A central base for walking in North Wales
From gentle forest trails to Snowdon itself, the cottages sit roughly in the middle of it all, on the edge of the Clocaenog Forest.
Walking in North Wales
North Wales has the full range of walking in one region, from flat lakeside and forest paths to mountain ridges and the highest peak in Wales. Staying centrally near Corwen rather than out at the coast or in one valley means you can pick the hill to suit the day and the weather, with most of it within around an hour.
The hills and the high ground
To the east, the Clwydian Range gives some of the finest ridge walking in North Wales. Moel Famau, topped by the ruined Jubilee Tower, is the high point, with the Offa’s Dyke Path along the range and long views across the Vale of Clwyd.
To the south are the Berwyn and Pistyll Rhaeadr, at around 73 metres the tallest waterfall in Wales and one of the Seven Wonders of Wales, around 35 to 45 minutes away.
To the west, Snowdon is a day trip, roughly an hour away by road, with parking at Pen-y-Pass that needs booking in season. Cadair Idris and the Rhinogydd are within reach for a longer day.
Around Llangollen, around twenty minutes, there is Castell Dinas Brân, Velvet Hill and the Horseshoe Falls for shorter, scenic walks.
Walking from the cottage
For an easy day you do not have to drive anywhere. The Clocaenog Forest starts close to the cottages, with the quiet lakeside walk and family trails at Bod Petryal, and the Rhyd y Gaseg walk, reached on a minor road by Derwen church, which passes a waterfall that is at its best after rain and runs through bluebells and wild garlic in spring. The Alwen Trail and the Round the Lake walk at Llyn Brenig, around fifteen minutes away, give longer, gentler days on foot.
Long-distance routes
The Dee Valley Way runs about fifteen miles from Corwen to Llangollen, the North Berwyn Way crosses the hills to the south, and the 122-mile Clwydian Way passes through Corwen itself. Both cottages have a log burner and a proper kitchen, so a wet day on the hill ends somewhere warm and quiet.