Location

Penparc is located less than 100 metres away from the beach in the ever popular seaside and fishing village of Aberporth in west Wales. The village retains a wealth of character and history and offers an idyllic location to holiday or live in. In addition to its two renowned sandy beaches and breath-taking coastline, the village offers an impressive selection of pubs, cafes, bars and restaurants as well as a post-office, pharmacy, village shop, thriving village hall and primary school. For those that enjoy the outdoors with walking, cycling and water sports like surfing and kayaking, the village offers plenty of activities to get involved in and enjoy. The all-Wales coast path passes through the village.

Aberporth has several equally pretty beaches in the vicinity including those at Gwbert, Poppit Sands, Mwnt, Tresaith, Penbryn and Llangrannog. It is around 15 minutes to the county town of Cardigan with its busy arts centre and cinema, high street names and excellent independent shops, cafes and restaurants etc.

For those travelling further afield, Carmarthen (with national railway services) and the A48 M4 link road is about 25 miles away taking you onto South Wales (Swansea about 53 miles and Cardiff about 96 miles) the Severn Bridge and into England.

Description

Penparc is a charming and unspoiled example of the traditional cottages of West Wales – single-storey with a croglofft or sleeping platform and built originally of limewashed clom or cob. It was sited just yards from the sands when sailing vessels still beached there and Aberporth was a thriving herring port. It was surrounded by gardens on three sides to supplement livelihoods made from the sea. Since Aberporth became a popular village for family seaside holidays, Penparc has been used mainly as a holiday home, in only three ownerships in the past 90 years.

The oldest part of the cottage is believed to date back to the mid-nineteenth century. The cottage, with properties around it, was owned by John Beynon of Trewern mansion in Pembrokeshire in 1887 when it was bought by the then tenant, Mary Thomas, who lived there with her three unmarried daughters. It probably originally housed a mariner and his family. The owner from 1903 was Master Mariner Evan Thomas. In 1934 it was bought by Gladys Williams, wife of the vicar of St Gabriel's church in Swansea, and extended for her by the Aberporth builder Mr Jenkins, who lived next door. The present owners have conserved and improved it since 2000, for example reroofing it in Welsh slate, insulating the croglofft, replacing masonry paint with breathable limewash and building the sunken parterre garden. It is a delightful survivor of the types of homes celebrated in the classic study by Martin Davies, Save the Last of the Magic: Traditional Qualities of the West Wales Cottage.

Accommodation Ground Floor
A welcoming front entrance leads into a plank-walled reception hall with a quarry tiled floor and doors leading off to the principal reception rooms. On the right is the living room with a beamed ceiling, pretty fireplace with slate hearth, display shelving above and a wood burning stove providing a warm focal point. A door on the left of the hall leads into the dining room, again with a beamed ceiling, traditional display shelves at high level and a character fireplace with ornate tiles. Steps lead down to a side hall with a bathroom suite off. A door on the left leads to the another living room that is also used as a ground floor bedroom with beamed ceiling and a glazed ceramic fireplace. At the rear of the cottage off the side hall, is the kitchen breakfast room with a quarry tiled floor, fitted base and wall cabinets and space for appliances. Off the kitchen is a useful porch with door to the rear garden and a cloakroom off.

First Floor
Stairs rise up from the main reception hall to the character croglofft that features a dormer window and impressive exposed beams. This room has restricted head height but is used as a cosy bedroom and study. A separate 'ship's-ladder' staircase rises up from the side hall near the bathroom to the principal bedroom. This room features a planked ceiling with sloping eaves and also restricted head height and enjoys views towards the beach and sea.

Externally
To the front of the cottage is a gravel courtyard for car parking planted with sea-loving shrubs. The cottage enjoys pretty mature landscaped grounds and secluded gardens including a lawned area, mature shrubs, hedges, fruit trees, a fern bank and an attractive sunken parterre garden with flowers and brick paths. There are two garden sheds and plenty of seating areas for alfresco dining and relaxing in. In addition there is a raised garden terrace area with sea views and trellised planting.