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"Corris craft centre is one of those places that I think I have always taken for granted. You see I first went there when I was seven years old ad loved it there because it had this massive park that you could go and play on as a kid while the parents went around the boring shops. As I have got older I now appreciate all of the shops there as they are lovely but I do think I forget just what a nice place it is because I have been there so many times. This came to my attention when I took some friends there and they had an excellent time and to be honest I think that if you are in Mid Wales then it is well worth a visit.
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What is Corris?
Well Corris is essentially a craft centre and is quite well known within mid Wales as the little shops look like little bee hives and people travel from miles around to visit as you can truly spend a day there. It has quite a lot of shops which sell things ranging from children's toys to candles to wood furniture. The craft shops are small and prices do range from being quite cheap to being very expensive depending on what you are after.
Corris craft centre is more than just the shops though as it has a nice café and is surrounded by several walks which are all simply stunning. There is also a labyrinth here which tells the story of King Arthur which is brilliant so as you can imagine you can easily spend a full day here.
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Where is Corris?
Corris is situated in the Dulas Valley in Mid Wales and the address is as follows;
Corris Craft Centre.
Corris,
Machynlleth,
Powys,
SY20 9RF.
It is easy to find as there is a road running right by it and as in most of Wales it is just one main road to get through to places so you should not get lost really. It is well sign posted too and if you get into Machynlleth then you cant really go wrong and Machynlleth is signposted from by Shrewsbury and Welshpool.
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Parking:
There is plenty of parking which is located at the back of the centre but you can always find a space. It is literally a minute walk to get to the entrance from the car park and even if there are no spaces then Corris village centre has car parking spaces too.
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Location:
The location is lovely as it is right in the middle of Dulas Valley so when you get there the scenery is simply stunning with hills and mountain all around you. It is situated on a relatively main road which has major links to other towns and villages and more importantly walks so even if you get bored at Corris there is so much to do everywhere that you will have a great time. The drive there is also lovely as the roads are main but the scenery will take your breath away.
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The Shops:
The craft shops there are great and they have expanded recently and made some lovely new ones. I will give you a quick description of them all now and the type of things you can by and the prices to expect.
The toy shop – The toy shop is full of wonderful things some for children to have fun with and others are educational. It is sweet here as because they make everything on site you can often have children's names printed on the toys at a small cost. Prices in this shop are quite reasonable and my favourite item are the painted stools you can buy which are £15 each.
The tourist shop – If you want to buy fudge or key-rings or picture frames then there is a shop for it. The prices are very cheap and some items are great. I particularly like the books they have there which detail Welsh legends and there are brochures on all the walks in the area if you want to get some details on where to go.
King Arthur shop – As you can guess this is where you buy your tickets to get to the labyrinth which are priced at around £3 for children and £6 for adults.
The clay shop – I love it here as you can paint your own plates and bowls and you can also buy clay to make things when you are back at home. They sell cute little mushroom houses is what I call them and also these great Welsh dragons that breathe out incense smoke which are very cool. The dragons are from about £10 and are my favourite item in the shop.
The jewellery shop – As you can probably guess this is one of my favourites. They specialise in silver and white gold in here and have some gorgeous things including special engagement rings. The prices range from some cheaper necklaces at about £4 each and then you can go up to about £500 on some things. They are in nice display cabinets and the staffs in there are always happy to chat to you.
The candle shop – I love it in here as they make some really exotic candles that at times you can see them making in the shop. They also sell lots of things for the garden including small ornaments and it is a very decorative shop and the prices are very cheap.
Wood shops – There are actually two shops that I think are quite similar to each other and they are both very expensive but they do do some lovely things. They even will do things to order as once our friend wrote us a poem and they burned it on to wood and drew a nice picture so they are pretty good. This is also where they sell really nice furniture and there is a table there at the moment which I have got my eye on.
Patchwork shop – This is quite new and is exactly what you expect with patch work quilts to buy and then for £15 they sell kits so you can try and make your own. It is a sweet little shop if you like that sort of thing.
Glass shop – I love it in here as they sell lots of glass products in all sorts of shapes. You can even sit and watch the guy making glass things there as he always is on the go. prices are cheap as there are smaller and larger items and they make things like glass dragons and vases which are really nice.
Craft shop – This is one of my favourite shops here as they sell things like make your own cards and basically sell bits and bobs which are quite cheap. It is where you can buy things such as bags to put presents in and wrapping paper.
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The Café:
The café is really nice and does a good range of food from small and light snacks to full main meals. The choice changes quite a bit but you can always buy lasagne and Welsh rarebit on toast which is one of my favourites. The staff in here are always nice so you can tell them exactly what you would like and they will do their best to match it. They have not really got many drinks but they do have your standard soft drinks and a good cup of tea.
In the café you will also find little things to buy such as baskets and a selection on fruits and jams. The prices on everything are standard and the café is always very clean.
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King Arthur's Labyrinth:
I didn't go for years and took my friends there not too long ago and we all loved it. You pay your fee and you have to put on a hard hat to go down into the labyrinth. What happens is you get taken on a boat deep down there and then walk around these caves while hearing lots of stories about the legends of King Arthur. I really enjoyed it and you are down there for about an hour and let me tell you it is freezing cold down there. It is fun though as there are lots of things to learn about and the staff are all dressed up to add to the atmosphere.
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Walks:
In Corris I know of three great walks which do take about an hour each so be prepared and take some water with you. The walks are all uphill and the one I recommend you go on is the one up to the Italian gardens as when you get there you can have a rest. If you are in Corris just ask anybody where the start is and they will tell you.
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Verdict:
I love Corris and have been going there and enjoying it there for years and I don't think I will ever stop. There are lots to do and lots of fun to be had and I think for all ages there is enough to keep everybody entertained. It is nice to go to for presents as well as you can take something pretty unique back home with you which is always nice.
In conclusion I am giving Corris Craft Centre top marks as there is nothing to complain about.
Thanks for reading.
xxx"
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a very informative description of what to see whilst in this area. Personal recommendations are so much more believable.
