meet the escape owners – heddwch retreat, wales

In the next instalment in our popular ‘Meet the Escape Owners’ journal series, we’d love to introduce you to Jane and Gary, owners of Heddwch Retreat in beautiful Ceredigion, West Wales!

Can you tell us a little about you and the name of your escape?

We are Jane and Gary and we live and work on our coastal farmstead Llainfran Fach on the Cardigan Bay coast of West Wales. A range of friendly animals roam the farm including donkeys, alpacas, ponies, goats and sheep, along with chickens and ducks which provide a plentiful supply of fresh free-range eggs for us and our guests.

All together, we have five holiday cottages and one Shepherds Hut where we welcome guests throughout the year to enjoy the peace and solitude of West Wales.

Heddwch (meaning ‘Peace’ in Welsh), is our most recent addition to our holiday home collection, being an accessible conversion of a previously dated bungalow located two minutes from the Llainfran farmstead in the village of Llwyndafydd.

Can you tell us a little more about your escape?

We set out to totally remodel the interior space of Heddwch to create a spacious interior by removing tight corridors, narrow doorways and any changes in level that would make access with a wheelchair a challenge. Walls were taken down, windows replaced and views opened up into the garden to bring in more natural light.

We created a broad central hallway of over two metres width which opens out into the large open-plan lounge/kitchen dining space. A bank of folding-sliding doors was installed which open onto the sunny garden deck from the lounge.

We wanted to provide high quality fittings and furniture throughout and especially in the accessible bedroom where we installed an Opera Solo Comfort Plus single profiling bed with a hybrid mattress and Opera Impulse air pump. The bedroom is fitted with a ceiling hoist which transfers directly into the en-suite wet-room and we have a second bed that can be folded out for use in the accessible bedroom.

We enlisted the support of award-winning design consultancy Motionspot to assist us with the wet room fit out. A Geberit Aquaclean Mera shower toilet was installed, along with a range of robust high-quality fittings, Hewi grab rails, call alarms, shower seat, wall hung wash basin, and a full body drier.

For flexibility, we put a super-king bed in the second bedroom that can be a set up as two single beds if required. In the second bathroom we have installed a peninsular toilet and a bath with shower, as well as a separate corner shower.

What inspired you to ensure your escape was accessible?

We have been providing holiday accommodation at Llainfran for 7 years and over that period we have had numerous enquiries asking whether our cottages are accessible.

This growing awareness of a need for accessible holiday accommodation sparked an interest in finding an opportunity to provide a truly accessible place for guests to visit West Wales. When a local bungalow came on the market that ticked the right boxes, albeit with some major remodelling, we were inspired to take the plunge.

What is unique about your escape?

One reason guests book Heddwch is for its peaceful rural location, truly living up to its Welsh name. People enjoy escaping from the bustle of everyday town or city life to the peace and quiet of the coastal countryside that Heddwch is immersed in.

The holiday home is a true escape sitting in its own grounds overlooking farmland on a quiet country lane away from traffic noise.

Do you have a favourite local accessible café, restaurant or pub?

There are several favourites shared both by us and many of our guests including Y Bryn a’r Bragdy with its wide menu and craft brewery, The Moody Cow, The Daffodil pub and restaurant and the Harbourmaster in Aberaeron. All are wheelchair accessible, and all serve a good range of food and drink.

Can you recommend any local accessible attractions or activities?

Some of the most popular local accessible attractions include the National Trust gardens at Llanaerchaeron estate, the Welsh Woollen Museum, Cardigan Castle, the Dyfed Wildlife Centre and Poppit Sands.

Aberaeron is a popular choice with its level streets and town and harbourside trails with a range of tempting cafes and eateries. We are always on hand to help guests plan their stay and places to visit if they need guidance.

The best part about welcoming guests to your accessible escape?

We are rewarded by the positive comments we receive from our guests once they arrive and realise that Heddwch really is accessible as well as being homely and well equipped without being clinical. This makes it all worthwhile.

We pride ourselves in tailoring Heddwch to meet the specific requirements of each guest booking so that everything is in place on their arrival, whether this is providing our Aquatec tilt-in-space shower commode chair, one of our Lento riser-recliner chairs, or the Impulse Air Pump for the profiling bed mattress.

We believe in providing an enjoyable, relaxing, and memorable stay and providing a personalised service is part and parcel of this. The appreciation received from guests is immeasurable and deeply rewarding.

Many thanks to Jane and Gary for giving us an insight into the story behind Heddwch Retreat. If you’d love to find out more and plan a visit, just click on our link below!

https://accessibleholidayescapes.co.uk/escapes/heddwch-retreat/