Situated in the foothills of the Black Mountains near the Brecon Beacons, you’ll discover a trio of luxurious and romantic shepherd’s huts at the peaceful Black Mountain bespoke Breaks in South Wales.
Nestled away near the small Welsh village of Bronllys, the Black Mountain Bespoke Breaks provides an ideal place for couples to disconnect from the busy modern day world in favour of solitude, nature and relaxation.
There are three distinct shepherd huts at Black Mountain Bespoke Breaks, each with their own unique internal layout and design. The smaller two come with private outdoor hot tubs, whilst the larger shepherd hut comes with something extra special in my opinion! We will get to that later.
James booked the shepherd hut named ‘Dafad Du’, which translates to ‘black sheep’ in Welsh. Perhaps that shines some light on why this particular shepherds hut is boldly painted head-to-toe in a coat of striking black.
Dafad Du is the largest of the three shepherds huts here. It’s deceptively spacious and the gorgeous interior completely blew me away. It was absolutely stunning, and very much my vibe with its luxurious-yet-rustic charm.
Surrounded by nature, rolling fields and distant mountain views, this is the most luxurious (yet still rustic) shepherds hut that I’ve ever stayed in.
When check-out loomed, I really didn’t want to leave!
In this article...
Cooking in the shepherd’s hut
As you head through the stable door into this cosy wooden-clad shepherds hut, you’ll be welcomed into the small but fully equipped kitchen.
The compact kitchen was fully kitted out with everything you could possibly need to rustle up a tasty meal for two. Including crockery, pans, trays and a huge array of utensils all neatly laid out in one of the kitchen drawers. There was a small gas oven and hob for cooking on. Along with a toaster, kettle and Nespresso coffee machine for any of you coffee lovers out there.
The host had curated a generous welcome hamper too which was beyond lovely, and included sourdough bread, eggs, locally made berry jam and gin infused marmalade. Then inside the mini fridge we found a pint of cows milk, a block of farmhouse butter, bottle of Prosecco and 4 thick butchers sausages which were absolutely delicious for brekfast!
The shepherds hut also came with essential cooking items such as cooking oil and salt and pepper for seasoning, plus the welcome bonus of coffee pods, tea bags and sugar cubes. Enabling you to settle in with a brew in one of their high quality stoneware mugs from the get-go.
There were no instructions in the guest manual for operating the gas oven. I’m not familiar with gas oven settings, so we just cranked it up fairly high, then periodically checked how it was getting on. Thankfully it all cooked perfectly, and the deep Belfast sink made washing up easy.
Dining area
The tiny dining area is open plan with the kitchen and comes with a small wonky wooden table, and two brown leather (or possibly pleather) tub chairs. The dining table is rustic and slightly bowed like a banana, so it’s full of quirky charm and comes with a couple slate coasters and place mats.
Opposite the dining table is a lovely wood burner which was all set up ready to light. It came with extra long matches and plenty of spare logs to keep the fire burning.
We soon got it blazing which made this shepherds hut warm and cosy in no time. There was a swish Sonos speaker you could use too, you just needed to download the app.
Romantic shepherd’s hut bedroom
The semi private, yet open plan bedroom is home to a full king size bed with access on both sides. Not something you often come across inside the dinky footprint of a shepherds hut! Most have the bed spanning the width of the hut, meaning one side gets pushed up against the wall. The bed was dressed in crisp white linen bedding and simply styled with a selection of neutral toned cushions that came with a subtle sheep theme.
We had two squishy pillows each and the snuggliest duvet that was the ideal weight for this time of the year. Perfect for cosy mornings watching the sunrise from the double patio doors at the foot of the bed.
The wooden headboard had a couple of small accent reading lights, but there weren’t any charging ports or sockets around the bed area. This wasn’t a big deal to us, but perhaps worth mentioning as I know some people like to charge their phones up next to them at night. If you are one of them, you might want to bring a power bank along with you.
Over in the corner of the bedroom was a small tv which had been fixed to the wall on a bracket. You could use Black Mountain Breaks own Netflix account if you wanted to. They had provided a code to do so, however it also required their email address which we didn’t have. Not that it mattered as we didn’t plan on using it anyway. This place is too special to waste it watching tv! The host is super responsive though, so I’m sure this would have been swiftly provided had we of asked.
Freestanding copper bathtub
Dafad Du doesn’t come with an outdoor hot-tub like the other two huts here. Instead this romantic shepherd hut comes with a fabulously deep free standing copper bath at the foot of the bed which screams luxury!
As this secluded hut looks out across open fields, you can enjoy having a bath with the patio doors swung wide open. Allowing you to soak in the tub whilst watching the stars appear in the dark nights sky. Pure magic.
We had been provided with a citronella candle to help keep any pesky bugs at bay, along with some rose scented bath salts which were delightful and smelt like Turkish-delight! I recommend bringing some bubble-bath with you to make this copper bath experience extra special.
Twin shower room
Dafad Du had the best shower room I’ve ever seen inside a shepherds hut! It was so spacious and came with two separate rainfall showers so you can enjoy showering together if you fancy.
As this shower room is designed more like a wet room, absent of any glass shower screens. It does mean the entire room ends up pretty soggy following a shower.
One quirk of this shower room was the toilet seat. I’m not sure if this was a last minute repair, or if this was an intentional choice. But the toilet seat was attached with Velcro. It was literally velcroed on? Maybe I’ve been living under a rock and this is a normal thing, but I’ve never seen this anywhere else before. It did mean the seat would move a little which was a little unnerving! *Note: The hosts have been in touch, this was indeed a quick emergency fix, but a sturdy seat has now been installed. Goodbye velcro!
Other than that minor flaw though, the shower room was beautifully laid out and decorated. I loved the quirky crazy-paving style floor tiles (they reminded me a little bit of The Barn in Cotleigh) and the wooden effect wall tiles added a sense of texture and warmth to the room.
The host also provided locally made toiletries, including shower gel, shampoo and hand soap. Along with a couple of white bath robes, premium fluffy white towels and a heated towel rail.
Bedroom storage
Shepherds huts aren’t usually over generous when it comes to storage, pretty understandable seeing as they don’t have much space to work with.
However, Dafad Du had great storage options. The bed had two long drawers that pulled out from the back of the headboard into the kitchen/dining area. Whilst the middle of the bed had an opening, almost like a tunnel, which was perfect for tucking your weekend bags or small suitcases out the way.
Then there were two other drawers and a decent sized wardrobe which housed the ironing board and a fan. Perfect for hot summer stays.
Dafad Du’s outdoor garden area
We visited in October so we didn’t make much use of the outside space, not like you would during the spring and summer months anyway.
On a warm summers day you could enjoy sunbathing on the two cushioned sun-loungers, or dining alfresco at the garden table and chairs. The patio area also has a fire pit which can be used for Barbecuing or toasting marshmallows for a cosy campfire atmosphere beneath the stars.
There was even an outdoor shower at the other end of the hut.
Accommodation options
Cwch Gwenyn: This is the smallest of the huts and sits at the far corner of the field. It comes with an outdoor hot-tub and has a more traditional shepherds hut layout.
Dafad Du: The largest of the three huts and the only one which comes with the copper bathtub.
Gloyn Byw: Is their newest arrival, and has more of a galley kitchen compared to Dafad Du. This one comes with a double shower and hot tub.
Coed Farm: A gorgeous Welsh farmhouse that’s perfect for family breaks. It can sleep up to 12 people, with 6 bedrooms, a cinema room, hot tub and a pool table!
Even though there are two other shepherds huts within the field, they are quite spread apart so it remains very private. Plus the way they have been angled along with the addition of the wicker privacy screens, you’ll feel like you have the place to yourselves. We didn’t hear the guests in the other two huts during our stay.
Check availability of their huts here!
Black Mountain Bespoke Breaks address
You’ll find the Black Mountain Bespoke Breaks on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park in South Wales.
The turning is just off a roundabout in Bronllys, where you’ll see a pair of fancy wooden gates and a large stone marker with a name sign attached to it.
Bronllys, Brecon, Powys, LD3 0HL
Official dark sky reserve
There are only a few official dark sky reserves in the UK, but the Brecon Beacons in Wales happens to be one of them. Even though this is just on the edge of the Brecon Beacons, you wont believe how many stars you can see with your naked eye here. It’s like the pitch black sky’s been sprinkled with a ginormous pot of silver glitter.
Just keep your fingers crossed for cloudless skies and shooting stars. Because this is a prime opportunity to enjoy a romantic break and soak in the magical starry nights sky for a night you’ll never forget.
Nearby walks
Wales is such a beautiful country that’s full of incredible walks and breath-taking scenery. We still have so much to explore ourselves, but here’s a few walks I’ve done (and loved) in South Wales which I recommend giving a go.
Pen Y fan
Iconic. Pen y Fan is the tallest mountain in South Wales and attracts endless visitors who want to strike summiting Pen Y Fan from their list. Because of that, don’t expect solitude up here unless you’re getting up at the brink of dawn to avoid the swarms of tourists, although its not quite as busy as Snowdon.
I have a full separate walking guide on Pen y Fan and Corn Du (the 2nd highest peak), covering everything you need to know, and how to plan your own hike up here. I’ll leave my Pen y Fan guide linked here in case you’re interested.
Pen y Fan is about a 25 minute drive away from the grounds of Black Mountain Bespoke Breaks.
Dragons Back to Waun Fach
We have just recently completed the hike up Dragons Back to Waun Fach (South Wales’s 3rd tallest peek), and the views were stunning! You can even see the peek of Pen y Fan on the horizon in the distance.
This 15km hike is steep from the get-go, then ebbs and flows along the Dragons Back, offering moments of respite during your hike. It’s certainly worth the effort and achy toes from the descents though as the views along the way were pure magic.
I will be putting together a walking guide for this ASAP, as it shouldn’t be missed. Especially when the shepherds hut is only around a 10 minute drive away.
Four Waterfalls Walk
The Southwesterly region of the Brecon Beacons are known as waterfall country, therefore it’s only right to go see some whilst you’re in this part of Wales.
If you head a little further away (around a 40 minute drive) you could do the beautiful Four Waterfalls Walk.
As the name suggests, this walking route takes you past 4 different rushing waterfalls of all shapes and sizes. One of which you can walk behind the curtain of crashing water. Like a mini version of Seljalandsfoss which we did on our Iceland road trip.
Waterfalls are always most epic following heavy rainfall, so if you can time your trip here to co-inside with that (which isn’t too hard to do in the UK) then this walk will be absolutely golden.
I also have a full guide on how to do this walk, which I’ll leave linked here.
Conclusion
Dafad Du was an absolute delight. It was spotlessly clean, deceptively spacious and full of high quality products and furnishings. Everything felt immaculate (in a rustic way) and the thoughtful welcome hamper made us feel right at home.
All the extra little touches made this shepherds hut feel extra special and provided such a restorative stay amongst nature. We had a wonderful time and we would love to come back again! I highly recommend booking a staying at Black Mountain Bespoke Breaks if you’re looking for a romantic Welsh bolthole for two.
The worst part of this stay was having to leave!
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