The Great British Outdoors The forest where the Penrhos Isaf bothy is located is just like out of the fairy tale. Or a good old horror movie if you like, where the events take place in dense and beautiful woods. The bothy is a well-built former farmhouse, now maintained by MBA and owned by Forestry Commission. The forest around bothy is susceptible to forest fires and as a result, no fires are allowed outside the bothy.
As you enter the Penrhos Isaf bothy you will notice that it’s quite dark inside and you will be better of having a torch on you when moving around. There are three rooms on the ground level two of which are quite small and the third, a slightly larger room, has a stove in it. There used to be a better stove there, but sadly somebody nicked it. Now thanks to MBA who looks after Penrhos Isaf and many other bothies the stollen stove was replaced with the current one. Upstairs you will find two additional rooms with a sleeping platform in one of them. Outside the bothy, there is an adjacent wood barn and a toilet in the woods – probably the best location for a toilet over any other bothy.
Features
The 5 room Penrhos Isaf bothy has a sitting room with a stove, chairs, and tables in it plus a sleeping platform upstairs. Outside there is a wood barn with a saw in it and a cosy toilet in the woods.
Location
Maybe not everyone’s cup of tea, but we love it! We understand there are other bothies that offer a more rural feel and views over snowy mountains, but this is a bothy in the dense forest which is not so common. We only wish that the access to the bothy was more challenging for a reason of bothy well-being.
Size
Penrhos Isaf is a very large-sized bothy and there should be no struggle finding your own quiet corner for the night, even if sharing it with several others. The rooms upstairs can sleep 10 or more and then there’s the ground level too.
Comfort
The bothy is very dark and while it may be comforting for some it requires a headtorch equipped at all times. Besides this, the ample space and choice of usable rooms, the stove, the wood barn, and the toilet in the woods, all make it for a comfortable stay.
Accessibility
The hike to the bothy is straightforward over roads and a gravel path all the way except for a short walk through the forest near the bothy. No vehicles in the forest are allowed and dogs must be kept on the lead.
