This outdoor retreat is filled with rural surprises and has put a spring in the step of nearby town Cardigan.

Are you familiar with the Danish concept of hygge? It was all the rage a few years back, even inspiring a bestseller, The Little Book of Hygge, which shifted over a millions copies worldwide. Hygge is a sense of cosiness and simplicity; living in the moment with like-minded people who want to connect with one another and disconnect from the stresses and anxieties of the 21st century. Not to give away the ending, but fforest farm has hygge in spades. Occupying 200 acres of farmland in West Wales, it’s the brainchild of husband-and- wife team Sian Tucker and James Lynch, who swapped the ballyhoo of property development in London’s once-trendy Shoreditch for the authentic rural delights of Cardiganshire. Their goal was to create a space where guests can enjoy the pleasures of outdoor living in an outstanding natural environment. And they’ve done it right. From the materials used to build the accommodations to the homegrown produce featured at mealtimes, fforest farm demonstrates a commitment to its creators’ vision, and an eye for detail that’s near faultless. The site features eight different kinds of accommodation, from their famous biodomes to crog lofts and bell tents, each with a private kitchen and most with their own private toilet and shower facilities. Our hill shac (not a typo!) boasts two kitchens, one indoors and one out so that, should the Welsh weather allow, you can prepare your family feasts en plein air. The indoor kitchen is open-plan to the lounge and living area, with a gas-fired heater should the blankets and throws the venue supplies not be sufficient to keep out the cold. Our shac (still not a typo!) also boasts a bell barbecue, which we bravely front up and use between rain showers on our final evening. And, for those used to the dubious delights of trying to keep your food fresh for a week in a cool box, the shac also has a fridge. Life’s so much more hygge when you’re not worried about your groceries going off.

The hill shac is perfectly configured for our family of four, with my partner, Kirsty, and I sharing a double and the kids in a twin, the indoor loo equidistant from both. For an authentic camping touch, however, the shower is outside but private and, given the whole point of fforest farm is to get back to nature, received only irregular use. The venue offers a fully self-catering option, but who wants to make breakfast when it’s available on-site? Housed in the farm’s central hub, which also features check-in, the community shop, a large tepee for group activities (including movie screenings) and the on-site pub, breakfast is a buffet-style delight. Featuring local products with as much as possible grown on-site, you can tuck into fresh fruit, cereals, yogurt, bread still warm from the oven and a multitude of preserves. Dairy-free and gluten-free options are also in evidence. Pocket a couple of still-warm hard-boiled eggs, and you’re all set for the day.

After such a hearty, hobbity start to the day, what else would you do but go for a yomp? Wellies and waterproofs on, we plunge into the network of marked footpaths that fforest farm is nestled at the centre of. The helpful staff tell us the local market town of Cardigan is about an hour’s walk through the woods, but it’s more like a brisk 45 minutes. With a medieval bridge, a ruined castle by the wide river Teifi and a buzzy, busy high street, it is well worth the soggy walk. In fact, Cardigan is having a bit of a moment. The founders of fforest farm have invested in renovating a riverside warehouse to create a new hotel, The Albion, and a wood-fire pizza emporium on the opposite side of the Teifi. Cardigan is also home to artisan denim manufacturer Hiut and the Mwldan independent cinema and culture centre. Brace yourself, dear Cardigan – there may be a stampede on the way.

Having dipped into the town’s delights, we trek back through the woods just in time for opening time at fforest’s on-site pub, the Bwthyn. After our there-and-back-again yomp, we’ve certainly earned a pit stop. Housed in a 200-year-old stone-and-slate farmworker’s cottage, and claiming to be the smallest pub in Wales, the Bwythn’s drinks list features locally brewed beers and spirits, as well as a cross-section of name brands. More to the point, it embodies the spirit of hygge to a tee. We grab a table by the open fire and warm our tired feet while the bar staff light candles and make us feel entirely welcome. Next morning, the breakfast spread doesn’t disappoint, unlike the weather. But with waterproofs dried by the fire in our cosy cabin, we go into the unknown once more and head off to the nature reserve that fforest farm sits alongside. The Teifi Marshes wildlife reserve boasts a fabulous, modern visitor centre and marked walks among the woods, reed beds, marshes and riverside. Canoeing is also available and wild water swimming, but we are already wet enough, and so stick to the footpaths. For dinner we treat ourselves to pizza at fforest’s Pizzatipi by the Teifi in Cardigan. This time, we save our legs and drive (parking is possible – even at dinnertime!). The riverside location adds to the atmosphere, as does the smoke in the air of the tepee where guests sit. The pizzas arrive fast and are devoured even faster. The kids opt for their standard margarita, while I go for it with a ’nduja, all of them with thin-and-crispy, hand-pulled bases and a delicious tomato sauce. I eye theirs hungrily even as I eat my own, but not a single slice (or even a crust) makes the return journey to the cabin with us. 

On the last day, aching of limb, we decide to take it easier on ourselves and drive to Poppit Sands Beach. Just a short distance from Cardigan, it sits at the head of the Teifi as it empties into Cardigan Bay, sheltered from the sea by a prominent headland. The large expanse of fine, yellow sand is a lovely contrast to the woods, marshes and reed beds we’d explored thus far. After a bracing walk (all we are missing is a dog), we head back through Cardigan and make a pit stop at the The Albion. A Grade II-listed former shipping warehouse, The Albion is now a luxurious hotel where they’re happy to serve a family of four with drinks on the riverside terrace. A quick mooch inside lives up to the promise of the exterior, and it’s soon added to our list of must-stays. But, with our beers and juices drunk and a break in the cloud to take advantage of, we head back to fforest and fire up the barbecue. Four burgers sizzle in the evening air, while the outdoor stove warms up the sweetcorn and the brioche buns are sliced in anticipation. Sea air always works up an appetite, and this occasion is no different, our plates wiped clean in no time. Then, to sign off, we all sit on the veranda and watch the sunset under blankets. It really doesn’t get more hygge than this.