Pine Lodge
Sleeps 8
Llanymynech, Wales
Hot tub, gardens and grounds
Pine Lodge and Godolphin Hall share a wonderful world. It all begins on the outside, in the Welsh border country and with its soaring hills. On the inside, you’ll sit high above five acres of parkland and a rumbling fly-fishing river whose pace mirrors the speed of life at Pine Lodge.
You can walk the woodlands among 2500 semi-mature and specimen trees, play cricket, get your rackets out for a set of tennis on the all-weather court, or just take a tipple on the terrace.
Fire up the Weber barbie on the deck, take a picnic down by the river then come home to a dip in the hot tub at twilight as the sun sets above the Meifod Valley.
Living spaces
The Danish call it hygge – a feeling of calm, cosy contentment that makes you glad to come home. There’s hygge in abundance here, embedded in the toasty floors, warmed by the oil-fired underfloor heating, and the piles of logs waiting to be loaded into the woodburner, so you can swap stories while staring into the flames.
There’s a rustic romance here that’s simply not available in suburbia – the stripped-back simplicity of living in the sticks above the Meifod Valley, yet without letting go of contemporary creature comforts. Magic up a movie on the smart TV or listen to your favourite songs on the bluetooth surround system while lazing on the leather sofas.
In the open-plan living space, it’s an easy transition to the state-of-the art kitchen or dining area with its double doors out onto the deck. Move gracefully around, G&T in hand, from dinner to deck to twilight dip in the hot tub. Life flows with an easy grace at Pine Lodge.
Cooking and dining
Got foodies? They’ll want to make their mark in the state-of-the-art kitchen with its huge American fridge-freezer, open-plan, chat-friendly layout and seamless glide over to the dining table. Open up the double doors to the deck and let in a little rarefied Welsh air as you get stuck into your local steak or soup.
If you prefer a more relaxed approach, you can call up Beth. With offerings from her own Welsh smallholding, including free-range pork and eggs, and a vast fruit and vegetable garden, Beth’s available for relaxed evening suppers, expansive buffets and all manner of mouth-watering menus, including celebration cakes and puddings.
Eating out? Dine out literally with the Weber barbecue on the terrace, or head out to
The Station Grill at Llansantffraid for Welsh brisket of beef or grilled sea trout. Or pop to The Keys in Oswestry for hearty steak-and-ale pie and other homely, home-cooked heartiness.
For the taste of two AA rosettes, try Sebastian’s, or take fine dining to the limit at Michelin-starred Tyddyn Llan. Want to stay dressed down? Dial up a takeaway from The Simla Tandoori or The China Palace. Keep the fridge full with fresh farm foods from Llynclys Hall and Momentum Wines in Oswestry.
Bedrooms
Sleep here is a new phenomenon: an uninterrupted sense of rural bliss kissed by 400-count Egyptian-cotton sheets, supported by oak artisan beds. Pamper yourself with Aromatherapy Associates guest toiletries and snuggle up in fluffy towels and bathrobes. Pine Lodge sleeps eight in four luxury en-suite bedrooms.
All bedrooms offer zip-and-link twin beds that can convert to super-kingsize on request. En-suite rooms offer shower cubicle and toilet, while a patio door leads out onto the decking and the hot tub. Bedroom one adds a bath with shower over. All bedrooms and bathrooms are smart, sophisticated and contemporary.
What people say
Wander the wonders of Wales
Tick off the Seven Wonders of Wales, wander Offa’s Dyke and Glyndwr’s Way, explore the river by kayak, or ride the Llangollen Railway. See history come alive at Ironbridge, Oswestry Iron Age Hillfort and castles at Powys and Chirk. Or beat a path to the big brands at Cheshire Oaks Outlet Village.
