Three Welsh Cottages (And Lake) Perfect For Communal Countryside Living

With a loneliness epidemic on the horizon, people are increasingly turning to communal living to feel a sense of belonging. When uni mates, school friends and old work colleagues are split across the country, connected only by the fraying threads of social media, those looking for community are romanticising the days gone by when all your loved ones were only a quiet country stroll away. Rather than waiting to move in nextdoor, this cosy commune of cottages buried in the Welsh countryside will let you live with all your loved ones in one storybook spot. 

A Wind In The Willows World Perfect For Communal Living

If you’ve ever dreamed of being next door neighbours with your best friends, keeping your extended family all in one place or testing out communal living, this new listing offers not one, not two, but three cottages cosied together in a quiet Welsh hamlet. 

The three characterful cottages includes a flour miller’s residence and traditional Georgian Ceredigion farmhouse named Felin Brithdir (Felin meaning ‘mill’ and Brithdir meaning ‘speckled land’ in Welsh). Alongside the miller’s residence is the former flour mill in the form of The Old Mill as well as a blacksmith’s cottage (Ty’r Gof) – not to mention the rustic lakeside cabin (lake and island included), two Dutch barns, and a range of outbuildings scattered across the three acre land. 

‘As well as being one of the prettiest properties I have ever seen, it is brimming with potential,’ says Daniel Rees from Savills Cardiff. ‘The area is a magnet for creatives, from talented painters, carvers, jewellery makers to print makers, potters and bakers, so the property collection could well appeal to an interesting business given its versatility.’

Rees also suggests that the site is well-suited to communal or multigenerational living, with the different cottages and buildings providing options for friends or extended family. ‘The setting is truly magical,’ he adds, ‘with the cottages and cabin clustered around an idyllic lake with a little island in the middle, one imagines stepping into a storybook.’

Who Lives There Now?

Owned by the same family since it was built in the 1800s, Felin Brithdir was eventually bought up by Spot Scott and husband Charlie Rayward in 2003 – adding the Old Mill to the collection when it came on the market in 2018. The couple have a passion for interior design and have subtly restored the three cottages during their sixteen year residency. While sprinkling some contemporary flair onto the once-worn homes, they have been careful to remain true to the West Wales vernacular: solid stone walls, quarry tile floors, timber-panelled walls, open fireplaces, casement windows and traditional limewash.

‘The stone house was in a dilapidated state surrounded by an overgrown wilderness when we first saw it all those years ago,’ says Spot, ‘but the dramatic landscape, period features and Georgian symmetry won us over. Our aim was to restore the home’s true character and we were surprised and delighted along the way, such as when we found the original tongue-and-groove panelling hidden under plasterboard in the hallway.’

Explaining that it is ‘impossible not to be inspired by the scenery’, Spot shares that there is a little rowing boat available for guests to take out on the lake to give them their very own Wind in the Willows moment. Alongside the otters, red kites, moorhens and geese which populate the mill pond, the current owners also keep two rescue lurches, geese, ducks and chickens. 

Step Inside (And Out)

Inspired by Spot and Charlie’s love of travel, the three cottages have been furnished with an eclectic range of items purchased locally and on their journeys abroad. A wander through the houses reveal an array of Welsh blankets, original artworks, a feature wall of hats, Art Deco mirrors and mid-century cabinets. Much of the furniture, which was specially chosen for the individual cottages and lake house will stay in the property when it is sold.

The red-washed Felin Brithdir is Georgian in its symmetry, with its timber-boarded hallways and an open-plan kitchen-dining area. Alongside the two primary bedrooms, there is also a third bedroom-slash-study on the ground floor, plus potential for a fourth on the wide landing. Besides the stunning surroundings, the front garden of Felin Brithdir also opens to a kitchen garden with raised beds, as well as a traditional greenhouse, plus apple and pear trees.

The two-bedroom Old Mill has had millers working on the site since the mid-17th century and was later re-built around 1811. Stripping back the interiors to their full height, the newly revealed wooden rafters provide a backdrop to the open-plan kitchen, dining and living space. Double doors open out onto a decking bridge with seating and steps up to a garden with views across the valley. There is also a small shelter ripe for conversion into a studio or outdoor office. Ty’r Gof, meanwhile, embodies romance and tradition. With a wood burner commanding centre stage, the cottage includes a functional handcrafted kitchen and mezzanine sleeping area in the roof lit up by skylights. 

Sometimes housing creative friends, sometimes using it for their own painting and writing projects, the lakeside cabin is a versatile addition that can be used as both home or studio. With a partially enclosed outdoor kitchen and mezzanine bedroom, the cabin also includes decking overhanging the lake – perfectly positioned for watching the sunset. 

Where Is It?

Located in the small hamlet of Brithdir among the dramatic valleys of southern Ceredigion, the snug circle of homes sits just outside the village of Rhydlewis and is only a stone’s throw from the coastal town of Cardigan in West Wales. Set between the beaches of Cardigan Bay and the university town of Aberystwyth, the sandy beach at Penbryn is only about five miles away. Numerous other beaches and coves can be found along this stretch of coastline at Llangrannog, Cwmtydu, New Quay, Tresaith, Aberporth and Mwnt. The larger shopping town of Carmarthen with national railway services to London Paddington is about 23 miles away. 

How To Buy

The three properties and additional buildings are on the market for £975,000. Find out more at search.savills.com