Tyffynon review by Darcy and Darla: Canine Critics 2022 winners

For their second holiday cottage review of the year, our Canine Critics 2022 winners Darcy and Darla headed to Wales to stay at Tyffynon in the Brecon Beacons. This cottage is packed with traditional charm and the cosy accommodation is the perfect place to rest those paws and relax after a day of canine capers.

Darcy, an active and inquisitive Dalmatian/Staffy cross, and Darla, a sweet, playful Dalmatian, enjoyed exploring the beautiful area around the cottage, with plenty of exciting walking trails to explore and a large field nearby for off-lead fun and games! It’s easy to stay up to date with their latest adventures via their Instagram account @darcyanddarla.

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Canine Critics’ review of Tyffynon

We arrived at our cottage just as the rain stopped and it honestly felt like something out of a film. It sat on a quiet road opposite a farm where we could see the sheep and lambs through the bushes and mum explained that’s where the funny noises kept coming from! There were other cottages and a campsite nearby but far enough away that we had privacy, although there is a separate, much smaller cottage next door that was used by guests towards the end of our stay.  

The cottage

The cottage had two gardens that were separated by a gate along with two entrances. This was ideal for leaving muddy boots near one entrance so as not to tread dirt through the cottage. There was also a tap with a hose attachment to wash our muddy paws before heading inside. The gardens overlooked miles and miles of greenery, farmland and mountains and it’s a view we could have stared at all day. Mum loved sitting in the garden with her morning cuppa while we had our morning sniffs. 

The kitchen was well equipped with everything we needed, including a large fridge/freezer, triple oven, washing machine, dryer and dishwasher. It had such a country cottage feel but with a practical modern twist. We had plenty of space for our food as well as human food. The dining room followed on with a large table and chairs, big windows letting in lots of light and ample storage for coats, shoes and all our accessories.  

Carrying on through to the living room, where we spent most of our time, it was complete with two comfy couches, a Sky TV, lots of books and a beautiful stone fireplace. This was our favourite place to sleep – mum put our beds in front of the fireplace and we loved being nice and toasty. There was also a DVD player and a large selection of DVDs to choose from. We enjoyed quiet evenings in front of the fire while mum was watching TV or reading. Further on, there was a downstairs bathroom with a shower and a second door to the cottage which we used for our last wees before bed. 

Upstairs was the master bedroom of dreams. Mum absolutely fell in love with the roll-top bath and used it almost every night. The bed was so comfy and she slept like a log after long days of walking and hiking with us. There was another small bathroom followed by a second bedroom with twin beds. It continued the beautifully traditional design which you felt in every room throughout the cottage.  

It is also worth mentioning that there is no signal for your phone unless you are with EE. There is Wi-Fi in the cottage and also at the campsite across the lane and the local pub. We had the Wi-Fi go down for an afternoon and the owners were quick to try and fix it as soon as possible and thankfully it came back on and we had no further issues! The owners were very attentive throughout.  

The area

The local area was probably our favourite part of the trip. There were walks straight from our front door and a huge field behind us that we were allowed to use for off-lead time! The local pub, The Farmers Arms, was a 5-minute walk down the quiet lane and it was dog friendly inside and had a spacious beer garden too. The food was also incredible and definitely homemade. Mum got the fish and chips and even gave us a few sneaky chips now and then!  

The local town of Crickhowell was a 10-minute drive away and was so welcoming and friendly. Every pub or cafe was dog friendly so mum didn’t even have to ask and the town itself is beautiful. There are so many walks to do including the popular Table Mountain, which is definitely worth a visit. We did it in the pouring down rain and still had the best time. Although, we had our posh raincoats on so stayed dry compared to the humans. There’s also some castle remains, and a wander along the canal is a must! 

The slightly bigger town of Abergavenny is only 10 minutes further on and also has some must-see places and walks. Coffi Lab is worth a visit; they absolutely adored us in there! They make special pup cups and even have a pup cup wall of fame. The human food looked yummy too and mum enjoyed a freshly made smoothie. There’s also a Portico Lounge where we ate twice because mum loved it so much. The food is amazing and really well priced, and there’s lots of space between tables so plenty of room for us to settle. The staff are also really respectful of the dogs which made us love it even more! 

We did quite a few hikes on our trip, including the biggest of them all… Pen Y Fan! We took the ‘motorway’ route from Pont Ar Daf car park. It was about 25 minutes from the cottage and it took us around one hour to reach the summit and 45 minutes back down to the car. This was a nice easy route, pathed the whole way, but it does get busy so it’s worth getting there early. There are sheep nearby so we spent time on the lead and helped pull mum up on her bad knee!  

We also explored Sugar Loaf, the Skirrid and the four waterfalls trail, and we recommend all of them. Such beautiful walks and paws are welcome on all of them. The Skirrid is very steep at the start so be careful and make sure to wear proper boots or walking shoes; the same goes for the waterfall trail as it gets very slippery! A trip to the Brecon Beacons Visitor Centre is also a must. It is in the middle of moors with trails from every direction and has a huge outdoor space with seating overlooking the mountains. The on-site cafe ‘Caffi Y Fan’ is also super dog friendly – they even sold dog ice cream! The humans enjoyed some lovely homemade burgers and chips outside followed by their own ice cream cones.  

The verdict

There were a few walks we didn’t get time to do – the list is almost endless! – so we will definitely be heading back to explore more of the Brecon Beacons. We truly had the best time and coming back to such a cosy home away from home after long hikes and days out just made it perfect. We can’t recommend Tyffynon enough as your base to explore this stunning part of Wales.  

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