Special Places to Stay - More than a bed for the night

Wake to sea views! This adorable split-level stone cottage, two farm cottages woven into one, has been renovated in harmony with its surroundings. Step into a kitchen/ dining room, sweet, simple and well-equipped, with a separate utility room for a dishwasher and washer/drier and a fabulous welcome pack on the table: milk, bread, sausages, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, juice and champagne – most of it local, much of it organic. Then it's up two steps to a charming low-beamed sitting room, its oak floor limed, its beams painted white. Modern sofas heaped with cushions face a wood-burning stove, logs courtesy of the surrounding estate and blue-painted French windows open to a flagstone terrace with a barbecue and canvas chairs. On another level is the master bedroom, an inviting and harmonious space: duck egg-blue walls, a view over the fields, a walk-in shower with a warm towel rail and a heated floor. Two further bedrooms lie upstairs. This is a beautiful cottage in peaceful surroundings where colours are serene, fabrics are fresh, and prints, paintings and furniture (antique and new) add both character and style. There's Criccieth for castle and sands, Harlech for history, and glorious walks – maps provided – up in the hills.