Review: Bluestone Wales – free-range fun with kids

How can you not love somewhere like Bluestone Wales, which thoughtfully comes up with useful phrases to help during your stay – such as ‘Mae fy hofrenfad yn llawn llyswennod’. Translation: ‘My hovercraft is full of eels’.

press trip*

Even before I arrived, I suspected I was going to like Bluestone. (To avoid disappointment or anxiety, no hovercraft are set to feature in this blog post, and no eels were harming during writing…).

Out in the west of Wales, Bluestone lodges Pembrokshire promises free-range living. Nothing to do with chickens, the idea is that in this car-free area, you’re able to relax, get out into the countryside, have fun and let kids enjoy the freedom of roaming around as well. And after a journey beset by broken-down cars (not ours) and a grouchy grumpy Minnie who was battling a summer cold, I certainly needed a bit of relaxation.

Arriving a couple of hours later than planned, I could feel my blood pressure lowering as we drew up at the entrance lodge (partly down to the gorgeous musical Welsh accents), even more as we checked into our minty pastel coloured cottage.

And after being reassured that the apparently missing travel cot (panic! PANIC!) was actually tucked away in the wardrobe, I finally got to put Minnie to bed and open the bottle of wine and box of chocolates that had been left to welcome me.

Even the discovery that the on-site shops had just shut for the night wasn’t a disaster as the restaurant’s takeaway was open until 9.45pm – and they definitely weren’t stinting on portion sizes, as my order of ribs looked like roughly half a pig.

Flicking through our prearranged schedule for the long weekend and the complete list of activities on offer, you could easily come for a fortnight and not get bored.

There is simply so much to do, I can’t even begin to list everything, let alone try to pack it into a few days. Looking at the activities for all the different ages – from toddler-friendly fun at the Adventure Centre to raft-building on the lake up to more exciting adrenaline-fuelled zip wires for older kids – I felt very tempted to book a regular holiday for the next dozen years, so Minnie could get to try everything out.

And from the moment we arrived, there’s no doubt how family-friendly Bluestone is. Barely anyone seems to be without a buggy or a few kids in tow, there are stairgates on the stairs, those cunningly hidden travel cots, and high chairs available on request.

The main restaurant, The Yard, is buzzing enough that you needn’t worry about your baby disrupting everyone else, while there’s a bakery-cum-cafe plus the well-stocked little shop and wine store if you prefer to pick up provisions. You can even pre-order shopping and emergency kits of essentials.

All set around a ‘village’ with 30 slate-roofed cottages (and  14 studios), plus a pub and the distinctly stylish Carreg Las restaurant – next time, we book a babysitter and a table – it’s all designed so you’re never too far from the centre. Most visitors stay in one of the 268 luxury timber lodges, you can choose to be close to the lily-covered lake or near the activities, but none seem more than 10 minutes amble from the village.

Our two-bed cottage, Daisy, was right on the doorstep and perfect for a couple and a baby, or a family with younger kids. As well as the huge open-plan living room and kitchen, there were two bedrooms – a small one with bunk beds and enough space for Minnie’s cot, plus another with our comfy double bed under a beamed ceiling. The kitchen has everything you might need apart from a washing machine (although there is a laundry service).

And while the emphasis is definitely on being green where possible (recycling bins all around, energy-efficient heating and hot water, a car-free site), there’s still 21st century comforts – free wifi in certain areas (and by ethernet cable in the cottages, although the connection is erratic), and you can hire electric buggies to get around or use the shuttle bus. 

Even better, there are bikes to rent, plus trailers and seats for children, so you can explore the 550 acres of National Park.

Sitting listening to the silence, I realised we hadn’t just come on a weekend’s holiday, we’d stepped out of the real world into a chilled-out bubble where you slow down without even realising it. But if I did need a helping hand, the next day held a trip to Bluestone’s spa…

Images courtesy of Bluestone

Disclosure: My stay was hosted by Bluestone