Bryn Elltyd ECO Guest House is a property on the Landscape of Northwest Wales, a UNESCO-certified World Heritage Site. The slate and granite establishment is on the edge of Tanygrisiau Reservoir in Tanygrisiau, Wales. It is known as a place that strives to be eco-friendly, as it is powered by solar energy, provides three charging stations for electric vehicles, and uses LED lights in its fridges. Guests can rent three units in the main house and two additional individual rooms outside the house, which are made of wood frames, pig-sty walls, and slanted turf roofs. Bryn Elltyd ECO Guest House is also within a few kilometers of Ffestiniog Railway, Zip World Llechwedd, the Cwmorthin quarry, and Llyn Stwlan Reservoir. Furthermore, visitors can participate in climbing, hiking, biking, canoeing, caving, and kayaking nearby.
Bryn Elltyd ECO Guest House is next to Tanygrisiau Reservoir in Tanygrisiau, Wales, on the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales. According to John, one of the owners, this area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, similar to Stonehenge or the Taj Mahal. Aside from the reservoir, the immediate surroundings consist of grassy hills, mountains, and a few local attractions. The one-acre property is next to a rocky mound by a fork in the road that runs along the reservoir.
John describes the style of the premises as "1883 heritage." Three main buildings make up the property, and the main one is made of slate and granite. Additionally, it has wooden framing on the windows and solar panels on the roof. The two smaller houses are made of wood frames with pig-sty walls and have roofs topped with turf and seed. An on-site pond houses ducks for "biological control, [giving] eggs, and to look pretty."
Five units can be rented at Bryn Elltyd ECO Guest House. Three of them are upstairs in the main house, and the two smaller buildings serve as additional units. The three main rooms, Arenig, Manod Mawr, and Moelwyn Bach, are similarly furnished but differ slightly in color and decor. Arenig comes with a large single bed that can convert to a small double and an additional bunk bed for children that can be dropped down on request. It faces towards the front of the house so visitors can see the lake from the window. Manod Mawr is outfitted with a double room and a double bed. It also has views of the Manod Mawr mountain as well as the lake and nearby trains. Moelwyn Bach comes with a twin room and a super king-size bed that can be converted into two twin beds. The room can provide a view of the property gardens, nearby trains, and the Moelwyn Bach mountain. An additional bed is available, making Moelwyn Bach capable of housing up to three people. All in-house units have private bathrooms with showers. The two annex rooms are separate from the house and have super king-size beds and wheelchair-accessible wet rooms.
Additional out-of-unit amenities include two conservatories in the main house, one upstairs and one downstairs. Along with a study room, these provide other seating areas for guests and more views of the surrounding landscape. A kitchen and two downstairs dining rooms serve as places for visitors to have breakfast if they choose, as the business is self-catering. The larger of the two dining rooms has a table made of wood from the property's trees. Bryn Elltyd ECO Guest House also has three electric charging points for electric vehicles in an electric-designated parking lot. These are generation one or two charging stations and can power several different brands of electric cars, including Tesla. There is additional parking for petrol vehicles outside this area. John explains that the goal of Bryn Elltyd ECO Guest House is to maintain an environment where "eco meets heritage." Because of this, the house includes solar panels, as well as solar-electric and solar-water heating.
The Landscape of Northwest Wales contains several attractions, most of which are within a few kilometers or a few hundred meters from Bryn Elltyd ECO Guest House. Two railways, the Ffestiniog Railway and Welsh Highland Railway run near the property. John remarks that visitors can stand near the tracks and get a whistle from the passing trains if they wave to them. The Ffestiniog Railway offers tours to passengers over and through the nearby mountains over a 13.5-mile ride. Zip World at Llechwedd is another attraction about two kilometers from the guest house, where visitors can go caving, ziplining, or be led on tours of the mines. Additional bouldering and climbing locations are in Snowdonia, 400 meters away from Bryn Elltyd ECO Guest House. John also explains that the Llechwedd Quarry is a nearby place with an international downhill biking course. A swimming pool, supermarkets, sports gym, and hydro plants are within the vicinity, and geocaching or bouldering are common activities that guests can participate in while staying at Bryn Elltyd ECO Guest House. John suggests they visit Cellb in Tanygrisiau; a courthouse renovated and repurposed into a restaurant and venue for live music. Below the main floor is a trapdoor that leads into a 50-seat cinema. Cellb is also known as the site where musician Julian Marley performed his gig.
John, one of the owners of Bryn Elltyd ECO Guest House, says the primary goal of his business is for it to be "eco-friendly." He explains that the property is run by renewable energy and is 100% carbon neutral, meaning the net emissions of its carbon dioxide emissions is zero. John hopes his efforts to run an energy-efficient and "green" business will help raise awareness and encourage others to live in a more environmentally-friendly manner.
Guests of Bryn Elltyd ECO Guest House tend to comment on the eco-friendly nature of the establishment and the surrounding landscape in their reviews. One visitor said it is "a brilliant Eco Guest House and now carbon negative. A great place to also charge your electric car with friendly owners doing what they can to make your day as smooth as possible." Another patron commented that "Breakfast was lovely; all locally sourced and freshly made. John and Celia were lovely hosts and made us feel really welcome. The surrounding area is lovely with lots of walks, forests, mountains, beaches and all of the cool stuff going on at 'Go Below' and the various 'Zipworld' activities."
Children can stay at Bryn Elltyd ECO Guest House, but pets are not allowed on the property. The business is open year-round, and John says their best season is from July through August. The owner mentions that guests have a few different options for renting at Bryn Elltyd ECO Guest House. They can rent the whole house plus the outside rooms and lot, just the entire house, or only one of the annex rooms if they do not need as much space.
The main house of Bryn Elltyd ECO Guest House was built in 1883 out of slate and granite. John and Ceilia Whitehead, its current owners, bought the property in 2007. It was already being run as a partially eco-friendly establishment by the previous owners who installed the solar panels. However, they did not plan on committing to go full-eco. When John and Ceilia acquired Bryn Elltyd ECO Guest House, they wanted to take it further and aimed to reach 100% renewability. John reports that the business is eco-friendly and that since 2012 the establishment has had 3 EV charging ports.
John explains that he and Ceilia would visit Tanygrisiau as schoolkids to learn photography and take photos of the local power station. John worked as an engineer and a schoolteacher for several years while staying in the area. He also taught canoeing and rock climbing for a company called Endeavor. One of their main goals for Bryn Elltyd ECO Guest House is to install electric storage batteries and perhaps update their remaining electric car charging stations to generation two. The business has received several awards and recognitions from inspectors and environmental organizations, such as the Green Tourism Gold Standard Award and the "carbon-negative" certification from a carbon audit. The property has remained carbon neutral since 2013.
Tanygrisiau
Beddgelert, Wales
United Kingdom
1883 Heritage
John and Ceilia Whitehead
