We are Julie and Jan Peggs, the “new” owners of Plas Gwyn together with Rolo, our 10 year old Golden Retriever. Plas Gwyn became our new home in November 2014. Moving from North Yorkshire, for me (Jan), this meant a very welcome end to of 12 years of commuting from Harrogate to London to work. For Julie, the move brought to an end 12 years of working with teenagers with learning and behavioural difficulties. For both of us, Dolgellau and Plas Gwyn is the next chapter in our lives, enabling us to spend time together in a wonderful part of the world at a less hectic pace and meeting a great bunch of new people that we have been fortunate to have already had here as our guests.
Wales has long been a draw for us. My grandfather was born and spent his early years in Cardiff where his father ran a fish shop near the docks. I spent my university years at Cardiff and returned to Wales again, this time to the North of the principality, after I married Julie. We lived in North Wales for 12 years during which time our two sons were born. Family holidays brought us to Barmouth, Bala and Dolgellau and we fell in love with the area. In 2002, work took us to Yorkshire before in 2014 we were lucky enough to be able to return to this part of Wales.
Julie’s great passion in life is horses and specifically her current horse “Snaffles”, regularly enjoying canters through the woods and tracks along the Mawddach estuary. Less than 10 minutes drive away at Abergwynant, Snaffles shares her field with the hens that provide our free range eggs that we use for our breakfasts.
2013 saw me taking to the saddle and I do still ride horses from time to time, but I’m happier when clipped into my pedals and on two wheels, either on of off road.
2013 also saw me together with 2 friends cycling from our village in Yorkshire all the way to Paris. An epic (for us) journey of over 300 miles. One of the great draws in moving to Dolgellau for me is the fantastic cycling for both road and mountain bikes as I struggle to return to anywhere near my fitness of just 2 years ago!
Whatever your reason for you visiting Dolgellau, we extend a warm welcome to you and look forward to sharing our home and cottage with you at Plas Gwyn.
Julie and Jan Peggs
Thanks to Stuart Swinden for the photographs of us at Plas Gwyn