St Curig's Church

About

It’s probably true to say that there’s nowhere else quite like the self-catering holiday home St Curig's Church in North Wales. Ancient and modern stylishly combine in this beautiful home set within a 19th century church in the mountain village of Capel Curig.
Where else can you sleep beneath a carved stone pulpit, enjoy a hot tub under the stars or play table tennis beneath a fabulous 19th century mosaic ceiling? And all with lovely views of Eryri's/Snowdonia’s mountains from every window.
This was the vision Alice Douglas had when she first came to the village thirty years ago and decided to convert the church into her home.
The story of the conversion, a rollercoaster ride through planning regulations, builders and love affairs, was described in Alice’s fortnightly Sunday Times column.
Alice is the main person behind holidays at St Curig’s. She liaises with guests, meets them on arrival, organises activities and catering preferences. She is also on hand 24 hours a day should this be needed.

The church has two four-poster double en-suite bedrooms, two twin en-suite rooms (which can be made into doubles), another room with a single and double bed and a quirky but small family room that sleeps four in a double bed and bunk beds. We also have another bathroom, a cloakroom, a couple of trundle beds, and a travel cot that can be used in the double rooms if youngsters want to sleep in with their parents. We are in the process of upgrading all our mattresses to Vispring, which are heavenly to sleep on. If more rooms are required, we have two attic rooms available for larger groups. 

 

The kitchen is on a mezzanine level and overlooks the mosaic apse, has stained glass windows and is a really wow space for a celebratory meal or family gathering. The candle-lit dining table seats 16 comfortably and we have everything needed to whip up a feast including a Wolf Stove range cooker with griddle, Fisher & Paykel American Fridge Freezer, catering-sized pots and pans, a magi-mix, sharp knives, etc…  or we have catering options if you want that side partially or completely taken care of.  

 

Downstairs, there is a sitting room with a wood-burning stove, sofas, table tennis, a pool table and a grand piano. We are blessed with phenomenally talented local musicians if you want live music for an intimate concert in any genre. There is plenty of space for indoor activities such as yoga, carving, art classes or beauty treatments. We love making every stay extra special, so if you want an after-dinner speaker or a pop-up photographic studio to capture your gathering or anything at all, just ask! 

 

The property has a ¾-acre walled garden with a hot tub (an optional extra) that looks towards the beautiful Snowdon Horseshoe, which is extremely nice after a long day in the mountains. We also have a slate outdoor dining table, fire bowl, pizza oven, and built-in barbecue. There is also a zip-wire, climbing wall, and swimming in the lake 150 meters from the church. 

 

We offer pizza experiences that involve the group making and baking their pizzas in our wood-fired Tuscan oven. We provide the dough for the bases, homemade tomato sauce, cheese, and herbs and then ask guests to bring along their own choice of extra toppings. It’s a fabulous way to learn how to make a truly tasty and authentic pizza.

 

On the doorstep, we have rock climbing, hiking, fishing, kayaking, paddleboarding wild swimming, horse riding, sled dog rides and canyoning. If you’d like more information on these activities then we can send details or links. The National Mountaineering Centre, Plas y Brenin, is only a few hundred meters from the church and they run outdoor courses. You can also rent kit from their store and have taster days which include kayaking, climbing and mountain biking. If you want to go up mountains or on hikes then I can send route descriptions or recommendations. We also have activity providers nearby, including mountain bikes, which can be dropped off at the church. One great activity is caving with Go Below and the three ZipWorld sites are nearby these include the fastest zip wire in the world, a Fforest coaster and Bounce Below which has huge trampolines in underground caverns. If you’d like a special experience, then why not make an axe at Royal Oak Forge?  

 

The nearest pub is a short walk from the church and has hearty food and so does the cafe. Other options nearby are Plas y Brenin or the Pen y Gwryd and I can also send details of the other restaurants if you want somewhere extra special. Tesco’s and Sainsbury’s will deliver a food order and there are two good farm shops on the way here; Rhug Estate on the A5 near Corwen or Bodnant Food on the A470. The website has a directory section with links to activity providers, pubs, restaurants, activities and hikes. 

 

We have some wonderful chefs like Lewis who will do a ten-course tasting menu or Milly can set up a grazing table for your arrival. Or why not have a pasta-making afternoon with Stev or an à la carte menu served by Just Dine. Tomi also has a pop-up cocktail bar which is always fun!