Christian Holiday Cottage, Llyn Peninsula — On the Old Pilgrims’ Way
This Christian holiday cottage, Llyn Peninsula, sits in Clynnog Fawr, a small village on the coastal road between Caernarfon and Pwllheli, with the beach a ten-minute walk away and the whole of the Llyn spread out around it. Ty Cerrig is a proper old Welsh cottage, stone-built and characterful, with the narrow upstairs staircase and low doorways that come with the territory. It makes a quiet, unhurried base for slowing down, whether that means a week of coastal walks or simply reading in the garden with the sea somewhere close by.
Clynnog Fawr has been a place of Christian pilgrimage for close to fourteen hundred years. St Beuno, one of the most celebrated of North Wales’s early monks, founded a clas here around AD 616, a Celtic institution somewhere between a monastery and a college, and was buried on the site after his death. The present St Beuno’s Church, largely built between 1480 and 1500, is Grade I listed and has been called one of the most notable churches in North Wales, its size still striking for such a small village.
The church grew wealthy and important as the last major stopping point on the medieval pilgrim route to Bardsey Island, known as the Island of Twenty Thousand Saints, where three pilgrimages were once held to count for the same spiritual credit as one to Rome. Pilgrims paused here to visit St Beuno’s holy well, said to cure the sick, before continuing along what’s still called the Pilgrims’ Way, the very path Ty Cerrig sits close to. The route saw a genuine revival in the twentieth century, with large pilgrimages retracing it in 1950 and again in 1992.
Inside the church, a medieval money chest carved from a single piece of oak still stands in the nave, made to collect pilgrims’ offerings on their way to and from Bardsey. The churchyard holds an early medieval sundial thought to date from the tenth or eleventh century, and a standing stone older still, a reminder that people were marking sacred ground here long before the present building went up. Buried among the graves is Eben Fardd, one of Wales’s best-loved nineteenth-century poets, a quieter kind of local claim to fame.
The wider Llyn Peninsula, mentioned only in passing on this page, has been a protected Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty since 1957, one of just five such areas in the whole of Wales. Around a quarter of the peninsula falls within the designation, covering volcanic hills, a 55-mile stretch of Heritage Coast, and some of the best birdwatching in North Wales, including nesting choughs on the cliffs. It’s a landscape shaped as much by faith and farming as by scenery, which is part of what makes it so restful to spend time in.
Caernarfon and Pwllheli are both within easy reach for shopping or a proper Welsh tea, and the wider Wales region has plenty more to explore for a longer stay. But much of what makes Ty Cerrig special is simply being here, in a village that has welcomed weary travellers for the best part of a millennium and a half, close to the Church Heritage Record for St Beuno’s and the old road pilgrims still walk today.
Perfect for:
- Clergy and church workers wanting rest on a genuinely ancient route of pilgrimage
- Walkers keen to follow all or part of the old Pilgrims’ Way towards Bardsey Island
- Families after a beach ten minutes’ walk away, with castles and Snowdon close by
- Dog owners, with up to two well-behaved dogs welcome downstairs
- Anyone drawn to quiet coastal landscapes with fourteen centuries of Christian history behind them
Location
Ty Cerrig, Clynnog Fawr, Gwynedd, North Wales
How to get there:
The cottage is accessible directly by road. Rail travel is possible to either Bangor or Pwllheli stations with onward travel by either bus or taxi.
Nearest Town:
Bangor is about 18 miles away and Pwllheli around 12 miles.
Local Area
Clynnog Fawr is situated on the beautiful Llyn Peninsula in coastal North Wales with a wealth of Christian heritage and history including the delightful St. Beuno’s Church in the village. The village has a shop and petrol station. The towns of Caernarfon and Pwllheli are easy to get to and have a range of shops and eateries.
The cottage is around 10 minutes walk from the beach and lies close to the Pilgrim’s Way which crosses most of North Wales. The Llyn is an area of outstanding natural beauty with many fine walks along the coast. Caernarfon and Criccieth castles are close at hand as is Porthmadog and Portmeirion; the Italianate village built in a disused quarry. Anglesey and the North Wales coastal towns of Conwy and Llandudno are around 45 minutes drive by car. Snowdon and the various walking trails to the summit are nearby. For the more adventurous, zip wires, rib boating and activity centres can be found.
Facilities
The cottage sleeps between 5 and 6 people in a room with a double bed, a twin bedded room and a room with bunk bed. The top bunk is only suitable for children up to about age 11. All rooms including the bathroom and separate toilet are upstairs, accessible via a narrow and steep staircase which is typical of an old cottage. The cottage has a separate shower and bath with spa facility.
Downstairs the cottage has a kitchen/dining room which is fully equipped for self-catering, lounge and utility room. The cottage has central heating and instantaneous hot water and has an electric fire in the lounge. TV and audio facilities are provided and the cottage has its own Wifi hub. A high-chair is available.
Outside the cottage has a garden area with picnic table and parking on street or at the rear of the property. All bed linen, towels and tea towels are provided but not beach towels.
Additional Photos
Click to enlarge
Costs
See website:
Energy Provision: All charges included in tariff.
Availability
Available all year round.
Arrival and Departure times:
No arrivals before 5.00 pm and departures by 10.00 am.
Booking arrangements:
Minimum stay of 3 days. We usually book Saturday to Saturday but can be flexible dependent on season and circumstance.
Pets:
Up to two well behaved dogs but we do ask that they are kept downstairs and not allowed to access the furniture.
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:
Booking Enquiries: 07527-226523
Website: clynnogcottage.co.uk