After each session the children received a glass of milk and a slice of freshly baked cake, usually Victoria Sponge. Word of these luxuries soon spread and children from other parishes started to attend as well. The children from the estate were also taught in an upstairs room. The ground floor was originally a bakery, outside which a high wall was built to prevent the servants from looking out into the garden. The building was also used as a sewing room at one point and the opera singer Madame Adelina Patti had many of her dresses made there. At the time, she was the most highly paid performer in the world.

If you can tear yourself away, a path leads onto a self-guided farm walk where hours may be lost exploring 120 acres of private countryside including bluebell woodland, mountain streams and hillside pastures. Enjoy spectacular views over the surrounding countryside – the Bristol Channel and Devon to the south and Brecon Beacons National Park to the north.

Yr Hen Ysgol is close to modern amenities with pubs, restaurants and a 24 hour supermarket just over a mile away.

Situated at the very heart of South Wales, its unique location means that you can explore the entire region with ease. There is a much-loved information folder at the cottage, packed with suggested itineraries that will ensure you get the very best out of your stay. With so many spectacular and world class tourist attractions on the doorstep it is hard to know where to start!

Just 20 minutes from the Swansea Bay coastline, guests can explore the glorious stretches of sand and idyllic secret coves of the Gower Peninsula (Britain’s first designated Area of Outstanding National Beauty) and the Victorian seaside resort of Mumbles, with its promenade, shops and restaurants.

The cottage is also in a superb location for visiting Brecon Beacons National Park, the upper Swansea Valley being a gateway into the park. The National Showcaves of Wales, the Vale of Neath’s spectacular waterfalls and the energetic Afan Forest Park, home to five world-class trails for the mountain biking enthusiasts are all nearby. It’s also the perfect base for day trips to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park or the spectacular Glamorganshire Heritage Coast, both of which are less than an hour’s easy drive away.

Swansea itself with its many bars, restaurants and shopping is 10 miles down valley and Cardiff, the bustling capital city of Wales, is well worth a visit with its castle, museum and Millennium Stadium.

Yr Hen Ysgol is located is located on a farm with seven other cottages: Ty Gambo (sleeps 6), Hafod Y Wennol (sleeps 4), Y Stabl (sleeps 4), Ty Cerbyd (sleeps 4), Lloc Lo (sleeps 4), Bwythn Y Saer (sleeps 4), and Nant Y Plas (sleeps 2). Cottages can be taken individually or in any combination to accommodate up to 32 guests.

MOUNTAIN BIKING

Afan Forest and BikePark Wales are both easily accessible. The cottages offer secure bike storage, bike washing facilities and an area to dry clothes and equipment.

It is possible to ride from the cottage doorstep along quiet country lanes - forestry tracks that will give you access via offroad trails to the Afan Forest and other spectacular routes such as the old Roman road of Sarn Helen above the Vale of Neath or the Great Forestry Ride between Neath and Pontypridd. Afan Forest Park is home to five world class trails, over 100 km of track and voted one of the world’s ten best places to ride.

BIRDWATCHING & WILDLIFE

The farm is ideal for those on a bird watching holiday as it has contains a wide variety of different habitats including an area of award winning broadleaved woodland, coniferous woodland, grassland, hedgerows and upland streams. Situated upon the bank of the upper reaches of the picturesque River Clydach, it's a haven for wildlife – herons, dippers, grey wagtails, trout and otters all live on the river.

FISHING

There are many benefits to choosing our cottages whether you are a complete beginner or an experienced angler:
Guiding and tuition available (pickup at cottage).
Catch sewin in the River Tawe, just a mile away.
Local to one of Wales’ best fishing tackle shops.
Excellent sea fishing and coarse fishing nearby.

HISTORY & HERITAGE

Blaenavon World Heritage Site, otherwise known as Big Pit is a real coal mine and one of Britain's leading mining museums.

Castell Coch, (Red Castle in Welsh), is a perfect fairytale castle on a steep wooded hillside.

Dylan Thomas' Boathouse - Visit the shed where Wales' famed poet wrote many of his greatest works.

Lancaiach Fawr - A Tudor house, built around 1530, that has been transformed into a living history museum set in 1645, the time of the Civil War.

Pembroke Castle - A mighty and largely intact medieval fortress located on the banks of an estuary. Endless passages, stairways and tunnels.

Tintern Abbey - This Cistercian abbey is the best-preserved medieval abbey in Wales.

Caerphilly Castle - Vast and impressive, Caerphilly is Britain's second largest castle and covers 30 acres.

Dolaucothi Gold Mines - Underground tours of a likely source of gold bullion for the Imperial Mint of Rome.

Kidwelly Castle - An imposing monument of Norman power whose remains are some of the most intact of any medieval Welsh castle.

Museum of Welsh Life - Europe's largest outdoor museum - a vast collection of over 30 reconstructed historic buildings from all over Wales.

Royal Mint - The UK's money making factory boasts over 1,000 years of history and is the world's leading export mint.

ENTERTAINMENT & ACTIVITIES

Celtic Manor, Wales' most famous golf course, gaining fame as the venue for the 2010 Ryder Cup.

Oakwood Theme Park - Ride Megaphobia, Europe's largest wooden roller coaster and considered to be one of the world's best.

Folly Farm - One of Wales' largest family attractions and 10th best zoo in the world according to a Trip Advisor poll.

Wales Principality Stadium - The home of Welsh rugby boasts the second largest retractable roof in the world and an incredible atmosphere on match day!

CAVES & WATERFALLS

National Showcaves - Voted 'Britain's Greatest Natural Wonder' by the British public and comes with a dinosaur park!

Waterfall Country - A collection of over 15 waterfalls in one of the most impressive limestone landscapes in Europe.

BEACHES & COASTLINE

Glamorgan Heritage Coast - These famous Jurassic cliffs are a sight to behold - walk on the rick pavement beach and marvel at the round stones that roll like billiard balls across its surface.

Merthyr Mawr Nature Reserve - The second highest sand dune system in Europe - known as the Welsh 'Sahara Desert'.

Three Cliffs Bay - One of the UK's favourite views -three sea cliffs jut out into the bay and a large stream, flows across the beach into the sea.

The Gower Peninsular - The UK's first 'Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty' is one of the most beautiful corners of the British Isles.

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park - Britain's only coastal national park boasts some of the finest coastline scenery in Europe.

Worms Head - A highlight of the Gower Peninsula - three miles of golden sand and a grass covered rock that resembles a basking Welsh dragon.

COUNTRYSIDE & GARDENS

Aberglasney House and Gardens - A medieval house with more than 10 acres of gardens that are considered to be among Wales' best.

Brecon Beacons National Park - The famed National Park of wild open hillsides and waterfalls. Their peak, Pen-y-Fan, is the highest point in southern Britain.

The National Botanical Gardens - The world's largest single span glass house and the first major botanical gardens to be created in the UK for over a century.

Pembrey Park - Eight miles of golden sands at Cefn Sidan, hundreds of acres of woodland and the longest toboggan run in Wales.

Red Kite Feeding Station - Over 50 red kites and buzzards visit this Black Mountain feeding station every day.

Wye Valley - Spectacular limestone gorge scenery and dense ravine woodlands dominate this fascinating Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

CITIES

Cardiff - Capital of Wales, a major sports venue, a city centre castle and one of UK's best shopping centres.

Swansea - Compared by poets for centuries with the Bay of Naples, Swansea has a huge sandy beach and is Wales' second largest city.

Things you need to know about Yr Hen Ysgol if you’re thinking of booking a holiday there:

• Smoking is not allowed inside any of our properties
• Up to 2 well-behaved dogs welcome (small additional charge)
• Please note: There is a stream in the grounds
• You can check in any time after 2.30pm, departure is by 10.30am
• There is no welcome pack but essentials are provided eg kitchen foil, washing up liquid, tea, coffee, milk, sugar, salt and pepper
• Minimum stay one night throughout the year, except at Christmas/New Year which is 3 nights
• * Covid-19 measures for this property:
  In full compliance with the hospitality industry cleaning protocols and safety guidance.
  Intensively cleaned and sanitised.
  Contact-free check in and check out.
  Complete privacy and exclusive use of the cottage during your holiday.
  Date changes for all existing and new bookings if the lockdown measures are extended or re-imposed.

*Internet access is offered at this property for recreational purposes only and is not meant for business use. Speed/service may vary depending on the package obtained by the owner which is provided to guests free of charge. Should guests experience difficulties or loss of use, neither the owner nor the agent will be held responsible.