Self-Catering at St.Mary's | Holiday Cottages in Snowdonia

Holiday home
St. Mary's is a detached, Grade II* listed church in the village of Tal y Llyn in the Snowdonia National Park. The cottage sleeps four people in two bedrooms which are both doubles, one on the ground floor and the other on a mezzanine. Both rooms have an en-suite with an eco-friendly toilet system. ("Separett Torp-Isak” brand in grey granite) There is also an open plan living area with a kitchen, dining area and sitting area with a gas living flame fire. Outside there are a choice of seating areas, the church graveyard and off road parking for three cars. St. Marys is a perfect peaceful retreat and offers a unique holiday experience anytime of the year, one youll want to return to and relive time and time again. Note: We recommend a maximum capacity of 2 from 1st November - 31st March as the accommodation on the mezzanine can be cold during the winter months due to the age and character of the building.

Accomodation Details
Mostly ground floor. Church: Two bedrooms: 1 x ground floor double with en-suite shower, basin and eco toilet system ("Separett Torp-Isak” brand in grey granite), 1 x mezzanine double with en-suite basin and his and hers chemical toilet. Vestry: Open plan living area with kitchen, dining area and sitting area with gas living flame fire.

Area
The tiny hamlet of Tal y Llyn quietly nestles amidst the peaceful foothills of the Cader Idris mountain range, close to the lovely shores of Tal-y-Llyn Lake. A paradise for outdoor enthusiasts, the surrounding area is home to Mount Cader Idris, Wales' second most climbed peak at 2928 feet, and abounds in numerous climbing, walking and cycling opportunities, as well as boasting excellent fishing and being part of the Talyllyn narrow gauge railway.

Region
Famous for its choirs, stunning mountain ranges and beautiful valleys, this wonderful country has something for everyone. From Snowdonia in North Wales to the Brecon Beacons and the Pembrokeshire Coast in the South.

Amenities
Electric heating. Electric oven and hob, microwave, fridge, freezer, TV with Freeview, DVD, record player, WiFi, telephone on honesty box basis, selection of books, games, DVDs and LPs. Fuel and power inc. in rent. Bed linen and towels inc. in rent. Off road parking for 3 cars. Lawned garden with furniture adjacent to property with furniture and graveyard to sides and rear. One well-behaved dog welcome. Sorry, no smoking. Shop 9 miles, pub 2 mins walk. Hotel and restaurant 5 mins walk. Note: Private water supply from lake which is filtered and regularly checked and approved by the local authorities. Note: Please ensure dogs are kept on a lead and are supervised at all times when outside. Note: Due to the nature and Grade II* listing of the property there are non-standard eco toilet systems installed. ("Separett Torp-Isak” brand in grey granite) Note: Both bedrooms are served by the shower in the ground floor double en-suite. Note: Mezzanine bedroom has some restricted headroom and glass balustrades. Note: Max 3 adults and 1 child over the age of 8. Note: We recommend a maximum capacity of 2 from 1st November - 31st March as the accommodation on the mezzanine can be cold during the winter months due to the age and character of the building.

Mr Allen

August 2020

Another amazing holiday, this time in St Mary's Church in Wales.. Set in a stunning location this is a must for anyone who likes the great outdoors and a stunningly interesting home, steeped in history. The owner Peter was there to greet us and give us some of the local information.

Mr Allen, August 2020

A lovely place to stay, well managed and steeped in history.. Peter was so friendly and made us both feel at home right away, he has thought of everything to make it a home from home .

Mr Breakwell, August 2020

July 2020

We had a fantastic holiday staying at St Mary's church and would highly recommend a stay here.. Surrounded by mountains, with a lake on its doorstep, the peaceful and relaxing location of St Mary's is breathtaking! The church has been beautifully restored maintaining many original features, whilst providing comfortable living areas. My 10 year old son was overjoyed to find a pool table located in the chapel - this kept us all entertained on the one rainy day we experienced. Cadair Idris is only a short distance away and is a hike not to be missed! Also a great base for travelling further afield, we visited Anglesey, Barmouth, Portmeirion and New Quay for a fishing trip. Peter the owner is very welcoming and quickly responded to any queries we had. Towards the end of our stay the kitchen sink started draining slowly; we informed Peter who came round the following day to rectify the issue.

Mrs Constantinou, July 2020

September 2019

An experience not to miss.. Very query, well converted keeping historical features. Scenery beautiful.

Ms Threadgould, September 2019

August 2019

Amazing to stay in this beautiful old church - it is such an interesting building, sensitively updated to provide comfortable accommodation.. We took an inflatable bed for one of our 2 adult children - plenty of space for it in the upstairs galleried bedroom. The pool table provided hours of entertainment! We would certainly recommend staying here.

Ms Rogers, August 2019

July 2019

St.Mary’s is an amazing place to stay.. A partly-converted church sees many of its original features still in place. The toilet is an experience, but don’t let that put you off! If sitting in the sun drinking a beer surrounded by gravestones is your idea of fun, then St.Mary’s is for you. This was our second visit and it won’t be our last. Great place.

Mr Armstrong

April 2019

A beautiful old building tastefully restored in a stunning location.. Perfect base to explore surrounding areas and very peaceful. Only word of warning I'll say is the second bedroom upstairs may be a bit cold in the winter months as it's part of the main chapel, the main bedroom is in an air conditioned 'pod' and absolutely fine. The living room/ kitchen area in the Vestry was spot on and cosy on a stormy evening with a DVD on. For that break with a difference it was perfect. Thank you Peter. We will return. PS Don't be put off by the eco toilet comments, it's absolutely fine. If you've used a caravan then you'll know the script.

Mr Spillane

February 2019

We had an Amazing stay at St Marys Tal y Llyn near Dolgellau.. To be able to stay at a 15th century church over looking a lake & mountains & the local sheep greeting us in the morning was excellent. The property had everything you need for a excellent stay & more with all the details & the stained windows & too much more to mention. It was very cosy at night in the living area & we are missing it already. If its a drive or walk you are after then you are in for a treat & if its a beach day out you are after give Barmouth a try with cafes & pubs along the front all dog friendly. Peter the owner is a great guy & nothing is too much trouble.

Mr Holt

December 2018

A stunning experience in a truly beautiful location.. Weather was typically Welsh for the time of year so decidedly soggy all round. (Last year it it snowed heavily during Chrismas week in the general area. The change this made to the landscape in such an environment was truly amazing. Peter the owner has done a wonderful job of sensitively modifying the vestry and gallery inside the old church. It's well worth a stay just to appreciate the efforts made to retain the old without compromising the facilities provided by the new. Sykes however have not been at their best in regard to providing ACCURATE details of the property and compromised the ability to contact the owner by ending out incorrect details. The wrong and completely redundant e-mail address was provided to enable contact with the owner after being repeatedly advised of the changes made to his contact details months before. I was given the run around when trying to make contact with someome at Sykes who could get the correct details provided AND CHANGED Permanently for the benefit of others.

Mr Pearson

Sadly.... .The kitchen was dirty on our arrival, crumbs on worktops & floor..toaster full inside and underneath, mould inside the microwave on rotary plate,dirty oven,very dirty & greasy sink, splash back & bowl. All the utensils were dubious & this caused us to have to eat out instead of self catering, hence adding extra costs to our stay. We had to hoover around the living quarters on arrival & half filled the vac! The accommodation lounge furniture was old & dirty between seat pads, cushions again flat & tired...the room was at times uncomfortable, due to heating not suitable to reach acceptable level... even with the extra heaters. The mezzanine bedroom was FREEZING...despite a convector fire & heater supplied. We tried the Pod bedroom but the bed was far too uncomfortable. The bed covers & pillows were tired, washed out & flat and not of a standard that we would expect when paying the price we paid for this property. The upstairs bed and the duvet inside the bedding were in contrast of good quality & kept us warm and comfortable as long as we stayed beneath the covers. The Eco Toilet was NOT what we expected! This should be shown in more detail in your listing. Even Peter said that my Husband would struggle due to his height. Very unsatisfactory! All this said...St Mary's is a beautiful building with special features lovingly restored & retained. We would struggle to recommend this particular property for the above reasons.

Mr Mann

September 2018

Unique place to stay.. Wonderful location that affords stunning walks and scenery from the doorstep and local surrounds. The area is prone to a fair bit of rain due to being in North Wales but if you can avoid that (we did for 5 of 7 days in early September) then this really is a great value place to stay. Indeed it's a 'no-brainer' booking this via Sykes Cottages relative to the far more expensive Landmark Trust/National Trust type 'quirky' properties.

Miss Fuller

Lovely place to stay.. Comfortable & not scary. The dog loved exploring the grounds & so did we. So much history.

Mr Sparrow

May 2018

Stunning property! A little church dating back centuries. An absolute privilege to be able to stay in this beautiful part of Wales amongst the mountains and rivers.

Ms Gould

April 2018

We had an amazing holiday at St Mary’s.. The church is really unusual and quirky but it’s been really well designed and is well-equipped with all the comforts of home. Completely unlike anywhere we’ve stayed before - a uniquely interesting and historical building. The owner was extremely helpful, friendly and welcoming. We’ll definitely be returning!

Miss Gilbert

September 2017

Saint Mary's was absolutely fantastic , the perfect get away from it all break.. I highly recommend this property

Mr Wilkes

August 2017

Great location and a wonderful place to stay..

Mr Hegemann

The cottage is absolutely gorgeous.. The surroundings are quiet and serene. Perfect for a relaxing week in the countryside.

Mrs Hettema

July 2017

Beautiful location, lovely and remarkable cottage.. The only thing we missed a little, was a clear window. It would be nice to experience more daylight inside. But we respect the reason, as the old Church must remain intact.

Mrs Amos

June 2017

The pictures and words do not sum up how superb this actually is

Mrs Lewis

April 2017

Beautiful location gentle stroll around the lake, chapel has been lovingly .... Beautiful location gentle stroll around the lake, chapel has been lovingly looked after, definitely a holiday with a difference, very peaceful and quiet but with easy traveling to nearest town and walks near by

Mrs Baker

Truly unique accommodation, such a beautiful conversion retaining so many of the original features.. Thank you to Peter for allowing us to stay in this special place.

Mrs Baker, April 2017

March 2017

A very unique experience.. ..fantastic history and the conversion has been very well thought out. Owner very friendly and helpful.

Mrs Warren

August 2016

Fantastic setting, great building, very comfortable indeed. A real treat to stay in a place with such an interesting history and fabulous surroundings. Highly recommended.

Mrs Moody, March 2017

This is a very unusual holiday property.. On arrival we were met by Peter who was just finishing off mowing the grass in the church yard. He was extremely welcoming and very proud to show us around this beautifully preserved church. You are staying in a former church which has been tastefully converted into a beautiful holiday cottage but still retains the original church interior including beautiful stained glass windows, church pews, font and a working church organ. The answer to the first question we were asked on our return " No the church is no longer in use so you don't have to lead the congregation on Sunday. The main living area is in the vestry and comprises of a small but functional kitchen and a comfortable open living and dining area. The two spacious and comfortable bedrooms both have TV's in them as well as additional seating areas. There is WiFi and a landline telephone which is useful as there is no mobile phone signal. Due to planning constrictions there are no clear glass windows to see out of but just step outside as the landscape is magnificent, there are many seating areas in and around the church ideal for viewing the scenery, the lake and the mountains. The area is remote the nearest well stocked shop is approx. 9 miles away in a small seaside town called Tywyn which also has a small cinema called the Magic Lantern. If you like walking there are many places to go and Peter has provided lots of info on the area and maps to help you find your way. We aren't walkers but the area is perfect for both walkers and cyclists. This was a fantastic break after we had had a busy year and I have to say I came home feeling well relaxed. This is a beautiful property and Peter should be congratulated for all of his hard work in keeping this property alive and allowing people the chance to stay in a unique holiday rental in a truly stunning location.

Mr Wyn-Williams

July 2016

A truly unique and stunning property, sympathetically restored and converted in to a comfortable living space. The property is in a beautiful and convenient location for local attractions. We would definitely return.

Mrs Hope, August 2016

A truly unique and stunning property, sympathetically restored and converted in to a comfortable living space.. The property is in a beautiful and convenient location for local attractions. We would definitely return.

Mrs Humm

June 2016

The owner has done a fantastic job converting this15th Century church into a comfortable holiday let, but still managing to retain the integrity of the church and it's surroundings. His church and graveyard are truly awe inspiring and my husband and I could not have been happier with our choice. The church location was on the end of Tal-y-Llyn lake and next to Cadair Idris, part of the Snowdonia range. We had easy access to many walks and mountain climbs from the doorstep. Also in easy access were seaside towns and other attractions, such as the steam railway and Dolgoch Falls.

Mr Wyn-williams, July 2016

The owner has done a fantastic job converting this15th Century church into a comfortable holiday let, but still managing to retain the integrity of the church and it's surroundings.. His church and graveyard are truly awe inspiring and my husband and I could not have been happier with our choice. The church location was on the end of Tal-y-Llyn lake and next to Cadair Idris, part of the Snowdonia range. We had easy access to many walks and mountain climbs from the doorstep. Also in easy access were seaside towns and other attractions, such as the steam railway and Dolgoch Falls.

Tell us about your rental experience while staying at St.Mary's. Let us know if the listing matched your expectations. You can share your comments about the location, property owner/manager and all the unique features that made your stay a memorable one.

Write a review

St.Mary's in Snowdonia, Gwynedd