Christian Holiday Cottage, Pembrokeshire – Charming Retreat, Sleeps 6

Christian Holiday Cottage, Pembrokeshire — Below the Mountain of Angels

This Christian holiday cottage, Pembrokeshire, sits below Carn Ingli, a rocky summit in the Preseli Hills whose Welsh name means “Mountain of Angels”. Legend holds that Brynach, a sixth-century saint and contemporary of St David, used to climb here to pray in solitude and “commune with angels”, and that when he died — on 7 April, still kept as his feast day — angels carried him up from the summit to heaven. Bryn Cottage, whose own name simply means “hill” in Welsh, was bought originally as a retreat for Christian ministry families, and the owners still hope to see it used that way as much as possible: a place, like the mountain above it, set apart for quiet and prayer. On a clear day, the summit — an easy walk from Newport, three miles from the cottage — looks out over Newport Sands, Dinas Island and the whole sweep of Cardigan Bay towards Snowdonia, much the same view St Brynach would have had fifteen hundred years ago.

That sense of sacred landscape runs right through this corner of Pembrokeshire, and reaches its fullest expression at St Davids Cathedral, already mentioned above. Founded as a monastery by St David himself in the sixth century, it became one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Britain: in 1123, Pope Callixtus II declared that two pilgrimages to St Davids were worth one to Rome, and three the equivalent of a journey to Jerusalem. The saint’s shrine, destroyed at the Reformation and restored in 2012 with newly painted icons, still stands in the cathedral today, and nearly 300,000 visitors a year now cross its threshold — many of them, as in the Middle Ages, walking the old pilgrim paths that converge on this remote corner of the Welsh coast.

The Preseli Hills themselves, already mentioned above as accessible straight from the cottage door, have one more surprising claim to fame: the distinctive spotted dolerite “bluestones” at the heart of Stonehenge were quarried here, over 150 miles from Salisbury Plain, and hauled or floated east by means still debated by archaeologists. Between saints, shrines and standing stones, Bryn Cottage sits in landscape that has drawn people seeking something beyond the everyday for thousands of years — with no Wifi and only patchy mobile signal to make the point rather more literally than usual. Guests wanting supplies can reach Newport’s butcher, health food shop and small supermarket in ten minutes, with larger shops in Fishguard and Cardigan a little further on, but the cottage itself is built for slowing right down rather than staying connected.

St Brynach made his main home a few miles away at Nevern, where the church that bears his name still stands beside a churchyard yew said to “bleed” a dark red resin, and a beautifully carved tenth-century Celtic cross stands in the churchyard. Local tradition even claims Brynach’s favourite cuckoo returned each year to sing there before appearing anywhere else in west Wales — a small, whimsical detail in a landscape that takes its saints and its angels rather seriously.

Bryn Cottage is perfect for:

Christian ministry families and workers, the cottage’s original and still-preferred purpose
Guests wanting a genuine digital detox, with no Wifi, no landline and only patchy mobile signal
Pilgrimage-minded visitors keen to walk to St Davids Cathedral and its shrine of St David
Walkers wanting Carn Ingli, Nevern and the Pembrokeshire Coast Path all within easy reach
Groups of up to six, across the cottage and its separate annexe

Location

Bryn Cottage, near Newport, Pembrokeshire, SA42 0QY
How to get there:
Road travel – the last 200 metres to the cottage is an unmade track.
Nearest rail station is at Fishguard
There is a bus service between Newport and Fishguard.
Nearest Town:
3 miles from the village of Newport (Pembrokeshire) and 6 miles from Fishguard (train station).

Local Area

Local shops in Newport, including Butcher, Health Food shop, Pharmacy and small supermarket. Larger supermarkets are available in Fishguard and Cardigan
Bryn is situated within the Pembrokeshire National Park with the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path and Preseli Hills accessible from the door. Pembrokeshire is a natural holiday destination with miles of unspoilt coastline including world-class beaches such as Whitesands.
Numerous outdoor activities are available in Newport, Fishguard, St Davids and Cardigan. St Davids City includes the historic cathedral.

Facilities

Bryn takes you ‘back in time’: it’s comfortable but relatively basic with the aim of providing those who stay the opportunity to switch off completely from every day life. The cottage is in a secluded location surrounded by open moorland, with panoramic views across the Irish Sea towards North Wales.
Bryn was bought originally as a retreat for Christian ministry families and we would like to continue to see it used for this purpose as much as possible.
Bryn’s original building consists of a two bed cottage (one double, one twin) with a dining/kitchen area, sitting room and bathroom.
The bedrooms are upstairs. The bathroom is downstairs, off the kitchen. A separate modern annexe (with external access) sleeps two (either double or twin). The Annexe has a sink with heated water but no toilet.
There is ample parking just outside the door.
All bedding and towels are provided and the cottage has a well-equipped kitchen, games, puzzles, local information including OS Maps.
The sitting room in the cottage has a multi-fuel stove. A travel cot and high chair are supplied for children (please bring your own bedding). There is no Wifi or landline, and the mobile signal is very patchy in this area.

Additional Photos

Click to enlarge:

A charming stone cottage with a slate roof sits on a hillside overlooking the green fields, coastline, and sea of Pembrokeshire. Red berries grow on a branch in the foreground, whilst an island and blue sky are visible in the distance—making this an ideal Christian holiday cottage for reflection and relaxation.

A stone wall and small stone buildings, including a charming Christian holiday cottage, sit on a lush green hillside under a dramatic cloudy sky in Pembrokeshire, with distant fields and hills visible in the background.

A round wooden table set for breakfast with plates, cups, and jars of jam in a rustic kitchen at a charming Christian holiday cottage. There are wooden chairs, a bowl of fruit, daffodils in a vase, and blue and white doors in the background—capturing the warm, inviting atmosphere typical of Pembrokeshire retreats.

A cosy bedroom in a Christian holiday cottage in Pembrokeshire, featuring a double bed with two floral pillows, a white dresser, two wooden chairs, and slanted ceiling beams. The walls are pink, and the bed has a white textured cover.

A bright bathroom in this Christian holiday cottage features a bath, white chair, pedestal basin, towel rail with towels, wall mirror, small shelf with toiletries, and a window offering a charming garden view—providing a peaceful retreat in the heart of Pembrokeshire.

Cosy rustic kitchen in a charming Christian holiday cottage in Pembrokeshire, featuring wooden cupboards, microwave, mini fridge, bread bin, and various spices on shelves. There’s a stone wall, chequerboard floor, and a wooden beam above the counter.

A cosy vintage kitchen in a Christian holiday cottage in Pembrokeshire, with hanging mugs, pots, and utensils, a white sink with gloves, patterned curtains, a dish rack, and sunlight streaming through a window with floral curtains.

Cosy room with two single beds covered in blue blankets, a wooden chair, a small washbasin, and a window with patterned curtains letting in natural light—perfect for a relaxing stay in this Pembrokeshire Christian holiday cottage.

A cosy living room in this Christian holiday cottage features a comfortable sofa, armchairs, coffee table, large window with a scenic Pembrokeshire view, map on the wall, framed pictures, and a patterned rug on the floor.

Small bedroom with two single beds, a white chest of drawers, a wall mirror, wooden hangers on a rail, and floral curtains. The walls are light green and white, with sloping ceilings—creating a cosy retreat in this charming Pembrokeshire Christian holiday cottage.

A mossy tree and stone wall in the foreground overlook rolling green hills and distant water under a bright sky, capturing the tranquil beauty of Pembrokeshire—a perfect setting for a peaceful Christian holiday cottage retreat.

Costs

All availability and charges are detailed on the Agent’s website: https://thepembrokeshireholidaycompany.co.uk/bryn-cottage
Discounts:
We can provide discount codes for any Christian worker on application. Please do not book through the website but contact us in the first instance. We are particularly able to provide large discounts (40%) in low season (Nov-Feb, non-school holidays), and would be willing to negotiate for long-stays such as sabbaticals. At other times of the year we can offer more modest reductions (10% in school holidays, 20% in term-time).
Energy Provision: Electricity included in tariff.

Availability

Available all year round.
Pets:
We accept well-behaved dogs; but please be aware that you will need to manage them well as livestock graze immediately around the house.

Contact the Owner

If you are interested in making a booking, or you would like further information, please get in touch using the following contact details:
Name: Laura Woods
Email Address: duncan.laura@btinternet.com

Bryn Cottage, Pembrokeshire, SA42 0QY