Britain’s landscape is rich in history, with relics left standing to tell us important stories of the past. The Cable Hut in Pembrokeshire is no exception – having played a crucial role in Britain’s early communications with the US. Here, we uncover its journey from an old transmission hut to a cosy cottage-meets-cabin just 400m from the coast.
“The Cable Hut was originally a tiny stone and corrugated iron cable hut used when telephone cables were first laid across the Atlantic ocean,” John, the property owner, explains. “Situated between the beaches of Abermawr and Aberbach, the hut was used a telegraphic station for communication with North America.” The cables were laid along the seabed using cable ships, facilitating communication between England and Wales with Ireland and beyond.
“In the first World War, because of its importance in providing a link to North America, the station was guarded by a small unit of soldiers,” John continues. However, during a storm in the early 1920s, the road above the beach at Abermawr was washed away and, with it, the shore ends of the cables – leaving the station abandoned. It was later transformed into a holiday retreat by a couple from London, before eventually finding its way into the hands of John and his family.
Despite the significance of its history, it was the location that beguiled the family who now call it theirs. “The isolation of The Cable Hut so close to the sea is truly unique,” he notes. “We loved its rustic feel set into the landscape and yet also so exposed to the elements. On one of our first visits, a storm raged in off the Irish Sea in spectacular fashion. From that moment, we fell in love with it.” Once a place that helped close the distance between here and there, today its remoteness is part of the romance. There’s little other than nature at your fingertips: the winding coastal path leads straight from the front door, with Pembrokeshire National Park’s choice of ten Blue Flag beaches waiting to be discovered along the way.
Turning the hideaway, comprising a stone cottage and a half-corrugated-iron hut, into something that felt luxurious in today’s world was a challenge. “The renovation was scheduled to take just 12 weeks,” John recalls. “However the building was in a poor state and required more extensive works to be carried out.” Amongst the hurdles was working out how to introduce a slipper bath beside the window to capitalise on the sweeping sea views – ultimately leading to one being designed bespoke for the space – whilst taking on board advice from the local community, to whom the property is so important.
The result is a place that offers the best of both worlds. The cottage feels bright and breezy, with internal walls painted milk-white, and is rooted in its location with Welsh dragon-red soft furnishings produced by local woollen mill Melin Tregwynt. The hut, sitting adjacent to the cottage, is clad in honeyed wood, with large picture windows framing the sea. In August, it’s the perfect summerhouse to return to for sunset-watching after long days at the beach; in winter, a snug cabin from which to storm-watch beside the crackling woodburner.
“There are only a handful of cable huts still in existence in the UK,” John finishes. “But none that we’ve found quite like this one.”
Feeling inspired? Discover more of our owner stories or homes with histories, peruse our collection of coastal retreats, or find the best places to stay in Pembrokeshire.
