With his family gathered at Celestia, a Welsh farmhouse nestled amongst the soaring peaks of the Brecon Beacons, filmmaker Will Warr reflects on time spent with his loved ones in one of Britain's most spectacular landscapes. Here, his favourite moments are captured in both picture and prose.
Celestia is reached at the end of a long farm track, and from the moment we arrived we felt wonderfully removed from real life.
We visited in spring, when each day new lambs appeared on the hillside beside the track – it felt like stepping into some magical fairytale landscape.
The house strikes the perfect balance between modern comfort and rustic charm. There was underfloor heating, powerful showers, roaring fires and comfy beds, but none of it felt overly polished or precious.
Between us we had five children under five, and it was exactly the kind of place where everyone could properly settle in and relax. The children spent hours pulling books from the shelves, being played to on the piano, and roaming happily between indoors and out.
The setting is extraordinary; dramatic mountains on every side, waterfalls within walking distance, and that rare sense of being completely immersed in nature.
The bravest among us started each day with cold plunges beneath the waterfall a minute from the house, while the children loved paddling in the stream and squelching barefoot through knee-deep mud.
There are a handful of lovely towns nearby, but we barely left other than to pick up supplies for dinner. Most days we were more than happy exactly where we were – muddy, cosy, well-fed and completely absorbed by the house and landscape around us.
A heartfelt thank you to Will Warr for the beautiful imagery and words. Watch his full film of Celestia, or discover more of his work at Detail Films.
Feeling inspired? Book your stay at Celestia, discover our collection of family-friendly escapes or peruse our Brecon Beacons portfolio.
