Without the slate industry, Taldraeth, the old vicarage would not exist. The vicarage and Trinity Church in Penrhyndeudraeth was built by the Oakley family in 1858, and the building includes a lot of slate.
We bought it in 2013, and renovated it to award-winning luxury 5 star bed and breakfast accommodation that has won numerous awards.
The site was named Taldraeth as it overlooks the Dwyryd estuary, which has been a key river for exporting slate from Blaenau Ffestiniog to the port of Porthmadog. We have taken care to preserve the original features of the house, with slate on the kitchen floor, pantry, hall, cellar and slate grates. The garden is made up of Victorian stone walls where we have planted native Welsh apple trees, soft fruits and vegetables and used them to make produce from 'garden to jar' Pantri Taldraeth.
The place is full of old Welsh furniture, dating back to the 17th century, collected by my parents over a 40 year period, that contains many items carved with slate.