One of Britain's most beautiful waterfalls is for sale — and naturally it comes with a B&B and a tea room
A multi-faceted business at the base of Pistyll Rhaeadr waterfall near Oswestry comes up for sale. Enjoy a slice of cake and a cup of tea as the great powers of nature slice their way through the landscape.


Everything has a price, including this waterfall in Wales. The price, in case you are wondering, for the waterfall, is about £950,000.
It’s in the Berwyn Mountains, near Oswestry, and is 240 feet high, making it one of Britain’s tallest. It’s called Pistyll Rhaeadr and is one of the Seven Wonders of Wales.
I did not know there were Seven Wonders of Wales, much in the same way that I did not know you could buy a waterfall.
As well as the waterfall, the sale will also include Tan-y-Pistyll (‘little house under the waterfall’) a ‘fantastic’ business that includes a tea room, a two-bedroom apartment, chalet, caravan, camping field, prayer lodge used for wedding ceremonies, a three-bedroom detached house and about 25 acres of land.
Quite an odd thing, isn’t it, buying a waterfall? I am sure there are various complexities about ownership that I am smoothing over in the name of good copy, but it strikes me as quite strange that something such as a waterfall could be owned.
I suppose it is no different than owning a field, but there is something so majestic, magical, Arthurian about a waterfall that the idea of it being owned by a person seems like laughing in the face of God. Like putting a sticker on an elephant.
Looking at the pictures, the surrounding landscape is the very best of Wales. It’s properties such as this which call into question the entire concept of land ownership, at least to my mind. I am not one to begin a call for a type of Right to Roam revolution, but there’s a certain absurdity to labelling this landscape as ‘property’.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
The house itself is a little more prosaic, though still has charm and potential.
I am trying to imagine what I might do with this place if I did buy it. Create some kind of Modernist palace to take maximum advantage of the waterfall most likely. Maybe dig some kind of underground cave and pretend to be Batman. I know the council will probably stop me but a man is allowed to dream.
‘What shall I liken it to?’ said George Burrow in the 19th century, when he saw the waterfall, which is for sale for about £950,000. ‘I scarcely know, unless it is to an immense skein of silk agitated and disturbed by tempestuous blasts, or to the long tail of a grey courser at furious speed. I never saw water falling so gracefully, so much like thin, beautiful threads as here.’
In case you were wondering, it takes about 20 minutes to walk the footpath from the bottom of the waterfall to the top of the waterfall. The waterfall website advises wearing good shoes. The tea room can seat about 38 people inside and more outside if the weather is nice, which considering it’s in Wales, will be unlikely.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
Property with potential: Renovation projects for sale, starting from just £125,000
From a period drama-worthy stately home to a delightful cottage to a 17-bedroom mansion for sale at just £400,000, these
Credit: Knight Frank
Six superb country houses in some of England's most beautiful spots, as seen in Country Life
Homes in the Cotswolds, the West Country and Sussex are among the beautiful options as we look at some of
A historic mill conversion in Warwickshire that wouldn't look out of place on Grand Designs
The Mill, in Rowington, is a four-bedroom home that takes our industrial heritage and turns it into something astonishingly modern.

James Fisher is the Deputy Digital Editor of Country Life. He writes about property, travel, motoring and things that upset him. He lives in London.
-
The loos of Buckingham Palace: Country Life Quiz of the Day, April 23, 2025
Wednesday's Quiz of the Day looks at St George, royal toilets and German alcohol laws.
By Toby Keel Published
-
Moore Design
Moore Design is a boutique interior design practice with clients around the UK and overseas.
By Country Life Published
-
A 327-acre estate in the heart of 'England’s Côte d’Or', with a 26,000sq ft Georgian style home at its heart
Stokes Hall in the Crouch Valley is an inspiring property looking for a new owner.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
Schreiber House, 'the most significant London townhouse of the second half of the 20th century', is up for sale
The five-bedroom Modernist masterpiece sits on the edge of Hampstead Heath.
By Lotte Brundle Published
-
Is the 'race for space' officially over?
During the lockdowns, many thought the countryside was the place to be. It seems many are now changing their minds.
By Annabel Dixon Last updated
-
What's a 'wellness village' and will it tempt you back into the office?
The team behind London's first mixed-use ‘wellness village’ says it has the magic formula for tempting workers back into offices.
By Annunciata Elwes Published
-
A mini estate in Kent that's so lovely it once featured in Simon Schama's 'History of Britain'
The Paper Mill estate is a picture-postcard in the Garden of England.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
Hidden excellence in a £7.5 million north London home
Behind the traditional façades of Provost Road, you will find something very special.
By James Fisher Published
-
Sip tea and laugh at your neighbours in this seaside Norfolk home with a watchtower
On Cliff Hill in Gorleston, one home is taller than all the others. It could be yours.
By James Fisher Published
-
A Grecian masterpiece that might be one of the nation's finest homes comes up for sale in Kent
Grade I-listed Holwood House sits in 40 acres of private parkland just 15 miles from central London. It is spectacular.
By Penny Churchill Published