The architect John Madin is well known in Birmingham for helping to shape the city in the 1960s and ’70s.

He was responsible for the Birmingham Post & Mail tower, the BBC Pebble Mill studios and, most famously, the Central Library.

The library, an icon of the brutalist style, gained notoriety when it was cruelly described by the then Prince of Wales as looking more like somewhere books are incinerated.

Most Brummies, on the other hand, admired its bold and original design.

The three aforementioned Madin buildings, and many more, have succumbed to the wheels of ‘progress’ this century, despite the best efforts of conservation body English Heritage.

But many still stand, including lots of private homes, some of which are worthy of Austin Powers or perhaps a James Bond villain, and they can fetch a pretty penny when they come on the market.

My family and I were lucky enough to spend a week in a Madin-designed home – not in Birmingham as you might expect, but in Aberdovey (Aberdyfi), on the west coast of Wales.

Aberdovey is a picturesque seaside village, still popular with Brummies, and Madin built Eastward in the late ’60s as a holiday home for his family.

Today, sleeping eight, it is the premier property of a lovely little self-catering resort called Aberdovey Hillside Village, which is run by Madin’s son Chris.

While Eastward now boasts all the amenities that the modern traveller expects, it has retained a very charming ’60s / ’70s feel.

The four-inch, pine dining room table is the one that Madin designed in 1968, recently returned to its original home as part of a refurbishment. Seating eight, the table matches the extensive wall panelling in the two-storey, split level property.

The refurbishment also included new fittings and fixtures in the bathroom, shower room and kitchen, all in a style that respected Madin’s architecture. 

But with the Dyfi estuary just 100m away as the crow flies, Madin designed Eastward with one overriding objective in mind – to make the most of perhaps the best sea view in all of Wales.

Eastward’s spacious living area opens out through full width patio windows onto its south-facing balcony, where we could have happily spent all seven days of our holiday. 

The ever-changing, uninterrupted view is panoramic, from the Cambrian Mountains in the east to the sand dunes of the Dyfi National Nature Reserve where the river meets Cardigan Bay.

To the right, you can also see families at play on Aberdovey’s main beach, plus the pier where crabbing remains as popular as ever as the tide turns.

Readers can see the view for themselves on the resort’s website, as a 24-hour webcam is perched on the balcony (don’t worry, it doesn’t intrude on guests’ privacy!).

Day and night, the balcony is surprisingly peaceful, with only the odd seagull, kayaker or rattle of train from across the estuary breaking the silence.

You may also hear a faint rumble as those trains, on the coast-hugging Cambrian line, pass through the hill on which Eastward stands.

As Eastward is split level, you also get sea views from the dining table and the kitchen, which are a few steps up from the lounge.

And the views are just as impressive downstairs, where two of the four bedrooms are south-facing and boast full-width windows.

Bedroom three, to the side, also has a sea view (from the top bunk) plus a door to a large terrace, perfect for brushing off all the sand after a day at the beach.

Eastward was built as a semi-detached property, with the Madins renting out the almost identical Westward. 

They are now part of a 20-strong collection of dog-friendly houses, cottages and apartments at Aberdovey Hillside Village; all of them, like Eastward, designed to make the most of the sea views.

Set in delightful private grounds, it’s a quiet and child-friendly place, with lots of wet-weather activities including pool, table tennis, table football, air hockey, X Box games and a DVD / book library.

The resort is on the Wales Coast Path, and a public footpath takes you directly to Penhelig Railway Station (Aberdovey’s second station), from where you can hop on the scenic Cambrian line.

The trains stop at coastal favourites Fairbourne and Barmouth and next to the daunting castle at Harlech. Plus, you can change for steam railways at Towyn and Porthmadog, to name just a few of its highlights.

Aberdovey’s ice-cream parlours, cafes, restaurants, pubs and, of course, a fish and chip shop are just a short walk away. Visitors can also buy freshly-caught seafood from the harbour pier.

There are miles of sandy beaches and endless opportunities for walks, fishing, water sports and other family days out, such Dolgoch Falls, Castell y Bere.

And for something a little different, visit Llwyngril (also on the Cambrian Line) to discover all the remarkable knitted creations around the village between May and October.

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For more information on visit www.hillsidevillage.co.uk, call 01654 767 522 or email info@hillsidevillage.co.uk

+ This holiday was entirely funded and booked by the writer