North Wales ‘Hobbit homes’ top holiday lets in UK and Ireland

Two hobbit-style holiday homes in north Wales have been crowned the best holiday lets in the UK and Ireland this week by Sykes Holiday Cottages.

Sykes Holiday Cottages’ UK & Ireland’s Best Holiday Lets Competition for 2022 awarded Nant y Garnedd, Mallwyd, near Dinas Mawddwy, the overall winner and best glamping categories.

The expert judging panel included Sykes’ CEO Graham Donoghue, The Times’ Deputy Property Editor Carol Lewis, and co-founder of property investor forum Propertytribes.com Vanessa Warwick.

“The Hobbit Huts consists of a quirky selection of two huts tucked away in grassy mounds, surrounded by breath-taking scenery on the outskirts of Mallwyd near Dinas Mawddwy, North Wales,” Sykes said. 

“This collection offers tastefully furnished open-plan accommodation, off-road parking and private outdoor spaces boasting sheltered decking with seating and a wood-fired, oak barrel hot tub, making it a wonderful base for small families of four or couples looking for something opulent yet unique for their North Wales getaway.” 

The hobbit-style homes are on a family farm owned by the brothers Dylan and Gwion Jones, and their partners Mared Jones, and Catrin Owen, The Times reported. 

Catrin said in The Times: “We could have never predicted that our dream of creating hobbit houses on our land would lead to this, but what started as a small project alongside the farm has turned into a booming business in just a few months.”

A £10,000 cash prize from the award will be used to install a hydro scheme.

The quirky holiday lets come from when the four of them decided to branch out into holiday lets in 2020, but due to lockdown restrictions were forced to choose the modular homes from a catalogue. 

Work began installing them into the surroundings and landscaping the area. They opened to guests three months later, and have been receiving rave reviews.

The two single-storey, one-bedroom, one-bathroom pods are surprisingly spacious, with a living space area that combines a kitchen, dining area and sitting space, as well as a deck and wood-fired hot tub to the rear. 

“The main draw is the location — it is a place where you can totally relax and switch off from everything and everyone,” Catrin said.

‘Hobbit’ holiday homes are proving popular in Wales; a planning application near Rhayader was given the green light earlier this year.

The influence of Wales on The Hobbit author Tolkien continues to have an enduring quality.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power star Morfydd Clark recently said that she is “proud” her ability to speak Welsh, influencing her portrayal of her bilingual character.