26-04-2025
Mum quit English city life for rural Wales – what happened within 30 minutes shocked her
A mother exchanged her "predictable" English city existence for an entirely different life, only to face disaster within half-an-hour. Enfys Maloney, 40, originally from Wales, left the country for the University of Manchester at 18, where she met Rick, now her husband.
Since 2018, they had made their home in Bedford, raising two daughters, now aged seven and nine. However, last year they decided to leave their modest semi-detached townhouse for a sprawling farm and historic smallholding in Eryri National Park (Snowdonia), Wales.
Situated near the beach and the mountains, they've embraced a slower pace of life, with their children attending a small school with just 15 pupils, a stark contrast to the 400-strong cohort they were once part of.
The family's new chapter includes 20 sheep and a river at the end of their garden, but their transition to this idyllic setting began with a bumpy start.
"We were really happy," stated Enfys. "I don't want to paint a negative picture of Bedford because it was lovely.
"But we decided it was very predictable and a very conventional setup and we decided to trade that predictability for the unknown wild rural life in Wales where actually there would be a lot of question marks as to how life would look as opposed to doing that town living thing indefinitely without much change."
The downturn caused by COVID-19 spelled the end for Enfys's travel business before she embarked on a fresh endeavour, crafting sales training programmes for business proprietors.
Rick, an engineer by trade, reached a crossroads when his request to cut his working week down for better work-life balance wasn't granted. Enfys recalled the pivotal moment: "They said no to the reduction and we swore then. We thought, 'Sod it, we are quitting and we are going to move to Wales' - and that was a very instant decision.
"That night we went on RightMove and the house we wanted to buy was back on the market at a reduced price - let's do it. And honestly, it was completely terrifying. Are we mad? It would be stretching us financially. Would my business be able to support two full-time salaries because it was still a junior business?"
Reflecting on such a life-altering choice, Enfys shared her apprehension: "That decision, you are giving up the known for the unknown and that is always going to be a scary thing."
The leap of faith paid off for her venture, Sales Training With Enfys, which has flourished significantly, reaching milti-six-figure earnings last year, with Rick now being part of the team. Despite the eventual professional success, their initial experience in the new home presented unexpected challenges, as detailed by the mother-of-two.
She laughed "You think you are going to skip into your new life like those idyllic postcards and that is going to be all roses - and it was that for the first few seconds."
However, the reality soon hit as they found their new property had suffered in their absence with even the windows boarded up after a lengthy sales process.
Just 30 minutes into their new life, after turning on the taps for the first time in months, Enfys recounted a dramatic moment. She explained: "I was stood in the kitchen and there was a massive flooding noise all of a sudden. Underneath the aga something had rusted and the whole cylinder floor flooded the kitchen and the water was going everywhere and there were no towels, no mops.
"We had a massive lorry arriving any minute with all of our stuff and Rick's parents and the kids arrived and the whole place was flooding. It was like, 'Oh my God, idyllic life?'"
The beautiful 400-year-old stone house, a traditional Welsh longhouse that has been extended, didn't come with instructions but they eventually managed to fix the issue.
Despite the initial turmoil, Enfys has fallen in love with the property's charm, and she's unfazed by the ongoing work it requires, viewing it as a continuous project. Celebrating her 40th birthday this month, Enfys received chickens as gifts and shared a glimpse of her daily experience.
"We have 10 acres here," she explained. "I can step outside and see the sun rise over the mountain. We are not overlooked, there are no neighbours. We have 20 sheep; I am looking at them now and they are lovely.
"At the end of the day we can see the sunset, it is just beautiful, it is greenery, hills, and then at the bottom of our field we have a river we can go and swim in.
"We can go down there and throw rocks into the stream with the kids and there is just a lot of space, it feels really expansive, and it is just awe-inspiring here the natural beauty, it is just wonderful.
"There are a lot of birdsongs and the stars at night are just unbelievable. People always think of daytime views but if you step outside in the night and there are no clouds - it is insanely beautiful."
She continued: "It feels extremely safe and I think that is another part of it – it doesn't feel isolating.
"We are not lonely at all and that can be a big scary thing about moving to the country but I was brought up here and I went to see my oldest friend and her mum yesterday and I see my family."
As for missing old parts of her life, Enfys said they are still in contact with pieces of her past existence, and still sometimes travels to London for work where she runs events.
However, as for what it is returning to urban areas, she said: "I visited Bedford and I was like, 'Oh my God the traffic is relentless' and the feeling of when I got to London now, like I hold my handbag and you don't even realise that you are behaving cautiously until you realise you live freely I think.
"You hold your kids a bit tighter, like in the park I am always watching them, whereas here it is like, well the kids will turn up."
Enfys and Rick are delighted with their decision to relocate, a sentiment likely bolstered by the revelation last year of grants being awarded to Welsh-speaking and young families who choose to move back to some areas. The incentives included up to £5,000 for expenses related to resettling, such as transport, accommodation, childcare, or even Welsh language classes.
Although Enfys didn't benefit from the scheme for her own move, she is supportive of others seizing the opportunity. She encouraged: "You only live once and you need to pursue a life you want to live and you can always move back as well. For people considering the grant, go for it. What have you got to lose? North Wales has so much to offer. It is beautiful, it is friendly, the towns are nice, the landscapes are beautiful, and you can just integrate with community."
Sharing pearls of wisdom, Enfys added: "I think there has to be a lot of self trust. You make a big decision and you figure out the rest when you get there. You don't have to know everything before you arrive.
