Pengilfach in pictures

The Gallery

Life at Pengilfach

Pengilfach Cottages and the surrounding valley in spring 2022 — Spring 2022 — daffodils out in force

Aerial view of the cobbled courtyard being laid in the traditional method, September 2023 — September 2023 — the cobbles taking shape, laid the traditional way (chiefly by Rach)

Golden evening light over Pengilfach and the valley — Golden hour over the valley

Basil and Sprout the guinea pigs outside their purple hutch, May 2025 — May 2025 — Basil and Sprout, quality control in session

A section of the cobbled courtyard being relaid at Pengilfach in July 2025: the old cobbles lifted, sand and setts ready in yellow trug buckets, a spirit level laid across the bed — July 2025 — the cobbles going down: a section lifted, the bed levelled, and the setts going back in one by one

A spring evening at Pengilfach, April 2026 — April 2026 — a spring evening

Early morning at Pengilfach, June 2026, with a wild rabbit sitting in the centre of the shot — June 2026 — half past six in the morning, mist still asleep in the valley. Can you spot our floppy-eared visitor?

A large toad sitting at night in the gap between two wet slate paving slabs, among damp fallen leaves — July 2026 — a night-time caller who gave us a proper start: a fine fat toad, out on the wet slabs after dark

Golden evening light over the valley from Pengilfach, July 2026 — July 2026 — a golden evening over the valley

Ewan and Tom Jayne relaxing on the lawn in the evening sun beside the cottages, July 2026 — July 2026 — Ewan and Tom (Jayne) enjoying the lawn after a hard day’s work

Sunset over the hills seen from Pengilfach, July 2026 — July 2026 — the valley signing off for the day

A film projected onto the stone gable end of the cottages on a summer evening, the valley beyond turning pink at dusk — Movie night — the gable end turned cinema screen, valley glowing at dusk

Friends’ tents pitched on the lawn beneath the cherry tree on a summer evening, the cottages and valley beyond — Friends camped out on the lawn under the cherry tree of a summer’s evening

Pengilfach Cottages above a cloud inversion, the valley below filled with mist and the hills rising clear beyond — The cottages riding above a cloud inversion, the whole valley under mist

The track climbing up to Pengilfach Cottages on a frosty morning, mist filling the valley and the hills beyond — The track home — up out of the mist to the cottages

Butler’s Bridge, an old stone arch over the river, with a natural swimming pool beneath and woodland all around — Butler’s Bridge — the old stone arch on the way to the scout camp, with a swimming pool beneath

The garden and lawn at Pengilfach in evening light, the mower at rest under the cherry tree and the valley beyond — Evening light on the garden, work done and the mower at rest

Inside the annexe studio (the old No. 3) during the works: tidying up after the rewire and repairing the sliding doors, the valley visible through the glass — July 2026 — a Sunday in the annexe studio (old No. 3), tidying up after the rewire and mending the sliding doors

A lone oak in a parched summer field, the whole scene washed in an eerie sepia-gold light as smoke from the Llangattock wildfire covers the sun — August 2026 — an eerie sepia light across the fields, the sun veiled by smoke from the Llangattock wildfire

Ron, a black Labrador, carrying a toy along the garden path by the annexe, helping in the garden — August 2026 — Ron, hard at work helping in the garden

A weathered terracotta frog ornament nestled in the dry grass beside the garden shed steps, keeping watch — The terracotta frog, keeping watch over the garden shed steps

Fred and Ewan silhouetted on the rocky summit of the Sugarloaf at dusk, looking out over the valley where wildfire smoke lies among the hills — 9th August 2026 — Fred and Ewan on the Sugarloaf summit, looking out over the wildfire on Llangattock mountain

Ron, a black Labrador, swimming in the river carrying a stick, cooling off — August 2026 — Ron enjoying a well-deserved cool-off in the river after a work day

A lone mountain biker silhouetted on the ridge of the Sugarloaf against a deep orange sunset, riding home down the mountain — August 2026 — Fred mountain biking home down the Sugarloaf at dusk

A summer view over the valley and distant hills from the rear of the cottages, the stone cottage with its slate roof and solar panels to one side, framed by greenery — August 2026 — a summer scene from E’s seat at the rear of the cottages

A buzzard perched on a branch high in the half-ash tree, its brown plumage and pale barred chest just visible among the green leaves — August 2026 — Buzz the Buzzard himself, keeping watch from the half-ash

The water works — July 2026

Our spring has slowed right down this summer, so over one weekend we set up a reserve water supply to see the place through the dry spell and keep the everyday jobs ticking over. The new pump earned its keep at once: it filled a 1,000-litre tank in about fifteen minutes, against an hour and a half from a hosepipe on the village mains. Warm thanks to Tom (Jayne), friend of Pengilfach Cottages and son of Llangenny, who pumped the tank out and brought his pickup to tow the transfer tank up to the cottages.

A 1,000-litre white IBC water tank in a steel cage, loaded in a mesh-sided trailer on the gravel parking area at the cottages, with Tom Jayne walking past — Up at the cottages parking — the tank in the trailer that Tom (Jayne) towed up with his pickup, ready for the new pump to empty it in about fifteen minutes

A 1,000-litre white IBC water tank on a trailer down by the road, a yellow hosepipe running to it from a kind neighbour's mains supply, stone wall and trees behind — Filling from a kind neighbour’s mains supply — the slow way, an hour and a half on a hosepipe

Pengilfach, panoramically

A few wide views charting the journey so far: the valley in its many moods, and the odd bit of graft caught in the act. Each panorama is far wider than the page: drag or swipe it sideways to look along the valley, just as you would from the viewing patio.

Panorama of Pengilfach and the valley, January 2020 — January 2020 — before it all began

Panorama of Pengilfach, September 2020 — September 2020 — the first summer at Pengilfach, taken from the balcony number 3

Panorama of Pengilfach, May 2022 — May 2022

Panorama of Pengilfach in winter, January 2023 — January 2023 — the valley in winter dress

Vertical panorama of repointing work on the stone wall by Tom Jayne, June 2024 — June 2024 — repointing in progress, by the hand of Tom Jayne, regular friend and helper

Panorama of Pengilfach, April 2025 — April 2025

Panorama from a summit at sunset, a great wall of pale wildfire smoke pouring over the ridge and down into the valley below, 9 August 2026 — August 2026 — climate change in action: the wildfire on Llangattock mountain, 9th August, smoke filling the valley below. The fire had consumed over 300 hectares by Saturday the 8th, according to the police and fire services.

A wide panorama of the valley in September, the fields green again after the rain, hills and woodland under a soft, cloudy autumn sky — September 2026 — the valley greening up again as autumn sets in, cooler and wetter after the long dry summer.

The view from above

The drone goes up now and then, mostly to check the roof, and comes back with views like these, all taken from directly above the cottages. This is what Pengilfach looks out on, starting with a slow turn around the whole place.

June 2023 — fifty-two seconds over Pengilfach: the terrace, the cobbles, the track winding in, and the fields all around. No commentary required.

Golden-hour drone view from the cottage: Llanbedr village in the distance, framed by Table Mountain and Pen Cerrig-calch on the left, with Little Pengilfach in the foreground — Llanbedr village in the distance, framed by Table Mountain and Pen Cerrig-calch on the left — Little Pengilfach in the foreground

Drone view from the cottage of the Sugarloaf, Pen-y-Fal, in September light — The Sugarloaf — Pen-y-Fal — our mountain, from above the roof

Drone view from the cottage of Pendarren House outdoor centre and Llangenny village in the valley below — Pendarren House outdoor centre and Llangenny village, down in the valley

Videos

An old house keeps its secrets in the walls. As we’ve worked our way through the cottages, the fabric has given up a few surprises: things built, blocked up and forgotten by hands long gone. A few of them, caught on film.

2024 — a hidden old chimney, found when we took out a lintel. It rises up through the wall but shows no sign at all down in the kitchen below: a flue for a fireplace long since lost. A little piece of the house’s hidden history.

2024 — light on, light off. The rewiring under way; the walled-up window we uncovered behind the plaster, with its huge old wooden lintel; and the lamp-nook Rachael built into it when she rebuilt the wall.

2024 — carefully chasing out an old lintel, dust mask on. Slow, painstaking work, and the way most of these discoveries begin.