A purpose-built cabin near Machynlleth offers peace, sauna and space for creatives to work
A LUXURY self-catering retreat designed specifically for writers seeking peace and quiet to work on creative projects has opened in a picturesque Mid Wales valley.
Author and writing coach Julia Forster began welcoming guests to her new Writers’ Cabin in the summer of 2024. The retreat is located around three miles from the village of Penegoes, near Machynlleth.
The cabin was created after Julia and her family, who moved to the area 16 years ago, were given an unexpected opportunity when a neighbouring larch wood was felled.
Julia and her husband Tom acquired around 20 tonnes of timber, which – with the help of local craftsmen – was transformed into a North American-inspired cabin retreat.
The fully insulated and double-glazed accommodation includes a bedroom with a double bed, kitchenette and study area featuring a writing desk and ergonomically designed chair.
In a separate adjoining building, guests will find a shower room, toilet and a spacious electric sauna with views across the Tarren mountain range.
The Writers’ Cabin can sleep up to two people, either sharing the double bed or with one person using a pull-out sofa bed.
Facilities include super-fast satellite WiFi, stationery, USB plug sockets, a curated bookshelf on writing craft and even a complimentary bottle of bespoke “poetry pills”, supplied by the Poetry Pharmacy.
Writers staying at the retreat can also access additional support, with Julia offering a 90-minute author coaching session. Photographer Brad Carr can also be booked for a one-to-one guided nature walk in the Dyfi Valley.
The location offers easy access to Eryri National Park and beaches along the Cambrian Coast, all within a short drive.
The cabin has a three-night minimum stay policy, with prices including the option of one complimentary sauna session.
To help promote the new accommodation, Julia has joined Mid Wales Tourism (MWT Cymru), which represents more than 600 tourism and hospitality businesses across Powys, Ceredigion and Meirionnydd.
“We have hosted creatives on their writer’s retreat bringing Arts Council-funded projects, academics writing up their PhDs, comedians finessing their stand-up routines ahead of the Machynlleth Comedy Festival, poets completing their collections and novelists dreaming up their protagonist’s next adventure,” Julia said.
“A stay in the Writers’ Cabin is a time to drop in, decompress and connect, as well as to produce.
“The more I practice as a coach, supporting other people in their creative practice, I recognise it’s very important to find that element of joy and lightness and living here has been part of that integration.”
Within months of opening, the Writers’ Cabin was featured by The Sunday Times in a list of seven of the best UK retreats for aspiring writers.
Writer and editor Kathryn Tann also interviewed Julia for her podcast This Place during a stay at the cabin last autumn.
“My time at the Writers’ Cabin was unforgettable and I know many more visitors have felt the magic of this place work on them, too,” Kathryn said.
Julia, who is currently studying for a PhD in Creative Writing at Aberystwyth University, is the author of What a Way to Go (Atlantic Books) and Muses (Oldcastle Books). Her poetry collection Invisible Sisterhood is due to be published by Parthian Books in 2027.
