A Wales of One's Own

When former architectural history professor Greg Stevenson decided to restore an 18th-century thatched cottage in Wales in 1998, he had to sell his house to fund the project. That meant living in the dilapidated cottage--and showering in a cattle stall--for months.

Today, his company, Under the Thatch, rents 23 unusual accommodations across the Welsh countryside. There's Loveshack, a '70s-themed cabin in western Wales decorated with Roy Lichtenstein prints; Wendy, a 1905 railway carriage named after the Peter Pan character; and a Gypsy caravan (pictured) in the Black Mountain foothills.

Two guests at the Gypsy wagon, where rates start at $117, with a two-night minimum (Sue Parkhill) [enlarge photo]

"The caravan feels like you're in a cocoon," says Stevenson. "It's cozy even when it's 14 degrees outside because of Queenie, the cast-iron stove."