Clay Cottage offers simple self-catering accommodation in the Brecon Beacons National Park, just a walk away from Hay-on-Wye, a picturesque Welsh border town famous for its second-hand bookshops, 35 at the last count.

A mile uphill from the magnificent river Wye, this cosy rural retreat also lies below the beautiful scenery of Hay Bluff and the Black Mountains. It is the perfect location for walking and watching wildlife – bullfinches, woodpeckers, toads and butterflies are regular garden visitors while buzzards soar overhead.

Clay Cottage from the garden

© 2004 Pavement Photographics

Horse-riding, pony-trekking, canoe and cycle-hire, fishing, swimming, climbing and lake sailing are all available locally. Yet the market town of Hay-on-Wye is within easy walking distance (three-quarters of a mile). Visit its internationally famed book festival and browse its antique shops, tea and ice-cream parlours and restaurants.

Clay Cottage is a delightful, no-frills, ‘olde-worlde’ cottage that sleeps 6 in 3 bedrooms. Secluded up a narrow lane, Clay is a place for those who appreciate clean, charming rooms in keeping with the cottage’s 200 year-old history, complete with creaky stairs and water from a borehole. So, it is not for those who prefer manicured lawns, matching furniture and formica work surfaces from their cottage – nor is it suitable for toddlers or the elderly if steep stairs present a difficulty.