Our Story and Inspiration
Claire, Tim, their two young children Theo and Ollie and Claire's mum Debbie moved to Wales in 2016. They had a very strong vision of their new life in Wales, and as well as becoming immersed in the local community and the strong culture of West Wales, Claire and Tim had a strong vision for their wild flower meadow.
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A few scribbled designs soon became a reality, as work began in 2017 on two luxurious and handcrafted Shepherds Huts. As well as designing each hut, Tim built both himself. He had a clear idea about the glamping accommodation he wanted to offer his future guests. Made from reclaimed, vintage and up-cycled material where possible with the rest of the materials being locally sourced, little has gone to waste in the design and build of the huts, proving very definitely that something extremely special can be created with a strong vision and plenty of determination!
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At Thistledown we aim to provide a luxurious glamping experience set within a wild meadow. We have tried to develop the site sympathetically and to work with Mother Nature – which means we’ve done some extensive planting but at the same time we encourage nature to take its course and find its own way. We strongly believe that in order for the pretty flowers to grow we have to let the weeds grow up a bit too, and manicured lawns are not the style we’re aiming for. We had a vision that Thistledown would attract as much wildlife as possible, and so our ethos of wild and rugged was created. ​
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The huts are set around a pond that is fed from a spring which then in turn feeds a small water wheel - another of Tim’s creations. The pond has a variety of wildlife already and is a very calming place to sit and relax. Eventually the water wheel will power some lights around the field using old bikes that have been gifted to us. Tim is a very creative man and he loves a challenge!
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We hope you love our Thistledown meadow as much as we do – we’re excited to share our very own corner of West Wales with you for a unique glamping experience.
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Across the lane from the Huts you can find our quirky one bed holiday Cottage. Forming the middle cottage of our own traditional Welsh longhouse & set on our small-holding you can be sure to find our unique touches in here. While we do live on-site Bramble Cottage is a private place to escape to at the end of a busy day exploring. With it's enclosed garden tucked away at the back of the cottage, the only thing to over-look you would be the Red Kites overhead or our sheep in the field behind!
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With different options of accommodation to choose from we are sure you can find one to suit your needs.
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