Corris Craft Centre

This craft centre used to be a brilliant must visit place but now it looks very run down.
Time the site owners gave it a makeover and tidied up the footpaths, borders etc.
Must be heartbreaking for the unit holders who have some lovely items for sale.

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

About 6 miles from Machynlleth on the road to Corris you'll find King Arthur. Well, his labyrinth anyway. If you're into all things mythic about the man, this is a good place to come and visit. Alternatively, just come along for the café and shop and spend your time checking out the Corris Craft Centre instead. You'll find leatherwork and rustic furniture, jewellery, pottery and patchworks. And you'll also find the crafty people behind them. Locally made and often unusual, you'll find an interesting gift for a loved one, or yourself. Or maybe even have a chance at making something yourself. Leave the kids at the playground and go shopping

Everytime I look at my celtic cross I am reminded of this place. A great collection of Welsh crafts. the very word craft can mean naff(!) but not here. You'll always find something beautiful to buy. In fact I was admiring a heart at a friend's house in Northamptonshire and she said she'd got it from here! Everything from jewellery, furniture, to pottery. You can have a go too if you want. The cafe was ok and there is a good playground. If this is your first visit and you've got kids you will usually combine it with a trip to Arthur's Labrynth.

I love this place. I seem to spend hours browsing the hexagonal shaped shops. From wooden toys to rustic furniture, this place has it all. There is a cafe with lovely food, which is well equipped for families. There are plenty of high chairs. There is a park for the children to play in. Ice creams are available. There is also King Arthur's Labyrinth where you journey into the hillside on a boat. It is quite magical for children.