The sound of the horn hangs in the air. Gradually, from every nook and cranny of the house and garden, the storytellers arrive, summoned in unconventional style by tutors Hugh Lupoton and Eric Maddern to a final session of exploration of one of the key texts in Welsh literature.

The 15-strong group has spent most of the past five days ensconced in TyNewydd, a beautiful house in the Welsh-speaking area of Gwynedd overlooking Cardigan Bay and the mountains of Meirionydd. Night and day, cut off from family, fax and telephones, they have been breathing the spirit of the Mabinogion, the celebrated collection of stories from Welsh mythology.

The previous day the group had visited several pre-Roman sites in the region and re-told fragments of the tales in the very places mentioned in the stories. Jan Williams, a teacher turned storyteller, said afterwards: “It was a totally magical day. Doing it in the actual landscape was tremendously enriching. ”

Earlier in the week the group had worked with poet Gillian Clarke, who had helped them link this often difficult text to their own experience by encouraging them to write a poem. Half of the group initially said they couldn’t do it; but in the end everyone did, as often happens in such congenial surroundings.

Now, as their time draws to an end, the group are preparing to perform parts of the Mabinogion in another appropriate setting, a stone-walled circular thatched building built by Eric Maddern in pre-Roman style on his land near the centre.

This storytelling week is rather different from most of the writing courses on offer at TyNewydd. These generally cover poetry, writing for television and radio, fiction, media courses, writing comedy and more specialised course on topics such as “writing and spirituality” or “poetry and painting”.

The programme, run by the Taliesin Trust, began in 1990. Gillian Clarke and others involved with Welsh literature had identified a need for a residential centre for writers in Wales, along the lines of those that had been run for some years in Devon and Yorkshire by the Arvon Foundation.

The centre works very much on the Arvon model: a rural setting, shared cooking and washing-up, dormitories, plenty of books in the library, typewriters (and now word processors) on tap, and a couple of professional tutors (often well-known) to provide advice, encouragement and maybe even inspiration.

But the centre’s Welshness is also important. There are several Welsh-medium courses in the programme and a majority of the tutors are Welsh. Administrator Sally Baker says: “We’re trying to raise the profile of Welsh writers. But we think it’s important to cross-fertilise, so we also have Scottish, Irish and American tutors.”

Around a quarter of the sessions are booked by schools, mostly secondary, but occasionally middle, and from both Wales and England. Some schools, such as Monmouth Comprehensive, are regulars. English teacher Vic Mills said: “Being in an environment dedicated to writing gives the students time and space to think. It also gives a sense of excitement to their work.”

The house, standing above the village of Llanystumdwy in a finely landscaped sloping garden, has a suitably tranquil atmosphere. It also has a special place in Welsh history, as the last home of Lloyd George, who was brought up in the nearby village, and who is buried along the lane from the house.

The sitting-room, with its wide curving window designed by Clough Williams-Ellis, is the room in which Lloyd George died. Here the Mabinogion explorers have been gathering each evening. With day’s work done, it’s time to relax - and tell some stories.

Further information from Sally Baker, Taliesin Trust, TyNewydd, Llanystumdwy, Criccieth, Gwynedd LL52 0LW. Tel: 01766 522811.