Small Duchess Wagon

Photo of the Small Duchess Snowdonia accommodation taken at night
Illustration of glamping perks such as self catering holiday and toilet facilities

Small Duchess Snowdonia Accommodation

 

Cosy and stylish accommodation in Snowdonia National Park – great for hikers, cyclists & mountain bikers, couples, and small families. 

Features

• Sleeps up to 3  • Private Kitchen • Electric light and heating •Shared washing facilities close by including hot showers  • USB charger • Parking nearby • Fire pit  • One dog or 2 small dogs welcome • Open March – early January

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Enjoy our fantastic location from the comfort of Small Duchess, cosy whatever the weather!

The well equipped self catering accommodation can sleep up to 3 people, making it ideal whether you’re a couple, small family, solo traveller, or with mates. Available from March – January.

What’s Inside?

There is a proper standard size double bed and 6ft 1″single bed/bench seat. You can whip up simple meals in the kitchenette and eat around the dining table. The wagon is fully insulated with an infrared heater for instant warmth at the flick of a switch.  There’s electric lighting, a USB charge point and free wifi.

The kitchenette features a 2 ring gas hob, sink with cold water tap, plenty of storage and a cool box. You can also use a shared fridge/ freezer close at hand. Cooking implements and crockery are provided so all you need to bring is bedding/sleeping bags and towels.

Order takeaway croissants and barista coffee for breakfast then sit back and relax around your fire-pit with a chilled craft beer from our shop!

Loo and Shower

Hot showers, washbasins and flushing loos are close by and shared with other campers (with nice clean loos practically en suite).  If you prefer to have private en suite facilities, you might prefer Empress wagon.

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Such a wonderful location. Quiet, great access to beautiful local places. We loved our stay in small Duchess. It was perfect for my son and I to have a walking weekend. The facilities were absolutely spotless. Would definitely return!
Tracey, 2023

Outdoor space

 
Enjoy views from your private seating area right outside the wagon with a fire bowl and picnic table. Here in Snowdonia Dark Skies Reserve  it’s perfect for awesome star-gazing. Children can find freedom to explore (under supervision) in our adjacent 40 odd acres of wild woods and fields.
 
Small Duchess is sited so you can see views of the mountains over a couple of camping pitches about 20 metres away. 

Self Catering Holiday Home Built with Local Timber

We built the wagons from scratch to our own design, just as we did with Jones, our shepherd’s hut. The wagons are clad with rosy Douglas Fir timber produced locally and ecologically in the Esgair Forest. The forest is part of the UNESCO Dyfi Biosphere Reserve, which supports sustainable livelihoods based on healthy environments. The wagon’s sleek interior is made from sustainable birch plywood, giving it a light and airy modern feel.

Glamping North Wales Location

 
The two quarry wagons, Small Duchess and Empress, are less secluded than our yurts and shepherd’s hut, located on the small camper van area of our camp site. You’ll have a few neighbours in up to half a dozen camper vans/caravans (less in winter) but our site is very quiet, laid back and friendly.
 
If you’re happy being a little less secluded with more in the way of home comforts, you’ll enjoy a stay in Small Duchess whatever the weather. If you’d rather be away from everyone, then you might like to consider Idris yurt or the Small Yurt, or glamping in the glade with a few other glampers.
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What are quarry wagons?

 
Similar in design to shepherd’s huts or cabins on wheels, we were inspired to call our new accommodation “quarry wagons” to reflect the typical Snowdonia industrial heritage of our location.
 
Our smart new wagons are sited where, in Victorian times, rock was brought on much more basic, open topped wagons from Ty’n y Coed slate quarry just down the road. The rock was split into roofing slates in the building which now houses our adjacent holiday cottages.
 

Why the names Small Duchess and Empress?

 
Because each of the two wagons is called after the traditional names for sizes of slate used by local Welsh quarrymen. “Small Duchesses” are a couple of sizes down from the largest “Empress”.
 
Here at Graig Wen, when the slates were cut, wagons transported them down a steep tramway or “incline” (which you can still see running across the tent camping fields). Slates were loaded onto boats at a jetty on the Mawddach Estuary before being shipped off to roof the Victorian world. By the 1870s, our site was no longer in use and oak, willow and rowan trees have grown up to provide shelter and frame the mountain views.
 
You can see a picture of Ty’n y Coed Quarry as it is now if you click the images below. The old photos from the National Museum of Wales Collection are from other North Wales slate quarries, but they give an idea of what would have been going on at Graig Wen in the mid nineteenth century.

 

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What we provide and what you should bring

When you book you will be emailed a link to your Welcome Guide (it works like an app on your phone). You’ll find all the info you need for self-check in and planning you stay, from what to bring to our tips for cool places to eat, hidden gems, local walks etc.

Inside:

  • Proper double bed and two optional full size single bench bes (please bring your own sleeping bags/bedding and pillows)
  • kitchenette with 2 ring gas hob, cold water sink, cool box
  • USB charger and wifi
  • Electric lighting
  • Infrared heater
  • Saucepans, plates, cutlery, mugs, beakers etc for 4 people
  • Waste bin and bin bags

 

Outside

  • Wash basins with hot and cold water and flushing loos close by shared with campers.
  • Hot showers within 100 metres shared with campers.
  • Fridge / Freezer access
  • Private seating area with picnic bench
  • Fire pit –  logs, kindling and firelighters  for sale on site
  • One car parking space near wagon

What you should bring

  • Download your Welcome Guide for full details
  • Bedding, sleeping bags, pillows etc
  • Towels
Access

There are a couple of steps up to Duchess. There is a step up into the double bed. Those with bad back problems may not want to push the fold down bed back up, but it has a spring on it so most people find it fine. Those bringing very young children may want to bring side bars for the bench bed which isa couple of feet off the ground.

Small Duchess Prices

From £70 – £95 / night

2 night minimum bookings outside of school holidays.  1 night stays are available at quieter times of year.

During School / Bank holidays, we book the wagons for 3 / 7 nights Friday to Monday and 4 / 7 nights Monday to Friday.

You can check availability, prices and book online by using the calendar on this page or check our Late Escapes for deals

Small Duchess calendar

 

Prices from £70 – 90/night

Minimium night stays apply

Tips on searching for availability
Choose a dark green date to check in. 2 nights minimum except for school holidays when you should search for 3 or 7 nights from Friday check in or 4 or 7 nights from Monday check in. 

Second time staying at this site and I really can’t fault it. The location is fantastic, so picturesque & tranquil. Facilities kept spotless. 

Angie, 2023

We had a really lovely stay in the Small Duchess wagon. It was really cosy and there was plenty of room. Great that we could bring our dog too. The site has amazing views and is in a great location for exploring the coast and the mountains.

Jenni, 2023