Coastal Glamping @Hillcroft Escapes

The waves dotted with wet-suit clad surfers, the expansive sands of Newgale Beach, the coastal footpath threaded out across the headland… it’s easy to see why Ian and Liz Haughey fell in love with this part of St Brides Bay years ago. It was only a matter of time before they’d hop across the border from England and move here for good. Now, just two miles back from the beach, their pretty Pembrokeshire home is not only a seaside shelter for them but also a handy home-from-home for others, with a brand new cosy shepherd’s hut open for business in the meadow beyond, perfect for a couple’s retreat.

Handcrafted in Oswestry, Y Cwt Cwtch follows a classic shepherd’s hut designed with a curved, corrugated rooftop and insulated wooden walls. Inside, there’s a compact kitchen area, an en-suite shower room and a double bed that folds out neatly from the wall, cheating space and allowing for a larger living area during the daytime. An eggshell blue interior mirrors the paintwork outside the hut, while attention to detail – from the Puffin patterned pillows to the Welsh cakes on arrival – show that Liz and Ian really have thought of everything. At night you can light the wood burner and perch on the doorstep cupping a mug of coco, gazing up at the starry Pembrokeshire sky. It might be no surprise that the Welsh, Y Cwt Cwtch, translates as ‘the Cuddle Hut’ in English.

Beyond the stable-style front door the best of Pembrokeshire awaits. Most immediately, there’s a stream and slender stretch of woodland you can explore but, for most, it’s about heading back out onto the lane and following footpaths southwards to the beach. It takes a little over half an hour on foot to reach Newgale, where the sandy beach itself is almost two miles long, or you can drive there in under five minutes. A pub, café and surf shop back the beach, with lessons available for first timers, and bodies with boards bob in the water almost all year round. It’s a great place to join the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, too, for a dramatic cliff-top walk to Solva, a pretty harbour village further west. Finish with a pint in the Harbour Inn before catching a convenient bus back home or drive instead onto nearby St Davids for gallery exploring, postcard shopping and an array of eating options.