Cwmgilla Farm

I returned from Cwmgilla today after a weekend with my relatives. The location is very rural and quiet and the scenery beautiful. The town of Knighton is within easy reach and access to walking routes is good. The house is large and has five bedrooms, two reception rooms, two games rooms and a hot tub. The kitchen is large and ten people can be seated around the dining table. However, there were some faults that took the shine off my stay. At one point we were trapped inside the larger reception room because we could not open the door due to a faulty handle. If my sister-in-law, who was elsewhere in the house, had not let us out, I would have had to climb out of a window. The bottom hinge on the door to the small reception room was no longer screwed into the door frame and therefore dangerous. The doors to the downstairs shower do not meet and consequently water can escape onto the floor. The sofas need replacing, the mattresses too. The windows were dirty. Those are just some of the many small issues I found. The house needs some repairs and I would suggest that it needs refurbishment as the decor is looking tired. I took exception to the instructions for leaving, which ask you to strip linen from the beds and bag it up along with the towels. I think when you have paid hundreds of pounds for accommodation that service should be included. My wife complied with the request, but I would have left the beds personally. I think the instruction is cheeky.

Cwmgilla Farm near Knighton Powys23rd April 2022 My name is Gerald Cooper, my family and I rented Cwmgilla Farm for a holiday in Wales from 15-22 April 2022. We found Cwmgilla Farm to be set in a very pleasant and extremely quiet location, just over the English/Welsh border near Knighton. The layout of the property was as described and we found the bedding and towels to be well laundered and fit for their purpose. The kitchen was well equipped with a good range of utensils, crockery, glasses etc and a nice welcome basket of tea, coffee etc. Sadly, that is just about all of the positive comments that we are able to offer. I fully understand that due to covid lockdowns, the last couple of years have not been very profitable for the holiday and entertainment sectors. If anything, that should have encouraged holiday rental property owners to ensure that their properties were ready to receive guests when lockdown lifted. That clearly was not the stance taken by this cottage’s owners. Outside of the front door was a wooden bench, I sat on it to remove my shoes before entering the property and it virtually fell apart. Moving on through into the lounge, The seating in this room consisted of a leather suite and a fabric settee, There were at least five tears in the leather fabric, some as much a three inches long. The fabric settee was in better condition. The lounge door did not shut correctly, upon inspection the door catch had been installed backwards and the hinges where being pulled out of the frame. The television in this room was a rather small 26” basic model which fortunately we found little time to use, however it was indicative of the standard of cleanliness throughout the property. A further indicator of the standard of cleanliness was when one of my grandchildren spilled a drink on the floor, we quickly mopped it up and had to throw the cloth we had used away as it was filthy dirty, clearly the laminate floor had not been mopped in months. The snug room, opposite the lounge, was equipped with a fabric corner sofa, The seating surface of this sofa was damaged to the extent that several cushions had been shoved into the resulting hole prior to the main cushion being replaced, This sofa was essentially unusable. Moving on into the kitchen, Ostensibly this was one of the better rooms in the house, except that the top shelf of the dishwasher collapsed any time that it was touched, there was a roasting pan that was too large for any oven and whilst there were plenty of glasses provided, there were no heavy duty plastic ones for taking outside to the hot tub. The ceiling between the kitchen and utility room (which was directly below the main family bathroom) was water stained where the mastic seal around the bath had pulled away and allowed water to quite literally run down the wall and off of the doorframe below. We reported this to the property owners and they did have a handyman come out the same day to apply more mastic, He didn’t take the old mastic off before applying the new, so this will without doubt reopen in the very near future. The utility room also housed the downstairs toilet and shower for use upon leaving the hot tub. The shower mixer valve on this shower did not work properly (the thermostatic element was knackered) and it would only allow cold water to flow. The handyman did have a quick look at this when he visited but was unable to do anything to mend it. Hence it was unusable throughout our stay, This, coupled with having to let the freshly applied mastic set, meant that we were reduced to one shower between 8 people for the following 24 hours. Whilst on the subject of showers, the one in the en-suite bathroom started to leak water through the ceiling into the lounge on day 5 of our stay, once again this was due to the mastic seal along the bottom of the shower panel having split and thus allowing water to pass. Three showers, three significant defects, reduced to one shower for the bulk of our stay. Moving through into the games room, the main reason for us booking this cottage in the first instance. The floor was somewhat uneven, the carpet in the main part being badly wrinkled and hence a not insignificant trip hazard. The table tennis table, which is a fold up type was quite badly damaged and the table top did not sit flat, the bats were in poor condition, (Thankfully we took our own). The Dart board itself was fine, but the doors (which form the scoreboard) had seen better days and did not take chalk well. The one set of darts supplied were damaged beyond any sensible use. The pool table was a rather inexpensive home games room type which had a base made from plyboard, this was warped to the extent that the table was laughably wonky and the balls appeared to have a mind of their own. Cheap kids table football set up which was useable but not what we expected. Hot tub: The hot tub was s major feature in our decision to book Cwmgilla Farm, Once again this facility suffered from a lack of attention to detail. One of the water jet control knobs was broken. All of the clips holding the lid were broken and the folding mechanism for the lid was broken and disconnected. It lacked a fine strainer to allow those using it to scoop out any bugs or dirt that may have gotten in. Otherwise it worked well enough and was well used. The bedrooms appeared to be in good order until one started to look a little more closely. The ensuite bedroom bed had been damaged and repaired in what I can only describe as the most agricultural of manners. In the twin room to the rear of the property the beds were repaired in a similar manner. Family Bathroom: This bathroom was in very poor decorative order, had black mould on a number of surfaces, Broken ceramic tiles on the floor, cracked and water stained ceiling and as previously stated a leaking bath silicon seal. The bathroom and toilet doors locks have been broken and replaced with shootbolts, one of which is itself broken. Generally speaking the décor in this property needs significant upgrading. Walls are stained, doors and woodwork need painting, water damage to pretty much every ceiling. In short it needs some TLC. Moving back outside, The cattlegrid, over which the property is accessed, is completely broken with even the steel pipes having broken in half and which are now covered with ply which is itself breaking down. The outside lights do not work The lawn (if one may call it that) needs mowing and the molehills need to be addressed. The fencing which is supposed to be dog proof is generally ok but many fence posts and rails are broken. The Property is heated by a biomass boiler, we had this fail during one day of our stay and judging by comments in the visitors book this is an ongoing problem. The owner did attend within a few hours to rectify the issue in our case. We paid a very significant sum for the pleasure of staying at Cwmgilla Farm, I do not believe that we received value for money and indeed I would suspect that in legal terms our contract was not fulfilled. I believe that a significant refund is due to us for the shortcomings in the rental property, I would expect that refund to be no less than 50% of the fee paid for this holiday. I look forward to your earliest response together with your remittance. Yours sincerely Gerald Cooper I supplied a dozen or more photographs showing the issues noted above to support the veracity of this review but unfortunately cannot include them in this review. If you are looking for a well decorated, well maintained and well equipped property for your holiday, this is not for you.

The cottage was situated in lovely countryside and had a feeling of being remote yet was only a couple of minutes drive away from Knighton.. The games room was a big hit with the kids and the cottage had everything we needed for a relaxing and enjoyable break, especially the hot tub! We really enjoyed our break and were lucky we could go ahead during these strange times.

The accommodation was very clean and relaxing.. The hot tub was a real bonus. The surrounding areas was beautiful and there was plenty of places to walk if you wanted to without bumping into anyone which meant we was safe in regard to the corona virus. You can walk into town for provisions and meals out which also felt very safe as everyone social distanced. We are hoping to return next year. Big thank you to the owners.

We stayed here for one week in August.. This holiday home is a little gem of a find! This was our first trip away post lockdown and it really couldn’t have been in a more idyllic setting. Firstly we were greeted with a lovely gift basket on arrival. After a long journey this was much appreciated! Secondly the house is much bigger than it seems from the outside. Really spacious rooms and the games room was fab, which we really made use of. The kitchen was fully equipped with everything you needed and again, the owners have really thought about the little touches with hand washes and salt and pepper etc. The hot tub was used daily (sometimes twice) and again was a great addition to the house. On one of our trips out we went to Elan Valley reservoirs. So picturesque and a great way to spend a few hours out and about. We’ve been back home a day and I’m desperately missing the beautiful views of sheep and rabbits that you can see from the front porch. Would love to go back and stay for Christmas and have an opportunity to use the wood burner. Gorgeous, just gorgeous!

Beautiful setting, very thoughtful welcome package and plenty of room for .... Beautiful setting, very thoughtful welcome package and plenty of room for children to play even in bad weather the hosts were very helpful would recommend to anyone who wants to stay in a beautiful and private setting, the kitchen was fantastic as it was a great size for our group

Wonderful place that we as a family will highly recommend to people.. The owners where great from start to finish with there communication and put us at ease with it being our first outing post lock down. The house had everything a family/group could need. If your after peace and quite and access to great walks and also in reach of local towns this is the place to be. Also the owners left us a hamper of goods which was a great touch. We could not fault this place and will be visiting again in the future.

Overall was good nice ,clean and spacious house however they can improve few things like better quality bed and bigger TV ..

This is the second time I've stayed here and it was just as good as before.. It's a hidden gem of a cottage. No noise or light pollution, although only a short walk into the lovely quaint town of Knighton. Lots of space inside the large cottage. Two living rooms, beautiful large kitchen / dining room, huge games rooms area and stunning views from all windows. We watched the stars and moon rising on the evening from the hot tub and in the morning watched the sun rise over the hills from the sofa with a mug of hot tea. You want for nothing. The kitchen has more utensils than my kitchen and the welcome hamper was a lovely surprise with butter, local cheese, bread, tea, coffee, milk, red wine, orange juice, eggs... it was very generous. There were 8 of us that stayed and we never felt like we were on top of each other. Can't wait to stay here again sometime.

We loved our holiday in this house, it was spacious and never felt cramped.. It isn't far from knighton, but down a farm lane so it feels very peaceful. The hot tub, games room, and snug were lovely and very well used by us! Perfect for a 30th birthday celebration. Thank you!

The host was friendly and flexible, the house was great and the hot tub a real treat! Would definitely recommend to others.

This is a beautiful holiday cottage that we booked for my friends baby shower.. There was a very thoughtful welcome hamper with plenty of information regarding what is around the area. The house was clean and well presented with many great facilities on site.

Very pleasant quiet location in beautiful countryside - about 40 minutes walk from Knighton..

A fantastic hideaway that has absolutely everything that you need.. The games room and hot tub were a hit. A large space so we didn’t feel on top of each other. Very clean and comfortable and a safe place for the children to explore.

We stayed here over the Feb half term with two young boys and extended family. It's obviously very thoughtfully looked after by the owners, we had no problems and the complimentary basket, alongside the excellent stock of plates, utensils, herbs, spices, gravy etc really did come I'm very handy The location was perfect for us, very quiet with only a 5 minute drive to Knighton. There's a lot of space in the house, and we used to two living rooms, 2 games rooms and grounds quite a bit. The boys and dog loved playing in the grounds and stream at the bottom of the garden (supervised of course). A good indicator to the thoughtfulness of the owner is how we found towels specifically for the dog after coming in. We didn't try many of the walks due to the age of the children, but did travel a little and what we saw looked interesting! We will definitely be returning to here, thank you for a lovely stay.

I enjoyed it a lot and would recommend this place to all..

The holiday was fantastic, we all had a wonderful time and it was only ruined by the fact we had to leave so soon.. When we arrived there was a welcome basket with home made Welsh cakes which was a lovely touch. We felt cosy straight away and spent the evening chilling out in the 2 lounge areas. We were hosting a surprise "going away" party for one of our group as she is moving to Australia. The games rooms were perfect for all the fun things we had planned and we even managed to get the BBQ going despite the rain! The hot tub was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone especially once the sun had gone down, the sky was so clear and having no light pollution made everything so beautiful! We hope to come back and maybe stay a little longer next time!!

Had a family get together for the weekend at this house .. When we arrived there was a lovely basket of essential plus wine. And home made welsh cakes which were very yummy. The house was perfect for us ,with the added benefit of the games room and Hot tub ,Which was enjoyed by all. It is in lovely surroundings and short walk into knighton where we got a lovely pub lunch in the Horse and Jockey pub. I would highly recommend this to anyone.

My husband booked this for us & family for my 30th in February, pulling up to the cottage I was sceptical and thinking it's not going to be nice inside.. as the saying goes "don't judge a book by its cover" inside was spotless I fell in love! very spacious. the welcome basket was lovely with wine, bread, Welsh cakes, tea bags, coffee even flowers left on the table was so thoughtful of the owners, we did meet the owner as the shower was leaking which we didn't know so when we arrived he popped down with someone else to put some filler in.. we asked about the cottages history and he told us it was very interesting and lovely that it has been kept in the family. the decor is nice.. with comfortable beds and bathrooms were of good size, games room and hot tub was an added bonus also the washing machine was much needed.. I would definately recommend this to others and will be back again soon!

It was a nice experience and the location is great

Very peaceful location, excellent facilities, lots of space and lots to do. I would recommend visits to the Judge's Lodging in Presteigne as well as Ludlow and Shrewsbury in particular. Owner's extremely helpful and they left us a welcome basket which was very kind of them. Great place for a family holiday.

This holiday home was everything we needed, and more.. Beautifully equipped kitchen, lots of space for everyone, and very comfortable beds. Hot tub and games room gave us hours of fun, and we felt so relaxed in the peace and quiet of the countryside. We were made to feel most welcome by the owners family, who were so helpful. The only downside was going back home. Wish we could have stayed longer than two weeks. Excellent family holiday home. *****

The biggest downside was the amount of flies.. Hundreds of them. I know we were on a sheep farm but it wasn't helped by the fact that there was bird poo all down the outside of the windows caused by the nesting of the birds all around the house at least 10 nests. In one of the bedrooms when u opened the windows the droppings from the nests were on the top of the window so it came into the room. Only 2 small windows in the kitchen which u couldn't keep open because of flies, hence it got extremely warm as we had lovely weather. Needed a new rotary line outside as it kept leaning over. New table and chairs needed as very warm and tatty. An extra parasol would help especially as there were 3 tables and only one parasol. It had the potential to be a 5 star cottage but definitely needs some TLC inside and out. Facilities (games rooms) and setting you couldn't fault.

Garden furniture needs replacing and hot tub cover needs securing as it blew off in the wind ..

This is our third visit to Cwymgilla, we had an excellent holiday there this year, as we had on the two previous visits.. Very well equipped, spacious, warm, comfortable house, lovely views as well as great walking from the door. Excellent play facilities - table tennis, pool, darts, hot tub. reliable Wi-Fi - essential for GCSE revision this year. Easy half hour walk to village with good shops, including butcher's, baker's and supermarket.

Lovely house - thoroughly enjoyable weekend :)

We have just all returned from a lovely week away in this beautiful cottage. I cannot recommend this cottage enough. Loved the welcome hamper, which included a bottle of wine, eggs, Welsh cakes, bread, milk, tea and coffee and lots more. All the little touches were brilliant like the washing up liquid, hand soap, dishwasher tablets etc... Thank you very much. The cottage was spotless and very clean. We all loved the hot tub and the games room especially the table tennis. We look forward to staying again.

It was absolutely amazing experience , breath taking views , quiet and cozy area , friendly and helpful owners , I would definitely recommend to anyone..

It caused us difficulty not being able to pay by bank transfer.. The rating symbols are not working on the above form for comfort etc so we guessed them. The main upstairs shower was not usable as ran hot and cold but this was passed on and I'm sure dealt with. The owners were very nice, the welcome pack was lovely, the farm style location is fantastic, amazing views, just fields and sheep and hills. We would definitely come back. Large rooms for easy movement. the heating was excellent for our winter break, very warm and cosy despite temperatures around zero. The house is well presented and is practical rather than super plush but that suited us perfectly. Everything you would need is there though and its smart.

Beautiful cottage and beautiful location.. Had a fantastic weekend and wished we had stayed longer. Would definitely return

My friends and I had a lovely and relaxing weekend at Cwmgilla Farm catching up around the log fire.. We walked into Knighton one of the days and had some delicious food and The Horse and Jockey before returning to the house and relaxing in the hot tub. The views from the house are stunning and it all made for a great weekend away. I would highly recommend and will be returning!

The farmhouse had everything we wanted for an early Christmas for a large group of friends from all over the UK. When booking, the hot tub and pet friendly rating were deal-breakers, but the games room was an added bonus, providing great fun along with walks from the doorstep. It was warm and spacious, the showers were great and there was plenty of space for wet and muddy walking gear. Easy trips out to Offa's Dyke Path and Elan Valley, and forestry walks for the dog. A great week had by all (and all wanted to return!)

Absolutely perfect in every single way.. .. We are booking to go back ASAP

Lovely and comfortable, plenty of hot water and fluffy towels.. Excellent views all around - perfect location although country lane a little challenging, luckily we never met anyone else on the lane!

Everything

Stayed here for a week with my girlfriend and her family, arriving on the Friday teatime to a welcome basket including a bottle of wine, butter, eggs and much more as well as a box of homemade scones. The house was clean and perfect for a family holiday. The games room including a table tennis table, pool table, darts and table football was used by everyone on a daily basis and provided us with loads of fun for everyone aged 6-80. The rooms were spacious and very well decorated, with 2 single rooms, 2 double rooms (one with an ensuite) and a king sized room, as well as a main bathroom, toilet room and a shower room downstairs. The hot tub was used by most and as we had nice weather we were able to sit and enjoy the views. The cottage is far away from the town, even though it says it is a mile walk, it is a lot longer meaning we had to drive. The town itself is run down and there isn't much there apart from a few cafes and a supermarket as well as a couple of pubs.

The owners are wonderful and the house is fantastic we are already hoping to book again for next year.. The house has everything you need, we stayed as a family of four generations, the oldest 85 years old and the youngest 19 years old, plus our dog. There was something for everyone, it is a bit of a walk into knighton (if you are 85) and its very hilly, but the buses and taxis are fairly frequent. The owners are there if you need them, but respect your privacy. We were blessed with wonderful weather so we were out and about a lot, but there is plenty to do in the the house if the weather is bad. The house is well equipped and comfortable. I would recommend staying here.

I stayed at Cwmgilla Farm for a week at the end of June with my husband, parents, sister and her family for a three generation family holiday. The accommodation was excellent and perfect for our needs, with lots of space to spread out and plenty of bathroom facilities for us all. The house is in an idyllic location, not far from Knighton, but very peaceful and the views from the house are breathtaking. The house is very comfortable, well decorated and appointed and was very clean. The kitchen was well equipped with nice crockery and everything we needed to cook large meals and to bake. The games room was a real hit with both the younger and older members of our group and the hot tub was well used, even in the rain. Amanda and Mark were really kind and accommodating and very responsive. The very generous welcome hamper was a lovely touch and included fresh flowers and wine. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay, in spite of the weather not being great, and would definitely recommend this lovely holiday home. We booked an online Asda delivery in advance, which worked very well and had an evening meal at the Red Lion in Knighton which was excellent and the pub is dog-friendly.

The owner was very welcoming. The house was clean and well kitted out. The views were amazing as was the hot tub. Overall it is a lovely relaxing get away which we would recommend to friends.

The owner was very welcoming.. The house was clean and well kitted out. The views were amazing as was the hot tub. Overall it is a lovely relaxing get away which we would recommend to friends.

Brilliant cottage would recommend.

We had an amazing stay at the farm for 10 girls on a relaxing chilled weekend! The farm house was spacious, clean and very well equipped.

Brilliant cottage would recommend..

The surroundings of this house are absolutely beautiful, the location is perfect. The house was very clean and felt very homely. The space in the house is great for big families and children. The games room and hot tub are great added extras and made the stay very enjoyable.

This is a lovely property in lovely surroundings. We had great fun using the hot tub and games room, the kitchen was the most well equipped we have been in and the bedrooms were nicely done and very comfy. It was nice to meet the owner and know they were nearby if we needed anything. You can walk all around and its only a short walk into Knighton if you need anything. I think we only took the car out to fill it with fuel for our return journey! All in all an excellent property, we came home relaxed and refreshed and would encourage anyone looking at it to just book it - you won't be disappointed!

a group of 10 of us booked this cottage as a little get away from the city and to enjoy the seclusion of the country side, the cottage is beautiful located in the middle of a valley sounded by rolling welsh hills, we where greeted with a lovely welcome basket with fresh eggs laid on the farm and freshly baked biscuits and a bottle of wine. every room was nicely decorated and the beds where very very comfortable! The hot tub was amazing there isnt a negative comment i could make about this holiday cottage!

The surroundings of this house are absolutely beautiful, the location is perfect.. The house was very clean and felt very homely. The space in the house is great for big families and children. The games room and hot tub are great added extras and made the stay very enjoyable.

Cwmgilla Farm was situated in a peaceful, secluded area with all the facilities required.

A beautiful house nestled in amongst the rolling fields of Wales with many good walks and pubs nearby. . Lots of space for the seven of us who went as it would happily accommodate ten and the hosts were nice but not intrusive.

This is a lovely property in lovely surroundings.. We had great fun using the hot tub and games room, the kitchen was the most well equipped we have been in and the bedrooms were nicely done and very comfy. It was nice to meet the owner and know they were nearby if we needed anything. You can walk all around and its only a short walk into Knighton if you need anything. I think we only took the car out to fill it with fuel for our return journey! All in all an excellent property, we came home relaxed and refreshed and would encourage anyone looking at it to just book it - you won't be disappointed!

A beautiful house nestled in amongst the rolling fields of Wales with many good walks and pubs nearby.. . Lots of space for the seven of us who went as it would happily accommodate ten and the hosts were nice but not intrusive.

Cwmgilla Farm was situated in a peaceful, secluded area with all the facilities required..

Absolutely everything was wonderful. It is a really spacious property and despite it's size, lovely and warm, and with plenty of room for the children to play. There were TVs in almost every room and the children made good use of the games room. Despite the gales and the winter weather, the hot tub was a great success and we all used it, and couldn't keep the children out of it! The lovely big cooking range made cooking for all 10 of us a breeze. Honestly I cannot make one negative comment. We hope to return for another family reunion next year.

Absolutely everything was wonderful.. It is a really spacious property and despite it's size, lovely and warm, and with plenty of room for the children to play. There were TVs in almost every room and the children made good use of the games room. Despite the gales and the winter weather, the hot tub was a great success and we all used it, and couldn't keep the children out of it! The lovely big cooking range made cooking for all 10 of us a breeze. Honestly I cannot make one negative comment. We hope to return for another family reunion next year.

The house was perfect. Warm, comfortable, quiet and relaxing. It had everything we could need. The hot tub and the games room were fantastic and used every day.

fantastic rural property, lots of room for the seven of us who stayed for a long weekend. Definitely a home from home, with everything you need if you decided to eat in rather than pop to one of the excellent restaurants/pubs in the village. Amanda and Mark were very welcoming and the basket of goodies was very welcome, especially the homemade flapjacks. We made good use of the games room and despite the weather even used the hot tub. You will need a designated driver if you do go to the village pubs, We will definitely be back and highly recommend Cwmgilla Farm.

We stayed here last weekend, and it was absolutely amazing! The owner was lovely and more than accommodating. There was a really thoughtful basket waiting for us with all the staples we would need (including wine :) ), The games room was a huge plus, especially with the weather being so bad. Spacious, clean, and plenty to do. If I had to critique something it would be that maybe a cover over the hot tub would be beneficial as it was raining for a large amount of the time we were there. We had a fantastic time and have all decided that we would rebook for 2016!

A very well equipped, spacious property in beautiful rural setting.. The hot tub and games room were used and enjoyed by all.

A very well equipped, spacious property in beautiful rural setting. The hot tub and games room were used and enjoyed by all.

A very well equipped, spacious property in beautiful rural setting. The hot tub and games room were used and enjoyed by all. Excellent value for money,

Decided to rent this property for 3 nights to celebrate my wife's 50 th birthday for family , Was not dissapointed could not fault house or rooms everything was provided owners were very pleasant and helpful I highly recommend this property

The house was perfect.. Warm, comfortable, quiet and relaxing. It had everything we could need. The hot tub and the games room were fantastic and used every day.

This was an excellent house to base our weekend. It is very large and immaculately turned out. The kitchen was perfect for a family holiday and the view/position of the house was amazing.

Great place enjoyed every minute.Everything we needed was there and more.The owners were very welcoming.The scenery very relaxing and picturesque. Would definitely recommend. Friendly people in general and very convenient for shopping and entertaining.

This was an excellent house to base our weekend.. It is very large and immaculately turned out. The kitchen was perfect for a family holiday and the view/position of the house was amazing.

Great place enjoyed every minute.. Everything we needed was there and more.The owners were very welcoming.The scenery very relaxing and picturesque. Would definitely recommend. Friendly people in general and very convenient for shopping and entertaining.