Welcome to Cothi View Cottage Abergorlech

We hope you enjoy your stay here and for your convenience, please take the time to read this introduction.

More Details

For more details, please visit www.cottage-weekends.com

Contacts

To contact the owners (Steve & Alison Ellis), please call 07894 318724 or e-mail [email protected]

Car Parking

Please park on the cottage drive way to the side of the house (the bigger area next to this is allocated for the owners of the bungalows next door and not for our use) and if you have two cars, park the second in front of the house.

Garden & Patio

Just up the steps at the back of the cottage, you’ll find our garden with lovely views across open countryside. If you’re up there after dark, we have some garden lights that are switched on from within the utility area – you need the left of the two switches that are on the wall just right of the downstairs toilet.

The garden is fenced securely for all but the smallest or tallest of dogs, but if you have a Chihawaha or Great Dane with a particular taste for lamb, please take great care not to let them explore the neighbouring fields – the farmers have significant rights to protect their livestock here and well, it might get messy.

Heating

Please feel free to make use of the wood left around the log burner in the lounge and should you need more during your stay, you will find this available at several local stores. The burner will consume wood at a rapid rate if you leave the front vents open once the fire is good and hot, so open the vents only when you light the fire and for the first half hour. Please keep the burner door closed once you have a good fire – both to preserve your logs but also the carpet!

The cottage is also centrally heated, with a thermostatic controller by the hall doorway in the lounge. The top dial is the temperature controller, best set between 15-20oC for a comfortable temperature) and the bottom dial the frost proof controller (this will be set around 10oC and you shouldn’t need to worry about this one). We would appreciate it if you would turn the heating dial to zero if you go out for the day, so that gas isn’t wasted and don’t worry - the cottage will warm up very quickly on your return once you set the temperature (if the timer hasn’t already switched on the heating for you). The heating will automatically switch on at pre-set times in the morning and evening – these are reasonable but please feel free to adjust as you need to.

Hot water is instant as the boiler is a combi system. It does occasionally run hot, then briefly cold, then hot again – please bear with it.

The boiler is fueled by bottled gas (as many of the local properties are) and there are a number of bottles at the back of the cottage in the covered area. We will make sure that a reasonable amount of gas is kept here, but bear in mind that excessive use of the heating can use this up quickly.

House Keeping

We tried to create a true ‘home from home’ here and hope that you enjoy this when staying in the cottage. You should find it fresh, clean and tidy and we would be really grateful if you could please look after the cottage as if it were your own.

Please use coasters (provided) on wooden surfaces, as these are really difficult to recover otherwise.

We prefer if dogs are kept off the furniture and to not go upstairs.

On vacating the cottage please ensure that you do the washing up, empty the bins (please put bin bags in the utility are at the back) and clear the lawn (if you brought the dog). We hope that’s OK.

The damage bond is not used for small breakages as we know that these things happen – it is used for example where damage or staining occurs to furniture, carpets or soft fabrics. We would always call you before making any deductions to the bond in any case.

Internet

We have a broadband Internet connection, accessed via WiFi – look for the router called BTHub4-QT7R and enter the password from the card on the TV unit when prompted on your device. Please keep in mind that we are located in a rural area and as such, our Internet speed may not be quite what you are used to - it’s good enough for most uses though.

Kitchen Appliances

Hopefully all of the appliances here are familiar territory and easy to use. The power switches above the worktop should be on for the cooker and hob and in case the washing machine is needed, the switch for this is inside the cupboard next to it.

The cooker and hob have a personality of their own. If the power has been switched off the cooker, you’ll need to reset the clock first before it allows you to cook. And the ceramic hob controls are ‘easy’ once you know the sequence – each of the manuals are in the bottom drawer should that science or engineering degree fail you.

Just a note about the fridge freezer. You may find the odd frozen item in here as we do stay in the cottage between visitors and it’s much easier to leave, when we leave. Hope you don’t mind this.

Laundry

You will find the washing machine in the kitchen, with washing liquid and conditioner under the sink. Best program for most things is 40oC ‘easy care’ and to save you having to read the manual (bottom drawer if you really want), put a capful of liquid in the small cup in the drum with the washing, a small amount of soda in the left hand dispenser compartment and conditioner in the middle compartment. There is a rotary drier in the garden and basket and cloths pegs in the utility area.

Recycling

Carmarthenshire County Council actively promotes recycling and so we try to help out with this. In the utility area, you will find a large plastic bin with a blue bag, to be used for plastic and cardboard packaging, tins, cans, newspapers, magazines, egg boxes, aerosols, plastic bottles, tubs, cartons and metal foil. Thank you.

Safety

To isolate the water supply, the stop cock is in the cupboard under the kitchen sink.

To isolate the power supply, the main consumer unit is high up on the wall just outside the kitchen door.

To isolate the gas, the gas bottles are located in the covered area, at the back of the house (down the pathway before the steps).

In the event of a kitchen fire, there is a fire blanket kept in one of the kitchen drawers.

Television

We have Sky HD+ so you have a good selection of channels. The remote controls are usually left in one the drawers of the TV unit. Please be sure to turn both off when you head out for the day, or when leaving the cottage.

Top Tips & Places To Go

The Cothi Valley is a beautiful area offering stunning views, fresh air, peace, tranquility or some serious exercise. Abergorlech is a very friendly village offering immediate access to forest trails (just a few minutes walk from the cottage), a fantastic local pub and easy access to many other places to go and things to do, most within a one hour drive.

Below are just a few of these, with links to websites giving more information in each case. We can’t vouch personally for all of these, but each has been recommended by friends or visitors.

Pubs & Restaurants

The Black Lion, Abergorlech (2 minutes walk). Cosy traditional pub serving great home made dishes, local drinks and with a beer garden in a fantastic setting right on the banks of the river. As former owners of the cottage, mention where you are staying and George and Louise will be sure to take good care of you. Best to book though as places are taken quickly. www.theblacklionpub.co.uk

Y Polyn, Nantgaredig (20 minutes drive). Really well presented food in a lovely setting, contemporary country atmosphere. Very popular and often well booked, so reservations advisable. www.ypolyn.co.uk

Ty Mawr, (8 minutes drive). Lovely country hotel, renovated over the past 10 years by owners Steve and Annabel and serving home made and home grown food. www.tymawr.com

Groceries

Aside from the supermarkets found in all of the larger places (for example , , Swansea and Cardiff) and several convenience stores in between, there is a very well stocked local store at Brechfa (8 minutes drive) – opening hours are good and you will find all you need to take care of the catering yourself (if the pubs and restaurants don’t take your fancy).

Places To Visit

Abergorlech Forest. You must enter the forestry track in the village, just over the small bridge on the left hand side. There is the Gorlech Trail Mountain Bike ride which is well signposted and very testing of your skills. Amateurs take it steady. Here there is also a superb walk which follows the banks of the Gorlech river. Enter the forest and follow the footpath sign off to the left after about 10 minutes, it loops you back into the village, the ‘long walk’ signpost can take between 20 and 50 minutes depending on your pace.

Old . Park your car at the bridge at the Towy in the small lane, by the big house and follow the sign posts to the dilapidated church, and through the fields to the castle. The views are stunning and it’s a great walk.

Pembrey Beach. Great for kids. Lots to do. Easy parking. 40 mins drive, near Carmarthen. Crazy golf. Bike rental and coastal path. Dry bob sleigh run. Dry ski slope and lessons available. Miniature train for rides. Play grounds, and loads of open space to run around. Beach is NEVER overcrowded.

Folly Farm. Great for kids from 4 to 10 ish. It is an adventure play ground on quite a big scale, with animals to see, milking, pets etc….there is a large covered fun fair, which is great if it rains. Our kids love it there.

Oakwood theme park. We haven’t been there but it is meant to be an excellent park with many great rides.

Llangranog beach. National Trust owned, home made ice cream café on the beach. Parking adjacent to the beach, but get there by 9.30. Stunning location.

Walk to the top of Llyn y Fan Fawr on Pen y Fan. You will find it on an OS map near /. I can advise how to get there, but they are amazing hikes. If you do this, eat in the Castle at Trecastle, which has really nice food.

Llandeilo Town. Nice to walk around, there is a nice café there, and some nice boutique shops dotted around. If you go to the back of Llandeilo there is a Victorian Park with an old fashioned band stand, it’s a short walk up a hill, but there are stunning views over Llandeilo.

Dan yr Ogof showcaves. These are really interesting and well done for visitors. There is also a Dinosaur Park to walk around here. If you go drive over the mountains via Brynaman, the views over the mountain top is stunning.

Finally more beaches. Mwnt bay near Cardigan (long walk down many steps, so keep luggage to a minimum). Tenby is nice, but parking can be tough, so get there in good time. Saundersfoot is nice. is the biggest flattest beach you have ever seen, and where the land speed records have been held. is pretty for a stroll. LLanstephan is close, it is a beach, but its an estuary, there are places to eat here and a castle to walk around, worth a visit. Small play area for kids and good parking.

Carreg Cennen castle near Trapp. Stunning views from here, and a very imposing place. A bit of a steep walk for 5 minutes but worth it.

More Details

For more details, please visit www.cottage-weekends.com

Contacts

To contact the owners (Steve & Alison Ellis), please call 07894 318724 or e-mail [email protected]