What Staying in a Secluded Cabin in the Black Mountains Was Like
BY Vivian Yeung
Lydia Pang, co-founder of the creative studio Morning, travelled to the Welsh Black Mountains to stay in a secluded nature cabin. Here, she tells us about the experience.
Working in the creative industries and itching for a reset? Travel is often linked to healing and reinvigoration for the mind, whilst design and accommodation can enhance the experience. That's what Lydia Pang found when she stayed in a secluded nature cabin, nestled in the Welsh Black Mountains. Formerly a Senior Director at Nike, Pang has worked at publications such as Refinery29 and overseen the visual content at M&C Saatchi. She currently runs Morning remotely from Wales.
Pang stayed in a charming, wooden cabin by Unyoked, surrounded by nature – the perfect setting to switch off in, unwind and take in the verdant greenery. Located in the Black Mountains, away from her home office in Wales, she spent her time in the cabin reading and disconnecting. Read more about her experience below.
What did you do during your weekend in the Black Mountains?
We enjoyed the journey of driving there exploring some nearby forests! We went foraging which is something we like to do a lot, but it was a really rainy grey day so we wrapped up in waterproofs and went out. It was super dreamy and cosy being out in the rain, and even better when we got back to the cabin as with the fire lit it was so cosy. And silent! Not another soul in sight, which was lush. We slept in late, read our books all day, went for walks in the area. It’s really remote which is epic; you can wander for ages feral and free!
On the second night we drove to a local supper club at a permaculture farm called Three Pools! The last day we were super lazy, slept in late, made breakfast on the fire, watched these massive kite birds flying right above us. I read almost all of my book, The History of Art Without Men by Katy Hessel, because I was able to totally and fully switch off. Something I find hard to do!
What are your thoughts on the accommodation?
The location was epic, proper in the middle of nowhere which I loved. You feel like you’ve escaped time! It’s nestled between trees and looks out over a really lush view. The cabin itself is chic, minimal black little structure with thoughtful design details and a roaring log burner to keep you cosy all night. The bed was big and comfy with crisp, fresh white sheets. It’s the perfect amount of nature; you wake up to sunrise and the wrapped windows so you feel totally immersed. You use a compost toilet, you drag your bags across a field in a wheelbarrow, but then you have a chic kettle on a gas stove, a burner, soft furnishings and cute books all ready for you. It’s all the best bits of nature and all the cosy parts you wish you have when you’re camping! (And I like camping.)
What kind of experience did you have?
Rainy silence. Exactly what I needed!
Were there any features or activities you did that provided you with creative inspiration?
Loved foraging and hiking in the area – such beautiful, massive trees. And such a feeling of distance from anyone else, we didn’t see a single person! I loved getting that huge perspective dose after a busy week running my company. I always struggle to switch off and come down, but this experience was really grounding and I felt my body relaxing and my brain decompressing within hours of arriving. I also loved waking up with the sunrise and that epic view. I’m a morning person anyway, but [there’s] something so gentle and chill about waking up with the light and then having a cuppa watching the birds!
Has the stay fuelled your creativity?
For sure, it felt like a reset!
Were there any sustainability features that you’d like to talk about?
That sawdust compost toilet with a cute scent spray on hand. I didn’t know I’d be into it. Into it.
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