Local information about Bryn Awel Bed and Breakfast

Bryn Awel (formerly called Bugeilfod) was built in the 1920’s for the Minister of Capel Y Groes next door. The main part of the Chapel dates further back and is of stone construction. A stone cottage was demolished on the site to make way for it. When the brick vestry to the Chapel was added on, Bryn Awel’s ground floor was built. It is built in brick 13 inches thick with no cavity. We understand that the Chapel community were short of funds and the upstairs to Bryn Awel remained in the planning stage for three years. The 1st floor construction is solid brick 11 inches thick and is under a slate roof.

Electricity and mains water were not installed until the first independent owner was living here in the 1960’s. There was a water supply piped from Tyn Celyn farm until that time. Electricity was initially generated by a water wheel in the Mill in the village.

There was a corrugated iron lean-to on the back of the vestry and a very tall pitched roof corrugated iron garage beside that. It was still standing when we bought the house! The Minister used to garage his Model T Ford in it! This was very forward for the day as car ownership was not common. Some of the older residents in the village can remember the roads as un-tarmaced. We understand that the Minister was a keen gardener and Beekeeper.

Travelling from Bala

Chapel children in the village attended the old school this side of the brook ( a tiny stone building) and Church children attended the School on the other side. The older children had to reside in Bala for the week and caught the train using the halt at Frongoch just over six miles from Llangwm. There used to be a public house next to the Church that is now a private home – Ty Newydd. The shop was once the 15th century picture book cottage in the village and subsequently moved to Tegla (next to the Mill) until a few years ago when it closed.

The Chapel rented Bryn Awel for a while after the absence of a full time minister and sold to a local person. We are the third owners of Bryn Awel independent of the Chapel. It had been empty and for sale for three years until we bought it in 1985.

A bed and breakfast on the A5

The house was used as a Bed & Breakfast by the first private owner. In those days a sign was put up on the A5 Corwen to Holyhead road to attract passing tourists. Another sign was placed at the Smithy at the bottom of the hill. These had to be removed when the council received a complaint and Bryn Awel ceased to be a B&B shortly after. Nowadays there is no need for signeage because we are in the Internet era and with the Multimap system our customers can pinpoint our location from their living rooms!

Information about and the history of the local area