Bron-yr-Aur, situated among the peace and tranquillity of the Dyfi Valley, was the inspiration for one of Britain's most famous ever rock bands – Led Zeppelin.

It has been said the lyrics to Stairway To Heaven were penned there.

It is reported that lead singer, Robert Plant developed a fascination with Mid Wales and its culture, especially with rebel leader Owain Glyndwr.

Plant has donated money to the former Celtica museum and also paid for and unveiled a statue of the Welsh icon in Pennal in 2004.

Bron-Yr-Aur had been used by the family of Plant during the 1950s as a holiday house.

In 1970, Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page spent time there after a long and gruelling concert tour of the US.

Though the cottage had no running water or electricity, they used it as a retreat to write and record some of their third album, Led Zeppelin III.

The house even had a song dedicated to it on the Led Zeppelin III album called Bron Yr Aur Stomp.

The sleeve notes of Led Zeppelin III read: "Credit must be given to Bron-Yr-Aur, a small derelict cottage, for painting a somewhat forgotten picture of true completeness which acted as an incentive to some of these musical statements."

Led Zeppelin III was voted as the best album of all time by readers in a Kerrang! magazine poll last year.

Music journalist Jonathan Wingate said their time there could be responsible for changing the way they wrote and played music.

"They took a break after their 1970 tour and planned a working vacation where they just wrote and wrote and wrote," he said.

"Led Zeppelin III is arguably their best record – it's incredible – and the atmosphere in those sessions affected their musical direction.

"They went down a very esoteric route which came from the hills and the mountains, and the sessions in that cottage left an indelible impression that was sustained throughout their music.

"Plant talked a lot about the pervading atmosphere of the sessions and how it changed the band.

"If they hadn't gone there they would have carried on being a heavy rock band in overdrive which is what they were before.

When on-stage for Page and Plant's Unledded reunion in 1994, Plant announced to the audience that Page's daughter, Scarlet Page, was conceived "about half an hour" after That's The Way was written at Bron-Yr-Aur.

Last month the current owner of Bron Yr Aur, the Rev John Dale, issued a plea to Zeppelin fans to leave the remote cottage alone, as it had suffered several break-ins.