Oriel Caffi Croesor
We found this fantastic little art gallery/cafe at the end of a remote valley – you can see “the Welsh Matterhorn”, Cnicht, rising just behind the beautifully restored building.
There’s not much about Oriel Caffi Croesor on the internet so I rang first to check they were open and was asked if we’d like some soup when we arrived. We were duly welcomed warmly with home-made leek and potato soup and lemon drizzle cake by the blazing inglenook fire. It’s the sort of cosy spot you could easily spend an afternoon.
As well as seeing an exhibition of some atmospheric landscape photographs, we had the opportunity of meeting a couple of intriguing ladies – artist Eleanor Brookes and her muse, the late Mrs Spinks. In 1973, Eleanor displayed an installation with a dirty bed and its shabby surroundings in a London art gallery – sound familiar? In this tiny gallery up in the Snowdonia mountains you can enter a world Eleanor has created inspired by Mrs Spinks, a real lady with an extraordinary history. The exhibition runs until mid April and is well worth a visit. There’s a short interview here.