Up a small path through a secluded forest at the top of a steep hillside at St Dogmaels, near Cardigan, Pembrokshire, hides an incredible Grand Designs Straw Bale Eco-House. We travelled down to Wales for a mini family holiday to stay in the beautiful almost magical Grand Designs Straw Bale Eco-House.
The picturesque village of St. Dogmaels is steeped in history, has a cracking local pub, village shop and ancient ruins so provides all modern amenities you could desire. Overlooking spectacular views of the Teifi estury the Straw Bale Eco-House harnesses the abundant natural amenities of the surrounding area and provides the perfect retreat to escape.
From the road you would never know what lay beneath the luscious woodland, this idyllic off grid home won the Grand Designs Eco-Home of the year award and is powered by the sun and the wind which is one of it’s most important features, giving one the opportunity to experience living with the elements and being powered by them.
The living area is open plan with a wooden kitchen and central log burner which efficiently heats the entire home and the water (which was always super hot). The bathroom is almost spherical with a rather luxurious sunken bathtub allowing for a lengthy and rather indulgent bathing experience.
Outback was a garden and plenty of space to stretch out and lounge around in the sun with the resident cats. 
The views from the upstairs windows were stunning and stretched for miles across the beautiful Welsh countryside.
The view from the kitchen window (left) is like something from a children’s book, you almost feel like a small woodland creature peering out into the deep beautiful green forest. The egg shaped bathroom door was a pretty impressive piece of craftsmanship!
In the daytime we basked in the hot sun, walked through the bluebell carpeted woods, enjoyed the surrounding area and had a fabulous day at Cardigan Bay. In the evenings we made home cooked food and got cozy next to the log burner.
It’s so calming to switch off and go off-grid, if only for a short time. To book a stay at or learn more about Rachael’s Grand Designs Straw Bale Eco-House click HERE.
Love Christine
