Come and see us
Our 75 acres sit at the head of the remote, quietly beautiful Artists Valley, surrounded by wildlife and good walking. There are three ways to come and be part of it: stay, volunteer, or learn.
Come and stay in one of our cottages and cabins in the remote Artists Valley. Wood burners, long views down the valley, and the whole 75 acres to explore, with the wild beavers feeding by the fire pit most evenings.
Arrange a stayIt's a jungle out there! After almost fourteen years and over 350 residential volunteers through WWOOF and Workaway, we still welcome willing folk. We offer comfortable accommodation and food in exchange for around 30 hours a week, year round. These days we're especially after experienced, skilled people with the enthusiasm to work as a team and get stuck in.
Volunteer with usFrom time to time we run our 'Back to the Land' course, a proper, practical share of everything we've learned, for anyone who wants to grow more of their own food and live more self-sufficiently, whatever the size of their patch.
Explore the courseAn evening with the beavers
Not staying with us? From April to October you can still come and meet the beavers, by appointment. A quiet evening by the fire pit as the light goes, with a little talk and a donation towards the valley.
These evenings are arranged privately, just for you and yours. Do get in touch and we will find a date that suits, and tell you everything you need to know beforehand.
The beavers come out as the light goes, so the time shifts through the season with the sunset. We will let you know when to arrive once your evening is booked in.
There is no fixed ticket price. We ask for a donation towards the valley and its conservation work, settled gently between us when you book your evening.
Volunteering
We're especially keen to hear from experienced, skilled people with the enthusiasm to work as a team and really get stuck in. Blaeneinion is a busy, working valley, and the more you bring, the more you'll take away. These are the kinds of hands and know-how that make the biggest difference here:
Confident hands for the veg beds, the polytunnel and propagation, and the patience for a long season of sowing, weeding and harvest.
Practical carpentry, fencing and general DIY to keep the cottages, cabins and structures sound and characterful.
Coppicing, clearing paths and tending the wetland and woodland the beavers share, happily, in all weathers.
A feel for solar, water, wood and the everyday problem-solving that comes with living lightly off the land.
Feeding a hungry crew well, often from what we've just pulled out of the ground.
Turning the cottages around between guests, and helping everyone who arrives feel at home.
However you come, there's plenty to fill a day, or you can happily do very little.
Sit by the fire pit as the light goes and watch our wild beaver family come to feed, most evenings, just feet away. No hide to book and no ticket, it's simply part of being here. Do please be kind to them, they are wild creatures and only come because they trust us to be calm and quiet.
No light pollution and no traffic at all. Cook outdoors over the fire pit and look up at some of the darkest, most star-filled skies in the country, the very same dark that brings the beavers out.
Wetland pools deep enough for a proper swim, and a plunge pool with its own little waterfall for the cold-water brave among you.
A light, south-facing glass conservatory shared by everyone on site, with comfy sofas, a piano, a great box of toys for little ones, and good wifi.
Footpaths to wander across all 75 acres, with the Cambrian Mountains, Cadair Idris and Plynlimon all a short drive away.
You're right in the heart of the UNESCO Dyfi Biosphere, with so much on your doorstep: the beavers and ospreys at Cors Dyfi, the Ynyslas RSPB dunes, Machynlleth's Wednesday market, Aberystwyth, steam railways and some wonderful mountain-bike trails, all within easy reach.
