{"id":450365,"date":"2026-02-28T13:52:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T13:52:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/450365\/"},"modified":"2026-02-28T13:52:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T13:52:12","slug":"quaint-hidden-gem-cafe-by-stunning-eryri-lake-that-owner-is-desperate-to-quit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/450365\/","title":{"rendered":"Quaint ‘hidden gem’ cafe by stunning Eryri lake that owner is desperate to quit"},"content":{"rendered":"

The off-the-beaten cafe was once a slice of heaven for its owner and her customers. Now she says it’s become a living hell<\/p>\n

05:19, 28 Feb 2026Updated 10:12, 28 Feb 2026<\/p>\n

\"Cynllwyd<\/p>\n

Cynllwyd Mawr on the shores of Llyn Crafnant has a cafe and a holiday let. In summer, customers can sit outside and soak up the views(Image: Llyn Crafnant Lakeside Cafe)<\/p>\n

A quaint cafe in one of Wales\u2019 most beautiful locations is embroiled in an unseemly row over its lease. Its tenant Caroline Edwards counts herself lucky to live there \u2013 but is now desperate to leave.<\/p>\n

A decade ago she and her Llanrwst-born husband sold their house in Hertfordshire and upped sticks to Cynllwyd Mawr, a Victorian property on the shores of Llyn Crafnant above the Conwy Valley<\/a>. It was the stuff of dreams: views of the Eryri<\/a> mountains from the head of the lake are regarded as among the country\u2019s finest.<\/p>\n

The couple paid \u00a3167,000 for the lease and business rights, which include a cafe and a trout fishery on the 63-acre lake. Initially Caroline quickly embraced her new lifestyle and became renowned for her generous homemade cakes.<\/p>\n

In this respect she was following in illustrious footsteps. Long before it was a formal cafe, Cynllwyd Mawr was occupied by a 19th century boat builder whose wife became famous for her homemade bread, known as Bara Crafnant. Whenever visitors passed, Mrs Williams offered freshly-baked slices with a welcoming cup of tea. If anyone declined, she was slightly offended.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s such a wonderful place,\u201d said Caroline, 58. \u201cTotally unique. Being here is a lifestyle that can\u2019t be surpassed \u2013 that few people can ever dream of having. From my bedroom window I can look out across the beautiful lake. In the years I\u2019ve been here, I\u2019ve seen more rainbows here than in the rest of my life.<\/p>\n

“People love my cakes and I love to cook \u2013 that\u2019s my thing. But now I\u2019m desperately worried. I just want to leave but I can\u2019t. I feel trapped by a situation over which I have very little control. The thought of losing everything and being made homeless is very scary.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The charming cafe lacks pretense(Image: Llyn Crafnant Lakeside Cafe)<\/p>\n

During the Covid pandemic, the couple\u2019s idyllic life began to unravel. Caroline required surgery, which led to a nasty fall, a back injury and a major mental health episode. The couple separated and the mum-of-four was left to run the business by herself. At the same time, lease troubles were brewing.<\/p>\n

Cynllwyd Mawr is managed by the Crafnant Trust, a charity set up by Llanrwst<\/a> Town Council in 1895 to oversee the lake after it was donated to the town. Llyn Crafnant served as Llanrwst\u2019s water supply until the mid-1980s, when management reverted fully to the Town Council. By this time Cynllwyd Mawr had evolved into a seasonal tea room and fishery, operated via 15-year leases.<\/p>\n

When Caroline and her husband moved in a decade ago, just two years were left on the lease. \u201cWe were confident it would be renewed,\u201d she said. \u201cAs protected tenants, it meant we were secure, had a fair rent and couldn\u2019t be evicted.\u201d<\/p>\n

But she says that eight years after the lease expired, it has yet to be renewed. Now on her own, and with her health and finances continuing to decline, Caroline says she is unable to assign the lease and the cafe business – which she owns – to a new tenant at the going rate. Without agreement, she worries she could lose everything.<\/p>\n

She blames an impasse with the Crafnant Trust. \u201cSome time ago we met the Trust to discuss the lease. They offered to renew it, providing we signed away our protected tenancy. It meant they could evict us if we failed to pay the rent they chose to set. It also meant we couldn\u2019t sell the business, which would effectively pass to the Trust. It\u2019s not theirs to have, so we refused.\u201d<\/p>\n

In response the Trust says it has “no objections” to her selling the business and cannot understand why Mrs Williams claims she could not reassign the new lease to a new tenant.<\/p>\n

\"Caroline<\/p>\n

Caroline says the location is incredible but she’s become disillusioned now her circumstances have changed(Image: Llyn Crafnant Lakeside Cafe)<\/p>\n

Protected tenancies, which are now rare, give tenants the right to remain in the property for life. They are also able to chose who to pass it to. It was the reason the couple invested heavily in a property they didn\u2019t own.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were responsible for maintaining and repairing the house,\u201d said Caroline. \u201cBefore we separated, we replaced lead flashing and paid for a new bathroom and a new kitchen.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was difficult, as the property is backed by hills and would flood two or three time a year. Water would run through the house and kitchen. A year or so ago the Trust arranged for a drain to be dug at the back, and that made a big difference \u2013 we haven\u2019t had a major flood since.\u201d<\/p>\n

Each year the Crafnant Trust makes charitable donations to people and organisations in Llanrwst. It disputes Caroline\u2019s claims, saying a revised commercial lease was offered in May 2025. This followed an original offer in 2019 which was rejected by the couple as they disagreed with the terms.<\/p>\n

Trust administrator Lyn Jones said: \u201cDuring a meeting last April with Mrs Williams, the Trust was informed she planned to sell the business by the end of September and she requested a copy of the revised lease to be sent to her solicitors. A letter was sent by our solicitors during May 2025 to her solicitors.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis detailed the changes to the lease that the Trustees had agreed to, from the list of changes she had requested, prior to the signed new lease being sent to her solicitors. The Trust has been advised by our solicitors that they are still waiting for a reply to the aforementioned letter.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Trust has no objections to her selling the business and cannot understand why Mrs Williams claims she could not reassign the new lease to a new tenant.\u201d In a letter to the Trust dated February 25, Caroline\u2019s solicitor said he had yet to receive the relevant details.<\/p>\n

\"Caroline<\/p>\n

Caroline is famed for her huge variety of homemade cakes(Image: Llyn Crafnant Lakeside Cafe)<\/p>\n

World’s ‘most tranquil cafe’ with ‘endless possibilities’<\/p>\n

In 2013, Llyn Crafnant Lakeside Cafe was named among the Guardian\u2019s \u201cbest places for tea and cakes in the UK\u201d, as suggested by readers. Backed by stunning scenery, where Gwydir Forest meets the mountains, it has an undeniable charm. As one walker put it, the cafe is the ideal spot for \u201cdaydreaming\u201d.<\/p>\n

Caroline\u2019s homemade soups, sausage rolls, scones and cakes are part of the appeal. Despite this, the cafe remains relatively undiscovered, partly due to the twisty drive up from Trefriw<\/a> to park at the lake or nearby Llyn Geirionydd.<\/p>\n

Those prepared to make the effort are richly rewarded. A Betws-y-Coed<\/a> foodie reckons it\u2019s the \u201cmost tranquil cafe in the world\u201d. In a review, a visiting couple called it a “gem\u201d that doesn\u2019t need to rely on touristy gimmicks.<\/p>\n

They added: \u201cWe stumbled across this quaint little cafe and left with a very large smile on our faces. If you\u2019re wanting a high street cafe with the latest mod-cons and marble decor, this place isn\u2019t for you. If, however, you want to combine home comforts with beautiful surroundings, then make sure you give this place a visit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Caroline knows that, with the right investment and marketing, the business could be a goldmine. Except that she doesn\u2019t expect to be the one at the helm. She gets help from her youngest daughter, who is renting the attached holiday let with her two children. Friends also chip in, one loaning money to pay for the next quarterly rent. But she\u2019s had enough.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not well enough,\u201d she said. \u201cPhysically and mentally. I\u2019m getting PIPs (Personal Independence Payments) for my physical condition and I\u2019m due to have surgery for a bowel tumour. Financially, things are difficult too: the boiler broke down before winter and I can\u2019t afford to get it renewed, let alone buy in gas.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are desperate to move but there\u2019s no housing available unless I can sell the business and buy a small home somewhere.”<\/p>\n

\"Llyn<\/p>\n

Llyn Crafnant is not the easiest to reach but the views are incredible. Near its dam is a 1896 obelisk saluting local solicitor Richard James for gifting the reservoir and surrounding 19 acres to Llanrwst(Image: Ian Greig\/Wiki)<\/p>\n

Usually the cafe closes in winter when the fishing stops, then reopens in March when the new fishing season starts. Caroline said this is unlikely to happen this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have little money coming in and I don\u2019t want to rely on charity,\u201d she said. \u201cThe business needs new people with new ideas and a bit of money who are willing to manage the fishing permits. Someone who will wake up everyday and throw open the bedroom windows realising how lucky they are.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt just needs small changes \u2013 re-plastering some of the walls, fixing the roof, things like that. I often get people coming into the cafe asking me to let them know if I\u2019m selling up, they\u2019d love to take it on. One potential tenant has been interested for a long time: he wanted the tenancy back in 2016 when we took it on.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a wonderful opportunity, a chance to bring it back to capacity like it was before my circumstances changed. No matter who runs the cafe, people will come because it\u2019s such a beautiful place. Providing you are mindful of the National Park, the possibilities are endless.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mired in anxiety, Caroline struggles to leave her Cynllwyd Mawr home. Her slice of heaven has become a living hell. She said: \u201cAll I want to do is to get away from this place, and for that I need my protected tenancy renewed. I\u2019ve always paid my way, been secure, but now I\u2019m racking up debts I have no way of repaying without a new lease that I can assign. I\u2019m in a crippling situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lyn Jones said the Trust is sympathetic to her plight. \u201cThe Trustees are well aware of Mrs Williams\u2019s current situation and appreciate that the separation from her husband has unfortunately only added to her ongoing issues,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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