From Art Studio Dream to Award-Nominated Glamping Retreat
How Jack Fetherstonhaugh built Hapus Hideaway in North Wales — and why his yurts are still going strong after nine years
“Three doctors told me I would never walk again.” Jack Fetherstonhaugh had every reason to lower his ambitions. Instead, he built one of the most celebrated glamping retreats in Wales — and filled it with yurts.
The Man Behind the Hideaway
Jack Fetherstonhaugh is a professional artist and entrepreneur based in the Conwy Valley, North Wales. His work — vivid wildlife paintings, hand-painted glassware and limited-edition prints — has earned him a loyal following through his studio and online shop at jackfethers.com. But the project that put Jack on the map locally was something far more structural: a yurt-topped barn with a spiral staircase, built largely by his own hands, on the hillside land surrounding his home.
What makes Jack’s story genuinely extraordinary is the context in which it unfolded. At 21, he was admitted to hospital after repeated A&E visits and eventually diagnosed with HSP (Henoch-Schönlein purpura) — a rare condition causing inflammation of the small blood vessels. The disease left him unable to walk or see, and dependent on dialysis every other day for kidney failure. A visiting doctor from Sweden told him plainly: “You are clinically dead.” Three separate physicians said he would never walk again.
Jack walked again. And then he built something remarkable.
A Yurt as an Art Studio — and What Grew From It
The first yurt was never meant to be a glamping business. Jack wanted a creative retreat: a space away from the house where he could paint, think and recover. He sourced locally-grown timber, felled some of it himself and, with the help of a friend, completed the structure in around four months — all while continuing dialysis treatment. The result was Yurt Seren (Welsh for “star”), an elevated platform yurt connected to a handbuilt barn below via a trapdoor and spiral staircase, with a bathroom carved from on-site redwood.
When people started asking if they could stay in it, a business was born. Jack began letting the space as a glamping retreat — and quickly realised he needed more capacity. That’s when he came to Yurt Specialists.
Years in service
Guests sleeping capacity
Shed of the Year shortlist
Guest reviews
The Yurts: Nine Years and Still Going
Jack came to Yurt Specialists to expand Hapus Hideaway into a proper glamping business. Today the site operates two authentic Mongolian yurts as the heart of its offer: Yurt Seren, the larger structure sleeping up to six guests in three king-size beds, and Yurt Jackdaw, a cosier two-bed yurt for up to three people. Together they sleep nine, with the converted barn kitchen serving both. You can explore the full site at hapushideaway.com.
The yurts are fully fitted for year-round use: each has a wood-burning stove with a basket of kindling and logs, insulated floors and walls, electrical sockets, USB charging points, and WiFi. The larger yurt even has central heating. Bed linen is provided, and the site’s shared facilities — fire pit, barbecue, garden, woodland walks down to the river — make it a genuine destination rather than just an overnight stop.
After nearly a decade of commercial use, the yurts remain structurally sound and in active service — a testament to the build quality of authentic Mongolian yurt construction and the care Jack has taken in maintaining them.
“This just goes to show, you can do things if you put your mind to it.”
— Jack Fetherstonhaugh, owner, Hapus Hideaway
Shed of the Year — and a National Profile
In 2018, Jack entered the original Hapus Yurt structure into the prestigious Cuprinol Shed of the Year competition and was shortlisted in the Unique category — one of just 24 entries selected from nearly 3,000 submissions nationwide. The story attracted attention from the North Wales Pioneer and North Wales Live, and introduced thousands of people to a glamping site that had quietly been building an exceptional reputation for warmth, quirkiness and genuine hospitality.
Since then, Hapus Hideaway has evolved into a fully-fledged retreat and events venue. Alongside the glamping yurts, the site now offers bell tents, a catering cabin, yoga and activity spaces, and accommodation for retreat groups of up to 16 people. It’s bookable through Airbnb, Hipcamp, Glamping Hub and directly through the Hapus website — and consistently attracts five-star reviews.
What Guests Say
The reviews for Hapus Hideaway speak for themselves. Guests describe it as the kind of place that is good for the mind and soul — isolated enough to feel like a genuine escape, yet with all the warmth of arriving somewhere you’re genuinely welcomed. The spiral staircase, the loo with a view, the sawdust compost loos, the handmade pouffe beds and sheepskin blankets all feature repeatedly. So does Jack himself: guest after guest singles him out as an exceptional host who goes out of his way to make every group feel at home.
The site sits in the ancient woodland of the Conwy Valley, roughly 20 minutes from Conwy, with Snowdonia National Park, Zip World and the North Wales coast all within easy reach. It’s accessible from Liverpool and Manchester in under two hours — making it a popular short-break destination for groups from across the north of England as well as Wales.
Why It Works
Jack’s story illustrates something we see time and again with our customers: the people who get the most from a Mongolian yurt are the ones who bring their own creative vision to it. Jack didn’t just put up structures and hope for the best. He integrated the yurts into a landscape, built a narrative around the site, and created an experience with genuine character — quirkiness, warmth, craftsmanship, nature.
The yurts provided the foundation: a structure that is both visually striking and practically robust, capable of handling Welsh winters and the demands of near year-round commercial use. Everything Jack layered on top — the woodwork, the community feel, the artist’s eye for detail — made Hapus Hideaway what it is today.
Nine years on, the yurts are still standing, still booking out, and still making people feel like they’ve stumbled into somewhere genuinely special. If you’re thinking about a similar project, take a look at our essential tips for yurt owners or browse our commercial yurt range to get started.
Thinking about starting your own glamping venture or retreat space? Browse our commercial yurt range or get in touch — we’d love to talk through what’s possible.
