About us

I have always loved this mountain. I was born nearby but spent much of my childhood and early career living abroad. Wales was for holidays, and I enjoyed being outside from dawn till dusk; walking, riding ponies, swimming in rivers and having picnics in the wildflowers.

In my 20s, living in a London flat share, I launched the British brand JoJo Maman Bébé as a tiny start-up. Our first ‘warehouse’ was a shed belonging to my parents here in Wales. For years I had wanted to buy a cottage with a view, then Wern-y-Cwm, which belonged to friends, came up for sale. It was far too big and a massive renovation project, but I’d fallen head over heels and purchased the farm as a post-JoJo business idea and Wonderful Escapes was born.

My labour of love renovation took years, buckets of tears, and went well over budget. We've documented a little of this mammoth project with before and after photos in a blog found in that section of the website. The hard work has all been worth it and I love being up here, continuing to create a very special place for our guests with our amazing Wonderful Team. You may see Ruby (my Staffie) and I doing chores around the place, cooking or working in the farm office. We love sharing it with others who come to be wild in nature, rest, relax, and leave feeling rejuvenated. 

Naming my business Wonderful Escapes has a double entendre; I'm incredibly lucky that with this new venture, I left behind a highly stressful role running my large company (albeit with the help of an incredible team). Plus, Wern-y-Cwm is a place for our guests to have fun and find inspiration - a world away from the lives so many of us barely survive in. Coming here should be a wonderful escape. We attract like-minded individuals who appreciate the beauty of the grounds and area, our attention to detail, and our environmental ethos. People often tell me that they start planning a return visit before they have even left!

Wern-y-Cwm is a living, breathing work of creativity. Look in any direction and I hope you will enjoy seeing a little touch, some wildlife, a work of art or carefully placed junk to lighten your soul and make you feel happy. The 'Wonderful' team make a huge effort to ensure our properties and gardens look gorgeous. The individual houses are private enough to never meet another group should you prefer, but close enough to all gather in The Great Barn or by the Natural Swimming Pool in seconds if that's the plan. The team and I are here if you need us, but out of sigh if you don't, we just want you to feel at home.