UTOPIA ON USK
Fusing conservation, community and fun, this house and estate, tucked away in a quiet corner of the Brecon Beacons National Park, is a modern-day Eden, says Abigail Whyte
BRECON BEACONS
Pdaughters enpont very for me for special and has a few my been place years two a now. It’s only an hour away from where we live, so whenever I feel the urge for a mini-adventure, I pack up our little tent, swimsuits and a bottle of wine and head to this magical spot on the banks of the Usk.The river – spanned by a handsome 17th-century bridge – splits the 2,000-acre estate in two, with the manor house, majestic lawns, Green Man maze, kitchen garden and farm shop on one side, and the rose garden, campsite and grazing meadows on the other.
ECO ETHOS
While Penpont is very much a family home (owned by the same family since 1666) and beautiful place to stay, it’s also a working estate, producing its own organic fruit and veg, meat, dairy and charcoal. Low-impact living is key to its ethos, with the land fed entirely on home-produced green manure and garden compost, fuel sourced from the estate’s own woodland, and rainwater harvested from the stable roof for the hot showers and loos. Up to 35 people are allowed to camp at a time and are encouraged to minimise their waste on site.
You can’t help but notice an atmosphere of openness and generosity at Penpont, too, with local artists and crafters invited to use their workshop space, WWOOF volunteers mucking in in the kitchen garden and, in the largest youth-led project of its kind, Action for Conservation is working with young people from a range of backgrounds teaching them about wildlife, habitat restoration, sustainable farming and forestry. Vital projects like these will keep our countryside thriving for all to enjoy in the future.
While all this activity may make Penpont sound like a busy place, it feels far from it. When the tent is pitched and my girls and I go for a wander, we feel as though Penpont is our own. The girls play tag barefoot in the orchard, climb trees and paddle in the Usk. I, meanwhile, recline on the grass and watch the magic happen – glass of wine in hand, of course.