about us

Chris and Sarah Smith welcome you to the Barn House set in Newtown, Mid Wales. Lying south of Snowdonia and east of the Cambrian Mountains in the old county of Montgomeryshire, it is three miles from Newtown on the Tregynon road.

The Barn House caters for large parties of up to 20, extended family gatherings or group accommodation. With five en-suite bedrooms on the ground floor, a large entrance hall, utility room, and porch. The first floor has a large open-plan area, WC, kitchen and dining area both ground floor and first floor benefit from under-floor heating. The Barn House is very suitable for families wishing to spend time together, groups of friends enjoying a weekend in Wales, walkers, golfers, car rally teams, shooters, riders and cyclists. It is well equipped, spacious and immaculate with tasteful contemporary decor throughout. The Barn House is equally suitable for corporate group functions, training and conferencing.

The Barn house is well equipped for a variety of guests including:

• Large family gatherings
• Groups of friends enjoying a reunion or holiday
• Walkers, cyclists, riders, golfers, shooters, rally teams
• Corporate functions
• Training sessions
• Conferences

Accommodation offered in the Barn House is self-catered or semi-catered. Light lunches or breakfast hampers may be provided upon request. Day bookings, single night stays and or multiple nights are available.

The Barn House

The Barn House is set in the beautiful Highgate Valley on what was once a prosperous farming estate and has stunning views both up and down the valley.

The Barn House can sleep up to 20 people with:

· 5 en-suite bedrooms on the ground floor - each bedroom sleeps up to 4 people

· Utility room on the ground floor - washing machine, sink, freezer, mini kitchen

· Porch

· Ground floor WC

· Wi-Fi

Upstairs:

· Fully fitted kitchen

· Dinning area seating 20

· Large Conferencing \Training, living area with balcony overlooking the valley

· TV

· WC

· Wi-Fi

Surrounding Area

The Barn House is located close to the source of River Severn where the area is rich in stunning landscape and is one of the most beautiful parts of Wales. This is land steeped in history and culture, a place where time has stood still. Here you will escape the crowds and be able to recharge your batteries.

The Barn House makes an ideal base for visiting Offa's Dyke or Powis Castle, for walking, bird watching and touring the lakes and mountains. Highgate's hills are an ideal area to walk, or wander, through coppice and dingle, to picnic in, or for enjoying and evening's stroll. Ride with us, or alone, on the lanes and bridle paths, we are always happy to suggest a hack and have a selection of maps to borrow. If you wish bring your own horses and ponies we have ample grazing and would be delighted to accommodate them.

Mid Wales is an area of rolling hills, remote uplands, unspoilt mountain roads, cool forests and silent lake lands. But do not be deceived by the tranquillity, there is plenty going on here, including shooting, pony trekking, fishing, walking, narrow gauge railways, riding, canoeing, sailing and mountain biking - the list is endless...

Attractions

The Élan Valley lies 30 minutes South of Highgate Barn House. The dams and reservoirs within the Élan Estate are a wonderful backdrop for many activities including walking, cycling and bird watching.

Highgate lies in the heart of Mid-Wales and is 40 minutes south of the Snowdonia National Park. Within the Snowdonia Nation Park are numerous activities including climbing Mount Snowdon or riding up on the Mountain Railway or visiting Dinorwig Power Station (built underground, inside the mountain).

On the edge of the National Park is Bala, a small town located on the edge of Llyn Tegid, the lake famous for its water sports facilities as well as the opportunities for walking and cycling. Bala is also the home of a miniature steam railway which offers a delightful 9-mile return journey alongside Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid), through the beautiful and natural Snowdonia National Park.

The Brecon Beacons lie 60 miles south of Highgate and are ideal for walking, climbing, cycling, caving and horse riding as well as canoeing or kayaking.

On the west coast, an hour's drive away lays the town of Aberystwyth, home of the National Library of Wales. Here you can spend the day browsing the shops, walking up Constitution Hill (or taking the railway), dolphin spotting or simply enjoying the sunshine on the beach. Alternatively, take a trip inland on the Vale of Rheidol Railway to Devil's Bridge to see the famous three bridges.

Just north of Aberystwyth are Borth and Ynyslas which have lovely beaches for a family day out, windsurfing or horse riding. Explore the remarkable Ynyslas dunes which provide a home for many rare plants and insects. In the summer, the sand dunes are transformed into a colourful carpet of wild flowers and are especially renowned for their rare orchids. And then there's the submerged forest ... the remains of tree trunks which appear at low tide, from the days when the shingle ridge was further out to sea. This could be part of the inspiration for the famous story of the lost land of Cantre'r Gwaelod.

Alternatively, catch the train from Newtown to the small coastal village of Aberdovey which lies across the estuary from Ynyslas and has beautiful beaches and sand dunes, ideal for a family trip to the seaside. The train continues further up the coast to Tywyn where The Talyllyn Railway Line begins. This is one of a number of narrow-gauge lines in north and mid Wales built in the 19th century to carry slate, in the Talyllyn's case from the Bryn Eglwys quarries near Abergynolwyn. Opened in 1865, the line runs the seven and a quarter miles from Tywyn to Nant Gwernol, from where a series of horse-drawn tramways continued into the mountains. But the Talyllyn Railway is still very much the railway it always was, a rural byway where the pace of life is gentle, the average speed of the train is still less than nine miles per hour, and passengers can have an unhurried journey along the beautiful and unspoilt Fathew Valley. Both the original locomotives and all the original carriages remain in regular use to this day.