Holidays

HOT SPOTS

A delightful treehouse getaway

IT’S A WANDERFUL LIFE

If you spend your downtime lusting With an approachable, friendly style over secluded spots and high-end of customer service, John and Laura can hideaways bursting with rustic charm and connect you to your perfect UK holiday. picturesque panoramas, then one local And by using their online directory, you couple have launched a venture to help are helping to support small businesses, you find the perfect holiday. without the hidden charges.

Husband-and-wife team “Treehouses, The Wanderlist provides an John and Laura Lewis run Squirrels Nest, a successful treehouse holiday retreat on safari tents, cottages and accessible online directory for all holiday property owners. As property owners their farm in Wales. Now they hideaways themselves, John and Laura are offering their expertise galore” understand the need for a to help other families find more personal community of their perfect escape with The like-minded property owners Wanderlist. In a world of commission- with a simple, single annual fee. driven travel websites, The Wanderlist With treehouses, safari tents, cottages aims to be personal, passionate and and hideaways galore, you’re bound commission-free while helping owners to find your ideal escape if you have a to promote their unique getaways and little wander through this extensive and guests to find their perfect escape. inspiring list. Visit www.thewanderlist.uk.

POWIS CASTLE

Mid Wales has many hidden gems to explore, but sometimes the most obvious attractions are top of the list for a reason. Powis Castle, built around 1200 as a medieval fortress, sits high on a rock above its world-famous garden. Designed with influence from Italian and French styles, the garden is overhung with clipped yews and shelters rare plants. It retains original lead statues and features an orangery on the terraces.

Remodelled and embellished over more than 400 years, Powis reflects the changing ambitions of the Herbert family, who occupied the castle from the 1570s. Each generation enlisted artists to grow the family’s collection of paintings, sculpture, furniture and tapestries on view throughout the house. It also has one of the UK’s most significant collections of Indian objects on display.

Water, water everywhere…

The past year has taught us all to appreciate the slower, gentler things in life ,so if you want a holiday for 2021 that reflects that newfound calm, perhaps a break aboard a narrowboat is the perfect choice? If the idea of sitting back to watch the world drift by appeals, then spending a week or two on board a Cheshire Cat Narrowboat could be the holiday to suit your 2021 mood. This small familyrun firm is based at the award-winning Overwater Marina, Audlem, on the Shropshire Union Canal. It is a stunning location, just below the Audlem lock flight, and is only three hours’ cruising time to the beautiful Llangollen Canal.

The fleet includes perfect boats for couples as well as family-sized vessels and has recently added a new member to the Cheshire Cat collection, the four-berth Witch Hazel.

There is something for everyone and every level of boating experience. Owing to Covid restrictions, bedding cannot currently be provided but this may change as regulations are altered. Meanwhile the team will make sure everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday experience, from the moment you arrive. Expert tuition is provided to set you on your way with confidence, including a practical demonstration of locks. The experts can suggest suitable routes, and tell you all about the scenery, pubs and historic architecture you’ll see along the way, and free friendly advice is always just a phone call away. www.cheshirecatnarrowboats.co.uk

PERFECT PEACE IN A PRETTY PARK

Glan Gwna is a beautiful holiday park hidden in a secluded woodland location and offering peace and tranquillity. The exquisite and private countryside holiday home park for caravans and lodges is located just two miles from the royal town of Caernarfon and is right on the edge of the Snowdonia National Park. Set within 120 acres of landscaped grounds, it had woodland, streams and rivers, a private fishing lake, and abundant wildlife. Glan Gwna is true haven and the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

The park is family-owned and run, and has been since 1976. Glan Gwna is open for 10 months of the year, and welcomes everybody from young families to retired couples – and pets are welcome too! Sandwiched between Snowdonia Chalets overlook the tranquil lake and the Llyn Peninsula it is the perfect base “The park’s pool is family-friendly, and always staffed by a from which to explore all the riches that north Wales has to offer. Here you’ll find mountains, beaches, castles and an ever-growing list of facilities are second to none pool attendant, making it the perfect place to enjoy time with the kids, or relax, swim, sunbathe and enjoy the summer weather. There is also a attractions to enjoy. North Wales is a paradise and include poolside bar and a restaurant with a great choice for walkers, cyclists, golfers, anglers, seafarers, a private of home-cooked snacks, lunches and evening foodies, culture vultures and adventurers! The site is also just an hour from Chester, and an hour outdoor pool” meals, and a weekly menu and takeaway option. The site also has a children’s play area, an on-site and a half from Liverpool and Manchester. shop that is kept well stocked with daily essentials,

The park’s facilities are second to none. One highlight is fresh produce, daily papers and – of course – ice-cream. There’s the private outdoor pool, which is heated to a comfortable a fishing lake and golf society too, so whatever your pleasure, temperature and open from Whitsun to September. The you’ll have a great time at Glan Gwna! www.glangwna.com

THE FREEDOM OF THE OPEN ROAD

Unable to decide what to do and where to go for your next holiday? Why not leave it to the experts and join an organised trip? There Travel in comfort and style are few more relaxing ways to travel than letting someone else do all the work on a fully organised coach tour with a local Oswestry firm with decades of experience. If you’re looking for a holiday destination that combines stunning scenery with a beautiful and tranquil park,

Owen’s Travelmaster offers coach tour holidays and air then check out the site and facilities on offer at Irfon tours with the emphasis firmly on a high level of comfort, River Premier Caravan Park. The park is set within seven well-planned itineraries, excellent service and cuisine. Its holidays “Holidays acres on the banks of the River Irfon in the heart of mid Wales and is at the foot of the spectacular Epynt offer something for everyone, include fi ve- mountain range. The park is a member of the prestigious from five-day trips to destinations day trips, Premier Leisure Parks group, which specialises in such as Cornwall and Westonsuper-Mare, themed tours and days out including shopping themed tours and shopping creating a quiet, warm and friendly atmosphere amid immaculately maintained surroundings, so you know you’ll be able to truly leave your busy life behind and relax. excursions to Manchester city excursions” Static caravan holiday homes are comfortably spaced centre or the Trafford Centre and surrounded by manicured lawns. The majority are also

With a philosophy of always providing its clients with within 30m of the river, which is teeming with fish and is the very best possible holiday, Owen’s has gained an also home to otters. The park offers its customers exclusive admirable reputation for care and attention to detail. It fishing permits for 1.25 can also create an itinerary to suit your requirements and miles on the river and has a offers coaches for hire for trips across the UK and Europe. year-round fishing licence.

Owen’s has a range of trips planned for summer 2021, The touring area starting from 17th May, with accommodates touring distances and durations caravans and motorhomes, to suit everyone. All you and there is also a small need to do is sit back and tented camping area. choose your favourite. Pitches are available on a www.owenstravel.co.uk seasonal or nightly basis. www.irfonriver.co.uk

The perfect spot by the River Irfon Location, location, location

HOT SPOTS

YOU’LL LOVE A DYFI HOLIDAY

Dyfi Cottages & Aberdyfi Holidays is a family-run self-catering letting and holiday home company based in Aberdyfi, overlooking Cardigan Bay. Established in 2008 to help local independent cottage owners advertise their holiday properties, the team provides a simple, easy-touse website where those hunting for a holiday are able to book directly from the owners. Dyfi Cottages has worked with some property owners for many years and has built up strong relationships to ensure you enjoy a superb holiday. It has a range of properties available for every group size.

Aberdyfi has all the ingredients of a charming seaside village: family-friendly sands, a picturesque stone harbour and jetty, yachts bobbing in the water, seafront pubs and bay-windowed houses washed in pastel shades.

The village’s simplicity is its draw. There are shops selling buckets and spades, clothes, arts and crafts and delicious homemade ice-cream, but that’s about it. The seafront squeezes

The beautiful walled harbour

on to a narrow shelf of land between beach and mountain. Some of Wales’s greenest hills spill down on to the rooftops, while around the corner there is the stunning Dyfi estuary and the

A range of properties are available

Dyfi Osprey Project, a delightful blend of woodland, dune and golden sand backed by the wild Cambrian Mountains.

Many upland species reach their southerly limit on nearby Cader Idris, including the dwarf willow on the summit ridge. The area supports a range of upland habitats, including blanket bog, broadleaved woodland and a variety of grassland. www.dyfi-cottages.co.uk

ERDDIG, WREXHAM

Erddig is one of the finest properties in the National Trust collection. Sitting on a dramatic escarpment above the River Clywedog, Erddig tells the 250-year story of a family’s relationship with its servants. A large collection of servants’ portraits and preserved rooms capture their lives in the early 20th century, while upstairs is a treasure trove of fine furniture, textiles and wallpapers.

Outdoors lies a fully restored 18thcentury garden, with trained fruit trees, exuberant annual herbaceous borders, avenues of pleached limes, formal hedges and a nationally important collection of ivies. The 1,200-acre landscaped pleasure park, designed by William Emes, is a haven of peace and natural beauty, perfect for riverside picnics. Explore the earthworks of a Norman motteand-bailey castle and walk through the estate as all around you, tenant farmers continue the work of generations.

AN EXQUISITE RETREAT

Overlooking an unspoilt secluded valley in the Welsh foothills, 20 minutes from Chester and 40 minutes from Snowdonia, Tree Tops is set in glorious countryside with fabulous views – so peaceful, yet so close to all amenities.

The self-catering accommodation is open all year and comprises several options for families and extended family groups. Lakeview House, which has its own private hot tub, is lower down the “Tree Tops valley and sleeps up to 10 people. It is a is set in two-storey log house, with a full-width balcony where you can enjoy the glorious views of the Llanfynydd Valley and Hope glorious countryside Mountain. On the ground floor there is with fabulous an open-plan dining area, fully kitted- views” out kitchen, a lounge and a veranda.

The two Scandinavian houses are both suitable for six people, and each has a large living area that incorporates kitchen, dining area and lounge. An elevated veranda leads off the lounge, from where guests can enjoy views of the quiet valley.

Tree Tops Garden apartment, meanwhile, is a wing of the owner’s house, situated next to one of the fly-fishing lakes. It is all on the ground floor and has a pine dining suite and Scandinavian-style furniture. Both doors off the lounge take you into a bedroom with three single beds. The six windows of the A peaceful break in a secluded valley apartment have pretty views of the lovely countryside, and the bedroom windows are low, which gives a feeling of being part of the garden.

A washing machine, free WiFi, bed linen, towels, electricity and heating are included for all holidaymakers. www.selfcatering.cymru