Llangoed Hall Hotel

Accommodation
The design of the Llangoed Hall Hotel rooms nods to Welsh designer Laura Ashley, and gorgeous they are - The Laura Ashley Suite is our favourite. Each of the 23 rooms has an independent design, no strict hotel format, and every room with individual character.

Room options
Each of the rooms has free wi-fi, which makes it easier to stay connected. If you want to unplug and pamper yourself, there are Noble Isle luxury toiletries, a lush bathrobe and slippers at your disposal.

The Petit Rooms are charming, overlook the hotel grounds and are ideal for single travellers, although they can house up to two people.

The State Rooms are a mixture of historical grace and contemporary comfort. The Deluxe State Rooms are a prime example of luxury, with many featuring four-poster beds and comfortable lounge areas.

Suite options
The Junior Suites offer more space and are inviting because of their stone fireplaces, charming four-poster beds and cosy dining area.

The Master Suites are known for their maximum comfort featuring a separate lounge area that overlooks the beautiful hotel grounds.

The Premium Master Suite is the most refined room at Llangoed Hall; it overlooks the croquet lawn and is suited for two guests.

Restaurant
Dinner is calm and timed to perfection; there is a two-hour sitting from 18.30 to 20.30 with the option to have drinks earlier in the lounge, which of course, everyone does. The cooking has classic routes using local produce from the Kitchen Gardens and surrounding landscape. Lunch is extraordinary, have your family and friends watch the kitchen staff make your lunch, interact with the kitchen team and indulge in a seven-course tasting menu.

Facilities
Llangoed Hall houses a significant collection of paintings, drawings and fine art, featuring James McNeil Whistler, Hermann Dudley Murphy and Augustus John.

Sir Bernard Ashley, the husband of famous fabric designer Laura Ashley, used to own the property. He was a genuine collector of art and spent his time collecting pieces to accompany the house’s beautiful furnishings.

The hotel sits in 17 acres of lovely, landscaped gardens surrounded by the incredible Black Mountains, where you can wander around or try to find your way out of the garden maze.

History
Today you wouldn’t notice, but in the past, the location of Llangoed Castle, as it was known, was strategic. An evil Prince (Iddon) passed the property over to the Church in the 6th Century; this is a period we call the dark ages; there are very few written records of this time. The reason why the dark ages are so mysterious but full of great stories, free from detail. The greatest of all accounts was that of King Arthur. Back to Llangoed Hall; by donating his property to the Church, maybe the evil Prince Iddon thought this might relieve him of his terrible sins? It is a legend. But Llangoed Castle was here.

From the mid-17th-century, a mansion existed, a Jacobean pile, until the much-hailed Sir Bertram Clough William-Ellis remodelled the house in the 1900s. He retained some features, such as the attractive porch. Clough William-Ellis is known for the incredible Welsh village of Portmeirion, which rather over-shadows his distinguished military career. He received the Military Cross in the 1918 honours list.

The Laura Ashley Connection
During World War Two, Laura Mountney met Bernard Ashley in London at a youth club. Bernard served in the British Army (Gurkhas), but the pair continued to write. Shortly after the war, they married. While working and raising two children, she revived her interest in quilting, then designing headscarves and table mats. Her husband, a brilliant engineer, built a printing machine in the attic churning out printed scarves, which become extremely popular. Eventually, she opened a shop in the early 1960s, and the business took off - quite literally, the Ashley’s then bought aircraft, boats and houses. Unfortunately, Laura Ashley, at only 60, died from injuries sustained after falling down a set of stairs in 1985.

Touring Guide
Southern Wales is often missed out on tours of Wales, even by Brits. We like South Wales because it feels undiscovered, it is quiet. The Waterfall Trail on our suggested Honeymoon Tour is a pleasurable activity with very few people.

Carreg Cenne Castle in the Brecon Beacons is another one of those forgotten places; you could say challenging to get to, which makes it free from people for the most part. So be adventurous and dare yourself to hike the Four Falls Trail or add some sea fishing on your Private Tour of Wales.