Natural and organic UK cosmetics: the best sustainable beauty brands
Under Starry Skies: What is it?
Under Starry Skies offers off-grid, nature-friendly stays in the heart of Wales’ first Dark Sky Reserve, just outside the Bannau Brecheiniog National Park. Located on an 80-acre farm dedicated to biodiversity, guests can escape to one of two off-grid cabins or a converted hay barn. Each cabin has its own private star-gazing deck and wildflower meadow, while Llwynbwch Barn features a private wildlife garden.
Welcoming guests since 2012, the site invites a connection with nature, offering activities like stargazing, birdwatching, campfire cooking, and sunset views from the fire pit. Visitors are also perfectly located to explore the natural beauty of Carmarthenshire and West Wales, with its stunning coastlines, castles, and mountains.
Hafan (meaning ‘Haven’) and Derwen (meaning ‘Oak’) are two off-grid cabins, self-built by founders Adam and Lou using locally sourced materials and sustainable practices. These cabins feature a living roof, sheltered deck, fire pit, BBQ, and composting loo. Inside, each cabin offers a mezzanine double bed, a sofa bed for children, a wood-burner, solar-powered lighting, and a seating area. The cabins sit in their own wildflower meadows, surrounded by trees and wildlife, offering a peaceful and sustainable retreat.
A short walk away is Ty Mawr, the communal building where guests can enjoy private bathrooms with rainfall showers, a fully equipped kitchen, and a sun deck.
Llwynbwch Barn, originally a hay barn, has been thoughtfully converted using traditional methods like sheep wool insulation and reclaimed wood. Accommodating up to four guests, the barn combines rustic charm with modern comfort, featuring a spacious living area with a vaulted ceiling and skylights, a woodburning stove, and a fully equipped kitchen. The main bedroom has a cozy stove and a bed crafted by Adam from sycamore trees felled on the property. Guests can enjoy the garden from the bedroom for breakfast or stargazing. The barn is fully accessible, with the main living areas and bathrooms on the ground floor. The mezzanine bedroom has twin beds that can be converted into a double.
Llwynbwch Barn boasts a private garden overlooking the ‘Fan’, perfect for birdwatching and unwinding. The property offers a range of amenities, including Wi-Fi, smart TV, games, books, a well-equipped kitchen, and all bedding and towels.
For families, a travel cot, highchair, and other baby essentials are available. There is also a BBQ for outdoor cooking and ample parking for up to two cars. An EV charger is available, with electricity sourced from Octopus Energy.
Under Starry Skies Stays:
Hafan Cabin
from £90/night
Derwen Cabin
from £90/night
Llwynbwch Barn
from £90/night
Under Starry Skies: How Sustainable is it?
The founders of Under Starry Skies, Adam and Lou, dreamed of creating simple, unique places to stay in a beautiful location many years ago while wild camping in their campervan. They love being outdoors and wanted to build a place with minimal impact, made with care and featuring thoughtful design.
Their cabins are part of their farm and deeply-rooted in the local rural community. They always recommend local places to visit and explore and have an honesty shop that stocks seasonal food products from wonderful local suppliers. The site is kept intentionally small to offer guests privacy, space, and many opportunities to be alone in nature.
Adam and Lou have worked hard to minimise their carbon footprint by making informed decisions on energy use, sourcing low-impact building materials locally, and always using renewable energy providers. Guests are encouraged to compost, recycle, and make use of eco-friendly cleaning products. Laundry is done in-house and air-dried naturally.
They are proud that the carbon footprint for their cabins is just 1.0kg CO2e per cabin per night, far below the national average for UK hotels of 14.9kg CO2 per bedroom per night.
Aiming to be a model for low-impact tourism, they encourage guests to travel by train, bike, or electric vehicle when possible, offering a booking discount for those who do.
Llwynbwch, once a dairy farm, has been managed for wildflowers and wildlife using traditional methods such as grazing with Exmoor ponies, scything, and hedgelaying since 2000. Guests may spot rare and protected species, such as Marsh Fritillary and Brown Hairstreak butterflies or Butterfly orchids.
For many years Under Starry Skies has been working with Butterfly Conservation to monitor and record Marsh. In 2020, Butterfly Conservation recorded Marsh Fritillary larvae webs and Brown Hairstreak eggs at Llwynbwch, and both species continue to thrive. These butterflies are in decline nationally, making their presence even more significant. The summer months also bring a variety of day-flying moths and other butterflies. In early spring, the woodlands are carpeted in wood anemones, followed by a dense cover of bluebells. Since 2017, several beehives have been placed on the land, cared for by local beekeeper Bydafau, with the honey available in their Teeny Tiny honesty shop.
The meadows are grazed with low stocking density, initially with Welsh cobs and cattle from local farms. In 2020, a friend from the village, knowledgeable about Exmoor ponies, suggested using them for conservation grazing. This led to the acquisition of three Exmoor ponies—Rosemarie, Jasper, and Bear—who now live on-site full-time, aiding land management.
The fields are bordered by dense, species-rich native hedgerows and mature trees. Adam and Lou have been laying hedges and reopening old coppiced areas of wood. All firewood for use in Llwynbwch Barn, Hafan, Derwen cabins, Ty Mawr, and their own home is sustainably sourced from the woodlands at Llwynbwch.
They are proud members of Green Key and were awarded Silver Sustainable Tourism Business at the 2018/19 Carmarthenshire Tourism Awards. All toilets on-site use ‘We Give a Crap’ toilet paper, and the facilities are Toilet Twinned through the charity Toilet Twinning. Adam and Lou host regular visits from Butterfly Conservation to monitor Marsh Fritillary butterfly numbers and seasonal visits from Trees and Conservation ecologists for land management. Bat surveys by the Carmarthenshire Bat Project have revealed a diverse range of species. In 2021, Llwynbwch Barn also hosted the charity fundraiser Speedomick during their 2,000-mile Giving Back Tour across the UK and Ireland.
Under Starry Skies: where can I book?
Book online at: understarryskies.co.uk
