Delor — Bryntalch Glamping Pods

A pod with a wood-fired hot tub, at Abermule near Montgomery

Delor is one of the pods at Bryntalch, at Lower Bryntalch near Abermule in the Severn valley, three miles west of Montgomery. It is clad in sawn log ends, it sleeps two, and it has a cedar barrel hot tub heated by a wood fire on a round deck of its own. Guests on Booking.com score it 9.4 out of 10 from 68 reviews.

Inside the pod

White boarded walls curve over, with the arched gable end painted deep green. The bed has a heavy frame built from reclaimed boards, made up in white with olive and dusky pink cushions, a timber-framed window and blind above the headboard and a brass light on either side. Two small shelves hold a plant and a diffuser. A pointed arch trimmed in pine separates the sleeping end from the rest, which is a neat piece of joinery and makes the pod feel like two rooms.

The galley and the shower

The kitchen is a run of pine units with black strap ironmongery, a wooden worktop, a stainless sink with a black pull-out tap and pink brick-bond tiles behind it. There is an under-counter fridge, a drip coffee maker, a toaster and a rail hung with red enamel mugs, and a timber breakfast bar with two black stools. The shower room is the pod’s own — a shower behind sliding glass doors, a small basin on a timber top, a WC and a round mirror on a bracket.

The wood-fired tub

The tub is a tall barrel in banded cedar with an insulated grey lid, a stainless firebox and flue standing beside it, and timber steps up to the rim. A wooden tray of drinks holders clips onto the edge. Being wood-fired, it wants lighting a few hours before you want it, and it heats slowly and stays hot — which is a different thing from a pump-and-heater tub and better on a cold night. Beyond the deck it is mown pasture, hedged fields, a scatter of farms and a line of wooded hills.

Dolforwyn Castle

On the ridge above Abermule stand the ruins of Dolforwyn Castle, and the story behind them is a good one. Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last Welsh prince to rule most of Wales, began building it in 1273 to watch the English lordship of Montgomery across the valley. King Edward I wrote and forbade him to build it. Llywelyn wrote back, very politely, that he did not need the king’s permission to put up a castle in his own principality. Four years later Roger Mortimer besieged it, and after a fortnight the garrison surrendered because they had run out of water. It is in Cadw’s care and free to get into, but it sits on top of a steep hill: the track up from the car park is about three hundred metres and takes a quarter of an hour. The view up the Severn valley from the top is the reason Llywelyn chose the spot.

Getting here

Abermule is on the A483 between Newtown and Welshpool. Newtown is five miles south-west for the supermarkets, Montgomery three miles east for R. H. Bunner & Son, the ironmonger on Arthur Street that has been trading since 1892. Newtown has the nearest station, on the Cambrian Line.

Good to know

How many does it sleep? Two, in one double bed.

Is the hot tub private? Yes, on its own round deck, and it is wood-fired.

How long does the tub take to heat? Several hours — light it well before you want it.

Is the shower room inside? Yes.

Is there a kitchen? Yes — sink, fridge, coffee maker, toaster and a breakfast bar.

How far is Montgomery? About three miles.

Is there parking? Yes, free, on site.

What does it cost? From around £140 a night for two.