Come and live in the trees! A return to the simple life awaits you, twenty feet off the floor...

Bryn Meurig Bach is, as its owners confess, not the most catchy of names, but the treehouse itself is an artfully designed, simple and beautiful creation. Completely off-grid and built on low-impact floating joints that keep the trees from harm, it’s the sort of place you can just lose yourself in. The main living space is a curved pod with the beds on your left and the living/dining space to your right. The bunks can be taken out to give yourself a little more room if it’s just the two of you and the wood-burner sits right in the middle, spreading warmth not only to the space, but also to the water. The shower it heats is down below the treehouse and the clever Swedish separating loo is on a platform across a walkway from the deck. The area around Bryn Meurig Bach is criss-crossed with great walking trails and there’s a lovely pub 20 minutes away if you don’t feel like cooking. This is a simply amazing place to come and unwind whether you hike through the hills or just sit back on the deck and listen to the wind in the treetops.

• Esentials
• Getting there
• Eating & Drinking
• Things to do
• Booking terms
• Meet your hosts

The essentials

The important stuff

• Check in time is 4pm
• Check out time is 11:30am
• The treehouse is completely off-grid
• The treehouse is only suitable for children aged 4-15
• Pets cannot be accommodated
• Please bring all your own food and other basics.

Sleeping arrangements

Kids & Pets

Cooking

• Twin gas hobs
• Rudimentary fridge (two big pots and some sand, it’s very cunning and it really works)
• All pots, pans and utensils, crockery
• Basics like salt & pepper
• The wood-burner is just for heating

Washing

• There is a compost loo on a platform across a short walkway, at the same level as the treehouse. YOU MUST sit down (even the gents) or it won’t work properly.
• The shower is below the treehouse (but not below the compost loo!).
• It’s heated by the wood-burner and it’s a good idea to check the water temperature at the hot tap in the treehouse before you head down.

Heating, lighting & bedding

• Bed linen is provided, but bring your own bath towels and toiletries

Entertainment

• The rope swing
• The treehouse library
• Walking!

Getting there

Living Room Treehouses, Cemmaes, Machynlleth, Powys

By public transport

The nearest bus stop is in Cemmaes (1 mile away) and the nearest train station is in Machynlleth. Pick ups can be arranged.

By car

BEWARE SAT NAV! - The postcode of the nearest farm is SY20 9PZ, but you should see signs for the treehouse when you get close enough. Please don't go to the farm.

Before you get that near, follow the A458 from Shrewsbury to Welshpool. From Welshpool (still on the A458) follow signs for Machynlleth. After 45 minutes you will find Mallwyd village. At the roundabout join the A470 (signed Machynlleth). After about 10 minutes, you'll arrive at the village of Cemmaes. Pass the Penrhos pub (on your left) and the first left (not signposted). Follow the country road for about a mile and turn right to Bryn Meurig. By now you should see the signs!

Please call if you think you're going to be late.

Eating & drinking

At Bryn Meurig Bach

The treehouse is a self catering experience and you'll need to bring all your own food. There are gas hobs for cooking and a clever "fridge" made out of a couple of plant pots thats big enough to hold the essentials.

Pubs & Restaurants

The Pen Rhos Pub (1 mile) - Good pub food at a walkable distance.

The Brigands Inn (7 miles) - Turn right when you get to Cemmaes and drive for 5 miles until you get to the traffic island. Really good pub food.

The Wynnstay Inn (Machynlleth, 8 miles) - Slightly finer dining and a very nice pizzeria out the back

The Quarry Café (Machynlleth, 8 miles) - Really good vegetarian food, only open in the daytime

Top Shop (11 miles) Also in Machynlleth, award winning fish & chips

The Riverside (11 miles) On the way to Aberdovey, a good new addition to the area

The Penhelig Pub (Aberdovey 18 miles) - Great fresh fish dishes

Things to do

Walks

The outdoors is calling at Bryn Meurig Bach. There's the rope swing and miles of walking. Here are two of the local favourites:

1. Go over the two bridges and turn left after you cross the second one. You're at the start of the 15 minute walk to the village of Cemmaes with the Pen Rhos pub waiting, which is probably the reason it's a favourite walk.

2. Go over the bridges and turn right. Follow the stream and you'll join a footpath, signposted at the ford. This footpath takes you on a walk that eventually joins the famous Glyndwr's Way, a stunning long distance route that takes in some of the loveliest scenery in mid wales.

Both of the above are mapped out in the treehouse (along with a Tokyo streetmap, for some reason).

Machynlleth and beyond

Machynlleth is a short hop away and has a range of cafés, restaurants and shops. It's pronounced Ma-hunk-leth and was once the stronghold of the legendary Welsh prince Owain Glyndwr. In the 60s "Mach" was in the running to become the new Welsh capital, but was pipped at the post by some place called Cardiff.

If you're keen on railways, check out the Talylln Railway (in Tywyn) and the Fairbourne Railway. Also in Tywyn is the nearest cinema (just 22 miles away), worth a mention here because the owners are actually your hosts at the treehouse. It's a lovely old Victorian building and they're working on a café and a bar.

Meet your hosts

The treehouse project

Bryn Meurig Bach and its sibling treehouses (currently there is one other, but more are planned) were an incredible undertaking. The team was lead by Peter Canham, a former exhibit designer at the Science Museum in London. Helping him out were Barry (chippy extraordinaire), Jools (spiral staircase expert), Franta (philosophy lecturer) and Mark (motor sports promoter). Thanks to some long days and Herculean labour, each treehouse sprang up in only 6 weeks!

The design

The treehouses are built on floating joints, allowing them to remain attached to the tree but move very little, even in high wind. The timber is mainly larch, with a little red cedar, and all of it is locally sourced. The inside is designed with strong oval ribs and a lightweight timber cladding, keeping it light and aiding the stability of the overall structure. In time, the matting on the roof will grow with moss and the treehouse will blend in even more with its surroundings. The treehouses are all completely off grid, giving you a chance to experience nature from a height and in style.