Fort Belan - holiday cottages

11/10/2023

Fort Belan again is very happy to invite you in the start of December to a very popular long weekend of music (and especially jamming) .

We welcome musicians and artists, newcomers and old friends to spend time in a very peaceful and beautiful location in North Wales, surrounded by nature. This weekend is especial opportunity for workshops, for jamming, for establishing connections and friendship as well as have a very happy time together. There are 2 sharing spaces for Jamming/ workshops with piano.

Doors at Fort Belan will be open at 3pm on Thursday 30th of November and close at 2pm on Monday 4th of December.

Rooms are allocated in the cottages according to your preferences, in first come - first serve basis. Each cottage has its own facilities bathrooms, kitchen and living areas. Please let us know if you are a couple or in a group.

Please note this is a self-catering event and venue is equipped for self-catering, so please remember to organise own food and drink. We kindly suggest everybody will bring a dish to share in the evening in the main kitchen/ dining room.

It always was popular to have a live performance session on Saturday night at around 7pm in the main music hall, so we are continue this tradition and invite everybody to perform.

We ask everyone to act responsibly and treat each other and the accommodation with respect and care.
Well behaved dogs are also welcome (charges applied) and asked to be kept on leads.

In-house accommodation has a maximum capacity of 45 people, so be quick.

Live in vehicles are also welcome during this weekend.

Annual Jamming weekend at Fort Belan.

All Musicians and artists are very welcome.

You could stay 2, 3 or 4 nights.

More information, booking form and all details in post below.

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09/05/2023

08/03/2023

Moon over Eryri (Snowdonia) from Belan Dock 7th March eve.

16/02/2023

We warmly invite you to a weekend of music (acoustic jamming especially), connection, friendship, and laughter at Fort Belan a beautiful location on the coast of North Wales. This intimate gathering of musicians and artists is for friends old and new. The weekend is an opportunity for workshops and sharing with two main spaces for jamming/ workshops, both spaces have pianos.
Doors at Fort Belan open at 3pm on Friday 10th of March and close at 2pm on Monday 13th of March.
Rooms are allocated in the cottages according to your preferences. Each cottage has its own facilities bathrooms, kitchen and living areas. Please let us know if you are a couple or in a group.
Please note this is a self-catering event at a venue equipped for self-catering , please organise own food and drink. We kindly suggest all bring a dish to share in the evening in the main kitchen/ dining room.
It is popular to have a live performance session on Saturday night at around 7pm in the main music hall. Everyone is invited to perform.
We ask everyone to act responsibly and treat each other and the accommodation with respect and care
Well behaved dogs are welcome to (charges apply) and we ask to be kept on leads
In-house accommodation has a maximum capacity of 45 people.
Live in vehicles are also welcome during the weekend

16/02/2023

02/06/2022

This seven-year-old Welsh girl's school asked pupils to dress as members of the royal family ahead of the Jubilee. This was the outfit she chose 💪💪🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 https://bit.ly/3z4Ocoy

30/08/2021

30/08/2021

30/08/2021

31/05/2021

Summer Bank Holiday morning to everybody.
So quiet and pleasant here though we have fort full.
Just sun, warm breeze and birds voices.

25/03/2021

20/03/2021

We have two cats living with us.

Cat number one is a free soul and constantly goes in and out, in and out, all day non-stop.

Cat number two is a home cat, she is always near us and never knows what to do outside. If she ever goes outside, she runs like a bullet in a circle on the lawn and flies back in the room.

Cat number one never liked Fort. Why? We do not know. But whenever she came to fort during last years she always began to hibernate, hardly ever to be seen and peacefully waits for the time to go home.

It seems as if the last very long lockdown destroyed this cat’s ideas about hibernation, and she began to go out. And she liked it!

Even more, cat quickly realized that the whole family stayed at fort and hardly ever go out shopping which must mean – doesn’t have proper fresh food, so cat began to catch and bring us some food – mice, rats, even birds.

Our cat number one is an adult responsible cat. The family security and safety it is her priority. So now days when grandmother and granddaughter is going for a walk this cat always follows them. They go together across courtyard, bridge and carry to the dunes and sea. Cat stays on stones next to the sea and waits for youngest and oldest members of the family to safely come back.

She never follows other members of the family in their walks, probably thinking that they don’t need any supervision at all.
To be honest, it makes me much more relax knowing that the weakest members of our family are always protected and being carefully watched.

If only our cat could talk – she could tell us what she is thinking everyday peacefully sitting next to the sea and waiting and waiting…

15/03/2021

Our next lockdown had finished, and we returned home to our ordinary life, which we used to, but which seems to be so odd now. Children go back to school again; they are happy to meet with their friends, whom they missed during all these months and they also glad to do everything which they haven’t done for long time.
It seems that life is going back to its previous normal state. At least we hope so.

But this family time together at fort during this and last year lockdowns are still very vivid in my head.

It was very stressful at start. What it would be? how it would be? How would children study and how they would be without school and their usual routine? How all of it could affect them at the end?
But everything which was so scary and stressful at start turned up to be not too bad.

We seemed to have a very good time, so now we even feel sorry and guilty for that.

It was so nice to wake up in the morning and see bright and sometimes even warm sun, go for a walk all together, listen to sea, waves and voices of birds, mostly seagulls and always noisy oystercatchers.

It was a lovely time to be on your own and surrounded only by nature.

We found a fun in being self-sufficient: do our own haircut, make own bread, grown own herbs, make suppers and deserts all together, bake own pizza and enjoyed it on the lawn with the presence of seagulls and under its very attentive eye waiting for a right moment to steal a piece of pizza or other food.

We lived very enclosed and go to shop only when we really need to, maybe only twice a month or so, and it was so surprising to see other people who still exist in the outside world.

Was it our deeply hidden real wish in life or we just accept what we must accept? We will see.

But now being back to our normal new life we are missing our time together, our walks, sea breeze, colorful Belan sunsets and snowdrops appear everywhere.

02/03/2021

Large full moon and big tides at fort now. It seems no sea left around and you can easily walk across Fforyd Bay. Not very good idea though.

It is nice to be out in warm air and see what the sea has left for us. Dream place for children to be and play.

27/02/2021

Absolutely lovely weekend at Fort Belan with beautiful sunset and magical moon.

07/02/2021

I don't know is it something wrong with me or with Facebook today, but I can not add pictures with the beautiful Belan sky to previous post. So here they are- our beautiful sky. So many different colours! I wish I could paint it.

07/02/2021

We were hoping for spring but it seems winter is back in Wales. It is very cold at Fort Belan today but despite this strong wind it is still very nice and relaxing. The sky as usual is absolutely fantastic.

08/07/2020

Would you like a break from noisy and the business of town?

Would you like to wake up by birds singing in the tranquillity of Cheshire countryside?

Would you like to spend day relaxing in private garden and finish with your own barbeque in the colourful sunset?

If you feel something like that - welcome to our favourite early 17th century Jacobean house -Crabmill Farmhouse.

Our house located in the heart of Cheshire countryside, surrounding by fields and farms, despite its very rural position is easy to reach – only 15 minutes by car from Crewe Train Station. Major well-equipped hospital is short drive away. Historical Sandbach with famous crosses and market is 4 miles away.

Also, only some minutes’ drive will bring you to a beautiful local village Warmingham and its cosy historic pub near old church and small stream. Pub has attractive design and separated on different zones suitable for different party size and in cold weather enjoy bright warm fire from its large open fireplace. They also make good coffee and tasty food.

Just brief walk from house will bring you to famous Crabmill flash which is popular with anglers and Watch lane flash which is very popular with bird watchers observing birds in their natural surroundings. Whenever you are passing flashes you always will notice birdwatches – abundant bird life attracts birdwatchers in all weathers.

Walkers won’t have any difficulties to find suitable walks with many footpaths crossing local farms and fields starting just on the doorstep of Crabmill.

If you feel a bit lazy and not in the very adventurous mood you can spend whole day in the cottage and its garden. House enjoys an acre of its own ground. In the east part of the garden lie the net of the ponds with goldfish in it and real size cricket filed. There is a dining table on the west side of the garden near the kitchen which is the best place for peaceful supper alfresco in the last rays of evening sun.

You can find plenty of things to do in house and around without the car, however we recommend the use of car to fully enjoy surrounding are with its historical towns, churches and canals, pubs, gardens, and restaurants.

Crabmill is suitable for 6 people who can fully appreciate the comfort of the house and relax in 3 double bedrooms. All bedrooms are very spacious, and the one has adjoining dressing room and roomy enough to have daybed and pull out bed which make it suitable for 4 people (and whole house in this case for 8). All bedrooms have lovely views either on own garden or nearby fields and flashes.

Conservatory overlooking garden enjoy nice sunshine.

So, we have everything ready for peaceful and tranquil break away from all bustle and hustle.

We are happy to see you in our Crabmill either for short break or even for longer booking (please contact us on facebook).

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17/03/2020

We just came back from lovely weekend at Fort Belan. Very remote nice and peaceful place away from all panic around: just sea, mountains, wind and nobody at sight.
Beautiful sunsets and bright almost look like summer mornings. Always have plenty to do. If school were to close we definitely go there.

01/03/2020

Happy St.David’s Day to everybody!

Some first daffodils from Fort Belan.

23/02/2020

Storm Kiara eventually had gone but Dennis came instead. Is any difference between them? They both seemed to be very windy and wet. Just to make sure that fort is still where we had left it last time, we went to check it out, leaving on Saturday when wind was supposed to have eased off… but did it really happen? I don’t really know as heavy loaded vehicle felt extremely shaky and looks like doesn’t have much connection with the road at times and as result were very close to fly away to the lovely warm country of wizard of Oz.
Two hours of travelling and only rain, wind and not too many cars on road. Not very surprising, really. Luckily fort was still where we have left it last time and even the wind seems less strong and aggressive inside of fort courtyard. It felt very nice and protected in old stone walls and bright fire immediately make room cosy and warm. It’s nice to be back in Wales! We need to come more often.
Nice, warm, cosy, welcoming… till the night had come. Every night our own ghost hosted a noisy party every ghost from any of historical building invited. Every night they were screaming and signing from the old fashion fireplaces in bedrooms, banged their chains with each other, knock to the doors, dance on the old floor… everybody should have fun! Party activity was followed by day sleep and all refreshed they are ready to start again with dusk.
So a week of storm has gone but we still have quite strong wind here, though less rain): dancing grass, waves, flying branches.

18/02/2020

Aled Hughes

Aled Hughes

Corwynt bach y Fenai 🌪

25/12/2019

Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year to everybody!

06/12/2019

Interesting map of beautiful Wales. So I think I share it)

A wonderful map of Wales, showing all the rivers. It's more like a work of art --- and it explains where all that rain goes, and why Wales is so green.....

30/09/2019

Yvonne

What a great weekend at Fort Belan. Nearly 400 hundred visitors in a day. Not bad considering the awful weather. Such a shame that the two ferries from Caernarfon didn't make it due to the weather. Finished weekend off last night with G&T's on Peter 's yacht. Thanks for your hospitality Peter. See you soon x

27/09/2019

Queen of the Sea

On Sunday we’ll be sailing to Fort Belan from Caernarfon at 9.15 & 10.30am ferrying anyone who wants to enjoy a fantastic open day opportunity at this privately owned Fortress https://bit.ly/2A9bo8f

04/05/2019

So, we are back now from our trip to Mid Wales. And story continues. Dominic Noone you were right- it seems unexpected pirates have come. We have another flag there now. I wonder what it all means?))

04/05/2019

We woke up in the very bright morning, though very breezy and cool and found that on the top the fort... so we wonder why? Usually we put up welsh dragon flag for special events, but our guest choose this... so we just now thinking why? Do they just want to put flag up or here is some message?))

21/04/2019

Very nice warm day. Very nice sailing weather.
But somebody is seriously crazy and seems to want to sink 3 children!

20/04/2019

Hope they won’t finish in the sea one day))