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Archives: Activites

Teacher: Molly Crowther of Meadowside Yoga, Reflexology and Ayurveda
Date: Friday May 30th to Sunday June 1st 2025

Join Molly for a weekend of dipping your toes into the world of Ayurveda and lots of lovely Yoga at Cwm Connell.  No experience required to participate in classes of Hatha Yoga, Yin & Restorative Yoga with Yoga Nidra and Yoga Shred in the peaceful Yoga Shala and if the weather allows, in the fields overlooking the sea!  The retreat will be fully catered, including yummy vegetarian food, snacks, drinks, organic wine and fizz.  Enjoy yourselves relaxing in the hot tub, sauna or in front of a roaring fire with great company in a supportive environment.

Teacher:  Sharon Henshall
Date:  Friday 6th – Sunday 8th June 2025
Sharon Henshall from Inspired Yoga has a wonderful weekend of nourishment, relaxation and yoga (gentle/yin/restorative) planned at Cwm Connell from 6th-8th June 2025. Based just 40mins from Cwm Connell, Sharon is passionate about ensuring yoga is inclusive, with a focus on stilling the mind to be more present. She also teaches Mindfulness and will be including guided meditations throughout the weekend to help us deepen our practice and sooth the soul 💜. Arrival Friday afternoon and departure after lunch on the Sunday.
 
Included: yoga sessions to suit all levels (beach yoga – weather permitting), guided meditations, delicious vegetarian food (dietary requirements catered for), spa (hot tub & sauna), chats around the fire (weather permitting), optional treatments (extra cost), optional walk & some deliciously nourishing ‘you’ time to relax. There may even be a gong bath on the Saturday evening (TBC). Immerse yourselves into a wellbeing weekend of yoga, fresh air, great food & of course… wonderful company :)).

Teacher:  Stef Carnell of Yogi Sanctuary
Date: Friday 11th – Monday 14th July 2025

A refuge from daily life.  Four days and three nights that will leave you feeling rested and your mind, body & soul re-set and re-energised.  Includes a wide variety of Yoga Classes, Yoga Nidra, Sound Healing, Sea Kayaking, Guided Wildlife and sketching walks as well as a pottery class.  Mike of Yoga Massage offers Ayurvedic Yoga Massage.  Fully catered with delicious plant based food.

Teacher: Monika Benedek of Akinom Yoga & Ayurveda

Dates: Thursday 4th – Sunday 7th September 2025

Take a step back from the busy rhythms of life and gift yourself the time and space to truly unwind. This weekend retreat offers a sanctuary for those seeking to reset, recharge, and reconnect with their inner selves. Surrounded by the breathtaking beauty of Pembrokeshire, you’ll find a supportive and nurturing environment that encourages deep healing, self-reflection, and transformation.

Escape the demands of everyday life and join Monika for a soul-nourishing yoga retreat in the heart of Pembrokeshire. This exclusive retreat is more than a getaway—it’s an opportunity to reconnect with nature, rejuvenate your body, and ignite your inner spark.

Immerse yourself in a weekend of healing and self-discovery. Whether you’re an experienced yogi or new to the practice, this retreat will calm your mind, nurture your spirit, and bring balance back to your life.

What’s Included:

  • Daily Yoga Classes
  • Guided Meditation
  • Ayurvedic Cooking Workshops & Nourishing Meals
  • Guided Nature & Wildlife Walks
  • Wellness Facilities
  • Plenty of Downtime
  • Eco-Friendly Accommodation

Reclaim your balance, revive your spirit, and embrace the joy of living in harmony with nature.

For further details please visit: https://akinomayurveda.co.uk/yoga/

Teachers:  Jaya Jaks & Marc Pasternack
Date:  Thursday 25th September to Sunday 28th September 2025.

Join the wonderful Jaya and Marc for a super special weekend of yoga, food and friendship.

Teacher: Anja Yoga
Date: Friday 19th – Monday 22nd September 2025

Join Anja for a blissful seasonal yoga retreat where you will learn more about how to live in harmony with the seasons, create a deeper connection with yourself and our beautiful nature. During the retreat we will practice seasonal yoga (all levels welcome), explore gentle coastal and woodland walks, refresh with wild dips in the sea and have the time and space to relax and rejuvenate. Everything on the retreat is truly optional and there is plenty of time for yourself and for connection with others
Anja loves creating a safe space for your practice and invites you to be curious and explore on the yoga mat. She specialises in yin yoga and her style is gentle. On this retreat the practices include flow yoga, qigong, yin yoga, restorative yoga, meditation, yoga nidra and pranayama practices. You will also learn about acupressure points for the season and have the opportunity to book for a blissful aromatherapy massage.
All vegetarian food is freshly prepared and seasonal. From luxury breakfast hampers in your cottage to picnic lunches and shared evening meals, this retreat is inclusive of all meals, snacks and refreshments.

Teacher: Alex Mitchell
Date: Friday 17th – Sunday 19th October 2025

A retreat is a journey, we withdraw from the stimulation of our everyday lives to the healing heart of nature, we journey inwards to listen to our inner wisdom, to heal and nurture ourselves. It’s a journey to the heart of our being so we can totally reset.  A retreat is the gift we give ourselves, the greatest gift of all, the gift of our time and our awareness. 

I am blessed to teach Anahata Yoga here by the sea here in Moylegrove, Pembrokeshire.  Anahata yoga is a flowing Hatha practice from Assam in the North of India.  Also known as The Dance of Shiva and Shakti the intention is to encourage Shakti, the moon, to rise up to the embrace of Shiva, the sun. The metaphor of a lovers’ dance invokes the idea of a creative interplay between conscious awareness and divine energy. It reminds us to take a joyous, graceful, playful approach to achieving the state of union that is the ultimate goal of yoga. 

Emma and I hold two retreats a year to reflect and set intention.  Join us as we welcome the tamasic energy of Autumn.  The change of seasons naturally brings with it a change to the pace of life, a change to the energy within the body, a change to our mindsets, a turning inwards, a need for recalibration. We will be exploring and welcoming this shift in energy throughout the weekend.

There will be a Welcome on arrival on Friday and our first class, Shiva’s Dance of Love, a flowing to stillness practice, followed by dinner.  Fire pit after dinner.

On Saturday, weather allowing, we will start with a walking meditation to Ceibwr Bay to practice The 5 Element Form, the traditional morning practice of Anahatha Yoga.  Followed by swimming and snacks in the bay.   We will walk back up from the bay with our local natural history expert Steve (which is always fascinating) for hot tubs, saunas and lunch.  

In the afternoon I’ll be teaching The Dance of Shiva and Shakti with a break before dinner.  After dinner we will be treated to one of Ash’s awesome sound baths.  If you’ve never enjoyed a sound bath they are special on many levels… a celebration of the vibrational energy and healing power of sound.

On Sunday morning 9am we will explore another Anahata Yoga Class – The Dance of the 3 Warriors.  Emma will lead a walk later in the morning to The Witch’s Cauldron with picnic lunch.

All teaching will be inclusive and appropriate for all and all of the activities and classes are entirely optional, you may prefer at any point to chill out in the hot tub and sauna or in the paddock, go on a mindful nature walk or take some time for meditation.

The weekend will be fully catered with Breakfast, snacks, lunch and dinner with delicious vegan food from our lovely retreat chef. 

Om shanti.  A&E 💚🕉🙏

Teacher: Frances Rees of Daioni Yoga
Date: Friday 31st October – Sunday 2nd November 2025

Join us for a transformative weekend retreat, where the energy of Samhain guides us into deep introspection and renewal. Samhain, the ancient Celtic festival marking the end of harvest and the beginning of winter, is a powerful time for releasing what no longer serves us and embracing the mysteries of the season.  Through restorative & yoga Nidra practices, energy healing with Gendai Reiki, and sacred rituals including cocoa ceremony, we’ll align with the natural flow of the earth’s cycles, honouring the shift in energy as we prepare for the colder months ahead. Let the peacefulness of this retreat provide space for you to reconnect with yourself, release emotional blockages, and invite clarity and healing. This retreat offers a space for rejuvenation, self-reflection, and connection with like-minded souls. Accompanied by a delicious vegan menu to nourish the soul.

Hosts:  Beth Howes & Ellen Picton
Date: Friday 23rd – Monday 26th January, 2026

Blow away the January blues with us in a new stunning setting near Cardigan.
This venue has been purpose built to host retreats, with a large hot tub overlooking rolling fields to the coast line and a sauna too.
You’ll find a communal space for our activities such a Pilates, mindfulness and Zumba. There are a series of 5 star cottages of varying sizes to choose from, you can either book one for you and friends or share with other like minded ladies.
There is a communal dining room for your freshly made meals and cookery demos. You really feel like you are in the middle of nowhere, there is a private path leading to the beach and miles of coast path heading to either Newport or Cardigan.
Payment plan’s available.
£425 pp for a shared twin or £695 for solo occupants
For more information:   https://www.unwindretreats.co.uk/event-details-registration/cwm-connell-cottages-moylgrove-425pp-2

Teacher:  Bryony Morris
Date: Friday 5th June – Monday 8th June 2026

Join Bryony on her Spring Retreat including a variety of yoga practices, with creative workshops, guided walks and wild swimming. There will be plenty of free time for exploring the local area or curling up in front of the fire with a book.
Each day will include: *MOVE* We will move together every morning with a flowing breath led practice. Each day will be different and fun! *EXPLORE* You will have an opportunity to explore the local area daily, from guided walks to nature watching. *CREATE* There will be optional creative afternoon workshops with hot drinks and treats. These may include journaling or sketching. *NOURISH* You will be fed wholesome vegetarian and plant based food to warm and nourish you. *RESTORE* There will be a slower practice each evening which will include restorative yoga, yoga nidra, or a sound bath. *REJUVENATE* Take a swim in the sea and then warm up in the hot tub and sauna. Additional holistic treatments can be booked separately.

Most guests like to get their bearings with a trip down to the cove when they arrive. Go through the 5 bar gate to the left of Cwm Connell House. Take the small gate immediately on your left and follow the footpath down through the wooded valley to the cove. Please put your dog on a lead at the bottom of the path as you pass through the gardens of two houses. Return the same way.

Heading out across the fields below the house this walk is the most direct to the cliffs above the sea. Walking across the fields you are faced with stunning views towards the Preseli Hills and south along the coast to Dinas Head and Strumble Point. Take the path through the flowering gorse down to the cove to enjoy the shoreline, before heading back up hill through the wooded cwm (valley) – a Celtic Rain forest with a wealth of ferns, flowers, trees and wildlife. You’ll emerge back at Cwm Connell – the head of the valley.  PLEASE NOTE  We strongly recommend that you avoid this route in the Summer months – the fields have cows, the calves are inquisitive and the cows and bulls are protective.  Especially if you have dogs which need to be leashed at all times when crossing farmland.  Please see alternative route called “Ceibwr and Back” or the “Longer Loop” via Tre Rhys Farm. If in doubt ask us!

Follow the bridleway past the Dog Paddock up the ribbon track through Tre-Rhys Farm. Turn left at the farm walking down the hill towards the sea enjoying views towards the Preseli Hills and south along the coast to Dinas Head and Strumble Point. The path drops steeply to Ceibwr Bay where you can enjoy the sea before heading back up hill through the wooded cwm (valley) – Follow the river towards Moylegrove before climbing up to the Penrallt Garden Centre (tea available!). The footpath from Penrallt passes through fields before joining up with the bridleway through Morawelon Farm arriving back again at your cottage from the back track.

Follow the bridleway past the Dog Paddock up the hill through Tre-Rhys Farm. Walk through the farm and follow the ancient bridleway than runs parallel to the coast. Rich with flowers in the Spring this is a beautiful track with views North to the towering cliffs of Cemaes Head. Follow the footpath downhill to the sea at Granant Farm and don’t miss the waterfalls on your way down. Follow the Coast path South with it’s amazing views and sea birds until you arrive back at Ceibwr Bay. Head back up hill through the wooded cwm (valley) – a Celtic Rain forest with a wealth of ferns, flowers, trees and wildlife.

Drop down to the coast across the fields below Cwm Connell. Follow the coast path down to Ceibwr Bay and then South past the Moyle to The Witches’ Cauldron (Pwll Y Wrach) – a collapsed cave and now a crater in a hill filled with greeny-blue water, the stuff of local legend! Head inland and find the road heading back into pretty Moylegrove village with it’s typical Welsh stone houses. Follow the river from Moylegrove back to Ceibwr turning right before you reach the cove after the bridge. Climb up to the Penrallt Garden Centre (for lunch or tea!). The footpath from Penrallt passes through fields before joining up with the bridleway through Morawelon Farm arriving back again at your cottage from the back track.

Whichever way you make this walk you are sure to get fantastic views of the towering cliffs and headlands that make up this stretch of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path.   This is one of our favourite walks and it’s very dog friendly.  Make sure to check out the Witch’s Cauldron just South of Ceibwr and take your binoculars to appreciate all the sea birds in the Spring and Summer Months.

This spectacular walk runs the length of the main ridge of hills that form the Preselis.  Starting high at the car park at Bwlch-Gwynt the path leads uphill and the short diversion to climb Foel Cwmcerwyn is well worth it.   Foel Cwmcerwyn is the highest peak in the Preselis and in West Wales so you get some great views to the sea both North and South.  The ridge way leads past ancient stones heaped in piles by nature ad carefully erected by stone age man, the surroundings feel full of our ancient history.  The walk ends just outside Crymch where you can catch a taxi back to your start point.   Although there are only two significant up hill sections to the walk it is a tiring one because of the terrain.  Only to be undertaken with lots of time, with good footwear and in good weather.  There are sheep all over the hills so you do have to keep your dog on a lead throughout this walk.

This beautiful walk includes both the recreated iron age settlement of Castell Henllys and the ancient Pengeli woods.  Well maintained paths and numerous looping options mean you can choose a walk to suit your time.  These pictures are mid Winter – in the Spring the Bluebells are amazing!

Discover this hidden gem of a valley that rises in the Preselis and enters the sea in Fishguard.  There are a multitude of footpaths all along this gorgeous river valley and so an endless variety of walks.  We’ve chosen one of our favourites as it’s short and sweet and includes the beautiful water fall in Alt Hendy.  These ancient woods are beautiful at any time of year, full of flowers and birds, but are especially so when the Bluebells come out….

Discover Pembrokeshire’s ancient past on this short walk that has it all. Start at Pentre Ifan, Wales’ most famous standing stones and take in the views down to the coast with Newport Sands below you. Head down hill and pass through fields until you come to the bottom of Ty Canol’s ancient woodland. Make you way back up hill through abandoned iron age settlements and wonderful oak trees dripping in Lychen and Ferns. Re-emerge at the top of the woods looking down to Pentre Ifan for a different view of the stones.

This is a great Sunday walk with spectacular views over Dinas Head and it’s downhill all the way!  You’ll need two cars unless you are going to walk back up again…  Head through Newport and turn left as you leave the village – drop your car in the car park by Myndd Caregog and follow the escarpment all the way to Dinas Head before descending to the coast at picturesque village of Cwm-yr-Eglwys with it’s ruined church and great swimming if so inclined.

Start by taking in Strumble Head, one of Wales’ most iconic lighthouses – that’s the light we see flashing day and night from Cwm Connell. Take the coast path North and climb up the towering cliffs before heading inland and up Garn Fawr. The views from the top, North and South, are truly memorable. Head down the other side and take the network of footpaths back to the coast path to the South of Strumble before returning to the lighthouse where you started.

There can’t be a finer walk in South Pembrokeshire than the loop from Stackpole Quay.  Start at picturesque Stackpole Quay and follow the coastline South to the magical Barafundle Bay before turning inland and walking by the lakes at Bosherton Estate before returning to Stackpole.

We love this short walk, especially with a visit to The Shed with it’s excellent fish & chips.    Climb up the steep steps to the coast path out of Porthgain with it’s extraordinary brick works and walk the coast path towards Abereiddy along epic cliffs to The Blue Lagoon – an old slate quarry crystal blue in the sunshine.  You can loop back inland or return the same way.

Llangrannog is a lovely seaside village just over half and hour drive north in the county of Ceredigion.  It is nestled in a narrow valley through which the River Hawken flows rapidly forming a waterfall down a steep ravine. You can park in the higher older village and return via the sandy beach with the lower village which was a small flourishing port. It has two pubs and two cafés to sustain you after your coastal adventure. On a clear day you can see across Cardigan Bay to the Lleyn Peninsula and there is a good chance of seeing seals and dolphins!  On the beach are extraordinary rock formations including Carreg Bica, tooth of the giant Bica who as legend tells, split his tooth on the beach following a bad toothache. Ynyes Lochtyn is a three pronged peninsula – you will see why it is called the Elephant’s head!

The landscape to the South of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path changes as the cliffs soften and low lying island appear scattered off the coast.  On this wonderful loop you have great views to Skomer and Skokholm islands – famed for their sea bird colonies. The Solva estuary itself is stunning with it’s golden sands and old port.  The walking is relatively easy and this makes a good morning walk before lunch and an explore in St David’s.

An independent art gallery in Cardigan town centre specialising in Welsh contemporary paintings and sculpture. Situated directly opposite Cardigan Castle (home to the first Eisteddfod), Canfas showcases the very best of established and emerging Welsh artists and Eisteddfod Gold Medal Fine Art and Ceramics winners.

Run entirely by local artists and craftspeople living and working in and around Newport. The gallery showcases a unique selection of beautiful and varied art and craft; cosy knitwear, unusual jewellery, ceramics, pictures and traditional welsh furniture. We particularly love the knitted snoods made my Marissa Thereze of St Dogmaels.

A little shop and studio selling arts and crafts from all around Wales. The artist Noelle Pollington distils in her images the sensations, colours and atmosphere of untamed Pembrokeshire. There are also botanical seaweed prints by Coast and Wild, welsh made gifts and colourful imaginative lamp shades made by our very own Ailsa Richardson from Moylegrove which we have bought for our cottages at Cwm Connell.

This contemporary gallery has original work of fine art, sculpture and ceramics and limited edition prints from several local artists plus outstanding luxury Fair Trade items from Patagonia which has strong historical links with Wales.

Alice Tennant has a unique style and she paints lovely original works in watercolour, oils and mixed media. Her works are in private and public collections around the world

This lovely shop deserves a good browse. There are books inspired by holidays by the sea, gorgeous plant pots, ceramics, woven bags, framed pictures, all sorts of things you want to decorate your home to remind you of your holiday.

This quirky shop has an interesting collection of antiques and railway collectibles and memorabilia, vintage advertising materials, locally made greetings cards, an art gallery showcasing local artists and a large second hand book shop. It suits all budgets and you are bound to find an unusual bargain here!

This boutique stocks all the kit for coastal living! You will find Havaianas and Reef Flip Flops, Passenger Sherpa Changing Robes, Chilly’s water bottles, Roka beach bags, Heavenly Feet boots, Weird Fish dresses, White Stuff cosy socks and sweatshirts and specially designed Newport tops and tees. Deck yourself out for the beach and the seaside in style!

Tonnau is an independent Surf shop in Cardigan run by a happy bunch of Welsh surfers doing what they love for a living. Tonnau is one of Wales’ premier surf clothing, surfboards, surfwear & equipment retailers. We stock leading surf brands including FCS, Slater Designs, Billabong, Hurley, O’Neill, Firewire Surfboards, Roxy, Rip Curl, Softech, Dakine, C-Skins, Sex Wax, Katin, Salty Crew and lots more, including our own range of Tonnau Surf clothing.

Cardigan is the nearest big town for shopping for essentials. Cardigan has both a Tesco and an Aldi Supermarket. Many of our guests organise deliveries for their night of arrival. We are blessed with a high street of independent businesses and you will also find several chemists, a butcher, two bakers, a fishmonger, a health food store, a post office, a green grocer, banks, pet shops and florists.

Our nearest food shop is the Premier convenience store in St Dogmaels, a 15 minutes drive from Cwm Connell. It look very basic on the outside but is a really handy ‘corner shop’ with locally sourced foods, Joe’s Ice Cream, a gluten and dairy free section as well as all the essentials you may have forgotten to pack. There is a Spar in Newport and the Murco petrol station on the A487 near Eglwyswrw has a large convenience store with some lovely locally made products.

This wonderful farm shop has the most delicious, fresh, seasonal and sustainably sourced vegetables we have ever bought. It is only open Thursday to Sunday but well worth planning a visit. They have an eight acre organic site on which most of the produce grows but also import some choice vegetables from organic partners.

Every Tuesday from 9am-1pm all through the year locals and visitors can buy fresh food and gifts all produced locally. Th market is held next to the ruins of St Dogmaels Abbey, overlooking the mill pond and the working water mill. The bread made from the stone ground flour is sold in the market by our friend ‘Emma of the Mill’! We love Tanya’s energy balls, activated nuts and granola, vegan cakes and salad, falafel and hummus lunch boxes. The alpaca socks are so luxurious and Lorraines dog treats are the ones we gift to our four legged guests at Cwm Connell. Also you can buy local honey and natural remedies, local farm meats and vegetables, and delicious pies and pastries.

This shop is a wonderland full of healthy wholefoods, jams and chutneys, fresh vegetables, natural cosmetics, alternative gifts and colourful sustainably made ethnic clothing. The deli counter is packed with olives, cheeses, fresh breads, cakes and home made salads. Take away lunch boxes and hot drinks; this is a one stop shop for all things yummy and wholesome.

The street market in Newport runs from the beginning of March to the end of December. The market is open on Mondays 9am-1pm weather permitting, it promotes and sells local produce and products. It is a lovely market with a good atmosphere, lots of fresh food and produce, fresh cakes, bread and amazing Carn Edward meat, dressed crab, Caws Cheese from Cenarth, Welsh Sea Salt Fudge, felted soaps and knitwear and lovely tweed cushions with dogs made in the Preselis.

This very practical shop is like Aladdin’s Cave selling everything from hardware to beachware. Here you can find crab lines, washing powder, beach towels, buckets and spades, dog food, dog beds, sewing kits and all those other useful things you may need on holiday!

It is such a treat to sit in a wooden booth in Llys Meddyg’s beautiful ‘Secret Garden’ and enjoy the relaxed boho atmosphere while sipping an unusual cocktail. The menu champions local foraged ingredients from shores and hedgerows. Incredible fresh ingredients from passionate local producers, prepared simply on the wood fired oven and chargrill. Celebrating what is in season and nurturing the senses this place is really special.

Fantastic fish restaurant, fishmonger, Kitchen and Wine Bar. Enjoy oysters and champagne sitting in the sunshine! Lunch menu, gluten free and vegetarian friendly. The £50 set evening menu is a real treat for the taste buds with locally caught seafood served beautifully and imaginatively.

Always our first choice for a relaxed evening out with delicious food and friendly service. Located on the edge of the River Teifi, offering extraordinary estuary and countryside views, which can be seen from multiple outside terraces and restaurant dining areas. Everyone is welcome: couples, families, dogs, muddy boots, etc!

Excellent gastropub fare in a casual, relaxed atmosphere.

The lovely crew at Barn Menyn make the best pizza in town.  Run by the Wild family their freshly made sourdough based pizza is to die for.  Their bread is exceptional too, and their croissant and pain au chocolat.  Heck, try one of everything.  Open Thursday to Saturday you need to arrive promptly at opening during the Summer to have a choice.  When it’s gone it’s gone.  Take away only.

This picturesque cafe serves the best crab and lobster rolls as well as fresh mackerel and salads.   Sit outside quayside and watch the kids crabbing if the weather is fine. Open 10am – 4pm every day during the Summer months.  Park in the small car park set beside the road rather than on the quay itself.

We just love this artisan café, cool enough to be in Bristol or Cardiff and in a spacious ex car showroom! Run by local entrepreneurs and loved by locals. Open for brunch and lunch, coffee and cakes, bread, welsh spreads and edible gifts, the best sourdough loaves, doughnuts and Portuguese tarts we have ever tasted! We buy their Honey Butter to give to friends as a local souvenir.

This is a lovely, newly converted, restaurant with small plates/tapas style and great cocktails.  The food is delicious and service is good.  Can work out pricey if you have a hungry family! Cool interiors and garden seating too.  Open Tuesday to Saturday 4.30-11pm

Started by 4 brothers and their band of merry friends, now run by a motley crew of young locals. Serves Stonebake handmade pizzas, breads, delicious apertisers & sweets. Great coffee, welsh craft beers and wine. Eat in a covered huge Tipi or in booths along the river Teifi. Lovely atmosphere in pretty riverside courtyard. Fun for families. Open June – Sept outdoor dining by the river.

You couldn’t ask for a more dramatic setting than The Shed at Porthgain and the Fish & Chips are famously delicious.  The menu is simple and well cooked –  all local and fresh.  There are only a few tables so if you’d like to sit inside you need to book ahead.  Fish & Chips can be eaten on the tales outside along with other food from the cafe.  There are lovely walks in both directions – we like to walk to The Blue Lagoon and back before lunch – see our favourite walks…

The Really Wild Emporium is situated in the centre of historic St Davids, the UK’s smallest city, at the heart of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.  The Really wild restaurant specialises in creating menus that showcase wonderful, locally-grown ingredients, wild plants and Pembrokeshire’s marine algae, in every dish.  They cater for vegetarians, vegans and meat eaters and for those with individual dietary requirements.

Sustainability and environmental awareness are at the centre of everything that they do, including their interior design!  With rustic bare floor boards, original stained glass windows, quirky lighting and corrugated iron counter, they have created an intimate, rustic restaurant in a welcoming space to relax and enjoy a really wild meal….

This delightful van pops up in the Summer months serving delicious food right on The Parrog by the Boat Club.  Choose from Hake burgers, Regular burgers or Haloumi wraps.  Great fries.  You are allowed to buy drinks at the boat club if eating and you’ll find there are few nicer ways to end your day.  Open Thursday to Sunday.

Just 10 minutes drive from Cwm Connell, by the entrance to Poppit Sands, this café is a ‘sit in’ or’ take away’ offering fantastic coffee, ice cream, sandwiches, pizza slices and cakes made fresh every morning and brought from Crwst in Cardigan.

Think double scooped Conti’s ice cream, brioche doughnuts, delicious filled rolls and Bay Coffee Roasters plus sustainable beach toys for children and dogs.

It is a lovely walk to the garden centre by the footpath or along the back entrance and past the viewpoint. There is ample seating both indoors and out, and a dedicated Canine Cafe seating area which is always popular.

Lovely cooked breakfast & lunch, delicious cakes and coffee. Plants and gifts to browse while you are here and an outside play area Takeaways.

Fantastic Pizza with the best Gluten Free and Vegan Pizza’s we have ever tasted. Mackerel and Goats Cheese Pizza’s! Also, great salads, desserts and craft beers. We love to order ahead and take our Pizzas to Newport Sands or to the Parog (the beach the town side of Newport) to watch the sunset over the bay.

Very handy for our guests just 10 minutes drive away. Lush fish and chips, sausage, chicken, pie or lobster and chips if you are lucky! We often get take-aways from here and you can sit in as well if you like. There are lots of extras: sauces, mushy peas, coleslaw, pickled eggs and home made tartar sauce!

Located in one of the most attractive villages in North Pembrokeshire, The Golden Lion lies within the shelter of the Preseli Hills and only minutes, on foot, from Newport Bay with its estuary and wide sandy beach. This 17th Century pub has a relaxed restaurant, cosy bar, spacious garden area and a marquee in the summer. Lovely local and seasonal food which caters for GF, vegetarians and vegans too.

We love Other Voices and this year was no exception with another incredible curated line-up of breaking music drawn from across the genres, featuring everything from hip-hop, grime and electronica to post-punk, traditional and folk and everything in between.  One ticket allows you entry into all the gigs (other than the church) so you can roam around and find the tunes just right for you.  Great fun, highly recommended.

Other Voices Cardigan returns next year (2025) for its sixth year, with a jam-packed weekend of world-class performances in St Mary’s Church, sets from the brightest emerging artists on the Music Trail, and thought-provoking discussions at the Clebran Sessions.

Aberjazz was started in 2004 by a group of jazz enthusiasts keen to introduce jazz music to the people of Fishguard and the first festival was held over the last weekend in October 2004. In 2006 it was decided to move the festival to the August Bank Holiday weekend and to add blues to broaden the appeal. In 2008, under new management, Aberjazz starting promoting jazz and blues concerts throughout the year culminating in the Fishguard Jazz ‘n’ Blues festival in its current five day format. Over the years some well known artists have played at the festival such as Jaqui Dankworth, Courtney Pine, Paul Jones and this year Andy Fairweather Low. Many of the artists are familiar names on the jazz & blues circuit in the UK and beyond.

Barley Saturday has, since the 19th Century, been held on the last Saturday in April – it is an unique event in Cardigan. Barley Saturday saw farmers from surrounding area come to town to hire workers and to inspect stallions that are put out to stud. These days the horses are the centre of attention. After the 11.30am, judging of various horse competitions, the crowds gather to watch the horses do their parade around the Cardigan at approximately 2pm. The horses are followed by of vintage cars, motorbikes, tractors, carriages, milk floats and gypsy wagons.

At the beginning of August each year Pembrokeshire’s agricultural community comes together to celebrate all things farming.  The result is a wonderful display of horses, cows, sheep, dogs, pigs, tractors, combine harvesters and local produce.  Spend a fun day wandering the show ground animal watching.

Mwldan is a vibrant arts and cinema complex situated in the heat of Cardigan. With three fully digital screens this is Wales’ only truly independent multiplex. Mwldan presents a year round programme of drama, music and dance as well as having one of the best film programmes in Wales.

We are just a 15 minute drive from the wonderfully picturesque town of Newport, nestled under Carningli (Mountain of the Angels) on the Nevern Estuary.

Situated just a mere two minutes drive from the town centre Newport Links Golf Club offers an outstanding 95 year old links course sitting alongside the beautiful Nevern estuary. After hosting events such as the Welsh Ladies Seniors Open in September 2014 the golf course was elevated to championship status. The course itself may be just over 6000 yards but with small greens, undulating fairways and that seaside breeze, accuracy is essential.

This is a really special place to play golf with golfing heritage stretching back 125 years. The club is on elevated ground with panoramic views of Cardigan Bay from every hole. It is always playable 264 days a year and welcomes visitors. Shortlisted Wales Golf Club of the Year and won Wales Golf Junior Club of the Year.

Our local bike shop in Cardigan hires out regular and electrically assisted bikes to explore the lanes and byways of the Teifi Valley and surrounding area and they can advise on suitable routes.

Bike hire and guided and mapped routes can be explored from Newport and in the Preseli Hills with Carningli Bike Hire. An extensive range of bikes for hire, both mountain and hybrid. Free local delivery and collection. CTC Trail Leader qualified guide available.

Under the Pembrokeshire Preseli uplands, rich in pre-history, in an area of historically small and isolated farms lies six acres of Dyffryn Fernant Garden.

Beautifully conceived small gardens brimming with rich, contemporary planting surround a glowing raspberry-fool coloured house, while a bog garden subtly gives way to a wetland-valley floor.

Aberglasney was made famous by the BBC television series “A Garden Lost in Time” which followed its restoration. Today it is quite simply one of Wales’ finest gardens, and at its heart lies a fully restored Elizabethan Cloister Garden that is the only surviving example of its kind in the UK today. Beyond this, visitors can explore 10 acres of over 20 different garden styles from formal to woodland, right through to exotic and modern along with the fully restored ground floor of Aberglasney’s grade II* listed mansion offer a stunning venue for exhibitions and events.

An elegant Georgian villa, designed by architect John Nash in 1790, complete with a walled garden, farmyard lake and wild parkland. Lovely walking. Remarkably unaltered for over 200 years.

Approximately three acres of landscaped gardens are set around a working farm. Renowned for their breath-taking views over the Preseli Hills and riot of Spring bulbs, the garden also boasts alpine beds, herbaceous borders, flowering shrubs and conifers.

This unique farm park is stunningly located on a scenic headland, overlooking the nature reserve of Cardigan Island, just 200 yards offshore. It is home to thousands of seabirds and a flock of wild Soay sheep, originally from the Isle of Soay near Skye.

A colony of Atlantic grey seals breed in the many caves below the cliffs of Cardigan Island Farm Park and can be seen every day. Sometimes it requires a little patience, but often they can be seen immediately.

Step back to the age of steam at The Teifi Valley Railway – a narrow gauge line that occupies part of the former trackbed of the Great Western Railway branch line which ran from Llandyssul to Newcastle Emlyn. The original railway closed in 1973. The narrow gauge line was built in stages by volunteers between 1983 and 2006. Trains currently run from Henllan, through Forest Halt, to Pontprenshitw. There is a café, mini golf, water falls and a miniature railway.

The river Nevern is a beautiful spate river running from its source in the unspoilt Preseli hills to the sea at Newport bay.

They offer a number of miles of prime Sewin (sea trout) and Salmon fishing in the upper, middle and lower river. The sea trout normally start to run the river from the beginning of May, peaking in July, with Grilse appearing from July and Salmon from August to the end of the season in October.

The association is run by local volunteers who are committed to the preservation of the river and its migratory fish run.

They offer reasonably priced tickets for both local and visiting anglers.

Fly fishing and spinning are popular and worming is permitted on all waters except the Penwaun stretch. Fly fishing at night for Sewin is very popular with the butcher, teal blue and silver and black pennall popular flies.

There is some great Beach fishing locally both at Poppit and Newport Sands as well as from the beaches further North.  It can be complicated carrying a 15ft rod so borrow our house rod whilst you are staying.  The Bass fishing can be particularly good….

The waters of Cardigan Bay are renowned for mackerel and there’s plenty of scope for beach casting and shore fishing off Pembrokeshire’s beaches where keen anglers are rewarded with a variety of species including sea bass and seabream.

Go on a sea fishing trip from New Quay – there’s a choice of trips lasting from 2 hours to 8 hours. You’ll catch mackerel for the barbecue, or crab, sea bass, or even rays, sharks or conger eels!

The river Teifi is the ‘queen’ of the country’s angling rivers, and three clubs manage its fishing beats. Llandysul Angling Association has the rights on 23 miles of the river Teifi between Newcastle Emlyn and Llangybi, near Lampeter, and the Club rents a further 6.5 miles of private beats.

Gentle Giants Shire Horses are close neighbours and walking distance from Cwm Connell. Learn about the history of the breed and their day to day lives. Enjoy a leisurely Shire Horse Drawn Carriage Ride with afternoon tea overlooking the Preseli Mountains and Cardigan Bay. You can also book a Hands on Shire Experience and Have a Go Shire Experience, giving the Shires a bath, helping harness them for work, having a go at long reining them or chain harrowing a field with single or pair of shires.

A fully licensed and insured Pony Trekking Centre, situated in the heart of the magical Preseli Hills, in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. The escorted riding routes follow ancient tracks across open hills and moorland, amid spectacular scenery, stone circles, wild ponies and birds of prey. Treks for 1 hr with no experience necessary to half or all day treks for able riders.

Recommended by our guests for trekking on quiet country lanes and in the mountains, lessons and Havard Stables is the only RDA Accessibility Mark centre in West Wales. Welcomes all abilities and ages.

Castell Henllys is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and one of many prehistoric promontory forts in the National Park dating to around 600BC. Enjoy a prehistoric day out at Castell Henllys and immerse yourself in the only Iron Age village in Britain where the roundhouses have been reconstructed on the very spot they would have stood 2,000 years ago. Dogs welcome and activities for children.

Pentre Ifan takes us back to Neolithic (New Stone Age) times, when our ancestors buried their dead in tombs such as this. Visit the bare bones of a burial chamber that would originally have been covered with an earthen mound. The giant 16½ft/5m ‘capstone’ appears to be precariously balanced on three ‘uprights’, though it has remained in place for over 5,000 years.

Pentre Ifan’s sense of mystery is heightened by its surroundings and backdrop. Its outline neatly frames the Preseli Hills towering above, source of the famous Pembrokeshire ‘bluestones’ that went into the making of Stonehenge as well as Pentre Ifan itself.

A walk around beautiful Nevern is highly recommended.  St Brynach’s Church dates from the 13t Century and you’ll find the Nevern Cross (11t century) and The Bleeding Yew in the graveyard.  There is a gentle walk up to the ruins of the castle above and you’ll find the Pilgrim’s Cross en route.

Cilgerran is one of the most spectacularly sited castles in Wales. Its two great round towers loom high above the deep gorge of the River Teifi and the fast-flowing stream of the Plysog.

The perfect spot, you might have thought, from which the invading Anglo-Normans could defend their newly conquered lands. Take the thrilling wall-walk from the east tower to understand just what a daunting obstacle it must have presented to the rulers of the ancient kingdom of Deheubarth.

St David’s is an hour South on the beautiful A487 coast road and it makes for a wonderful day trip.

The cathedral is really breathtaking.  Simple yet magnificent St David’s cathedral seems to capture all that is wonderful about Wales.  Stroll around the grounds enjoying an ice cream then take a step back in time…

In 1797 the last ever invasion of mainland Britain took place when a French force landed three miles west of Fishguard in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The fascinating story of this event is told in this embroidered tapestry which was designed and sewn by around 80 local women. It is in a similar format and shape as the Bayeux tapestry and like the Bayeux tapestry is 100 foot long. The tapestry was commissioned as a permanent legacy of the Invasion Bicentenary commemorations in 1997. It took four years to complete and is on permanent exhibition in our purpose built gallery attached to the Library in Fishguard Town Hall.

Wool was historically the most important and widespread of Wales’s industries. The picturesque village of Dre-fach Felindre in the beautiful Teifi valley was once the centre of a thriving woollen industry,

Located in the historic former Cambrian Mills, shirts and shawls, blankets and bedcovers, woollen stockings and socks were all made here, and sold in the surrounding countryside – and to the rest of the world.

Just a 20 minute walk from your cottage door across fields or through wild woodland is Ceibwr Cove. We like to think this is our secret cove but it was described in The Times (‘15 best places for a really wild swim’ April 9 2022) as ‘probably one of the most lonely and dramatic sections on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. Twisted and contorted black rocks are shot through with sea caves and blowholes.’ Most days you will be the only person swimming from the pebbly beach or diving off the rocks to the south of the cove know by locals as ‘The Moyle’. Bring swimming shoes.

40 minutes walking distance from Cwm Connell is the Witches’ Cauldron or Pwll-y-Wrach. Probably formed by a cave collapsed thousands of years ago there is a deep lagoon entered by a cave with a waterfall, or alternatively by swimming through one of two sea caves at low tide. On a sunny day the turquoise colour of the pools is stunning. There are often seal pups in the Autumn as their mothers land them there while searching for food and also teach them to swim there. Between September and the end of November there is no swimming in the cauldron in case the seals are disturbed.

You can swim in the quarry at the end of walking The Golden Way but it’s worth a visit in it’s own right.  Set in an abandoned slate mine high in the Preseli hills this spring fed quarry pool is a wonderfully refreshing dip in a magical spot.

Ffynone Waterfall is a hidden gem just a short drive away inland. The waterfall is on the Dulas River which leads into an unspoilt valley in the woods. Set in a stunning landscape of waterways and ancient woodland. It is fun to try and swim towards the falls but they are so strong you can’t get close!

Visit famous Skomer Island with it’s colonies of migratory birds including burrowing Puffins (40,000) and Manx Shearwaters (250,000). We had the most amazing day trip this year.  Day tickets must be purchased in advance using the online booking system. Numbers are limited to 250 each day to prevent erosion and disturbance to the islands wildlife, so booking early is advisable to avoid disappointment. Wisit their website using the link below to book your ticket.

We are extremely lucky to have Ecologist and Artist Steve Halton living in Moylegrove and we have enjoyed a number of his wonderful nature walks – always full of fascinating information about the amazing nature that surrounds us.

Steve has a passion for nature, wildlife, landscapes and art. After degrees in Fine Art (Wildlife Illustration) and Ecology he has worked professionally in ecology all his working life and spent some time working as Assistant Warden on Skokholm Island just South of us in Pembrokeshire.

Steve leads walks, gives talks and teaches drawing, art and writing outdoors where it really matters, in all weathers and on all subjects and for everyone!  

If you would like a walk along the Pembrokeshire coast, its woods and hills to see the wildlife, to draw outside or to simply sit quietly to be in nature with a sense of mindfulness and meditation then please get in touch with him.

We are so lucky to have this amazing resource right on our doorstep. Discover the wonders of nature at the centre and Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve. With regular sightings of kingfisher, otter and wading birds, Teifi marshes is home to some of the most wonderful flora and fauna in the UK. With a diversity of habitats to explore, activities to do and of course, scrumptious food to eat at the Glasshouse Café, you’ll have a great day out. Suitable for all ages.

Fantastic wildlife watching boat trips run from April through to the end of October to help you and your family make your own special memories along the Cardigan Bay Coast. Choose from a range of boat trips from 1 – 2 hours duration. The 2 hour trip boasts 90% likelihood or seeing dolphins! These popular coastal wildlife tours are in high demand during the summer months so please book in advance.

Pembrokeshire’s offshore islands are famous for their incredible natural beauty and fantastic array of wildlife, both above and below the surface.

Skomer and Skokholm islands and their surrounding waters are home to a huge variety of birds, including the largest Puffin Colony in Southern Britain, and the largest concentration of Manx-Shearwaters in the world. While Grassholm Island, slightly further offshore, is home to one of the largest Gannet Colonies in the world with over 39,000 pairs.

Pembrokeshire Island Boat Trips have been operating boat trips to explore this offshore wonderland for over 40 years and offer a variety of ways to experience these beautiful islands, whether you want to land and explore for yourself, take a gentle cruise through the idyllic surrounding waters, or opt for a high-speed adventure on one of their Sea Safaris.

Cardigan Bay Active are based in our neighbouring farm as well as having a centre in Cardigan itself. They offer a safe and well organised range of activities including; Coasteering, white water rafting and tubing, canoeing, climbing, sea kayaking, surfing and stand up paddle boarding (SUP). Whatever your taste in adventure you’ll find it here in Pembrokeshire. Mention that you are staying at Cwm Connell for 10% discount on guided activities.

Celtic Quest offer coasteering, cliff jump, rock hopping and other wet wild and fun activities in Abereidy and The Blue Lagoon which is further from Cwm Connell but well worth the drive.

A short walk from your cottage door, through the wooded valley is a beautiful sheltered pebble cove owned by the National Trust and registered as a site of scientific interest. You’ll often find Grey seals here, basking on the rocks. There’s a little river winding its way to the sea through the cove, with a perfect ‘Pooh Stick’ bridge. From here you can walk some of the most impressive sections of the Coastal Path. Explore the spectacular Witches Cauldron, a blow hole caused by the collapse of a cave roof. We often take a day out to kayak or swim here, spy on the birds and explore the caves.

A large sandy beach at the mouth of the River Teifi, perfect for a long walk and backed by dunes. Close to Caridgan. Lifeguard on duty. You can pick up the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path here, or the Poppit Rocket Bus. This beach has a European blue flag award. A partial dog ban from 1st May – 30th September. Boat by laws apply. There is an RNLI station here, we never get tired of watching them launch their boats for practice on Sunday mornings, using their huge tractor, a boys dream. Many a happy BBQ and numerous games of rounders spent on this beach. The beach shelves gradually with lots of stranded tidal pools to play in.

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