Laze in the gardens at Bodysgallen on a beautiful evening and you feel as though you are immersed in history. It’s in every brick of the centuries-old walls surrounding the 17th-century parterre, lily pond, rose garden and stunning landscaping.
This is a place to relax, listening to birdsong, the bleating of the sheep and your own heartbeat.
It is a real privilege to be a guest at Bodysgallen (pronounced Bodysgaklen), located just a couple of miles outside the Victorian seaside town of Llandudno on the west side of Pydew mountain. The Grade 1 listed building has been beautifully restored by the National Trust's Historic House Hotels, founded in 1979 to rescue and restore run-down country houses..
In 1810, the historian Fenton noted that Bodysgallen was 'embosomed in woods of noble growth, which are suffered to luxuriate their own way without any fear of the axe'. And it remains that way today.
The name Bodysgallen may mean either 'house among thistles' or 'the abode of Cadwallon' (a sixth-century chieftain). Although today, the only thistles you might see are the ones that have accidentally crept into the grounds – 220 acres of breathtaking gorgeousness – and will soon be plucked by the attentive gardeners. Chieftans? There was no evidence unless they were disguised as refined, well-dressed guests.
The house itself is a quirky delight, with its twisting staircases, oak-panelled sitting rooms and bedrooms filled with antiques. This is no generic swanky hotel but one with character and understated luxury.
We were treated to afternoon tea, which we took in the library. Darjeeling was poured from silver teapots laid out on starched white linen and we ate finger sandwiches, fluffy scones and meltingly moreish cakes from three-tiered cake plates, against a backdrop of walls bedecked with river scenes and those from ancient times. There’s a place here for pelmets and Persian rugs, a bureau and a barometer.
Before dinner, we had drinks in the hotel’s snug little bar, all mullioned windows and chintzy wallpaper, before being led into the grand dining room to enjoy a starter of white and brown crab mousse followed by (and what else could the meat eater have than the local speciality?) Conwy lamb rump.
There’s a vegetarian menu from which I enjoyed prettily arranged dishes of heritage beetroot and tangy Welsh feta, followed by a main of goat's cheese fritter served with deliciously cheesy polenta.
At breakfast, there was an array of superb produce, from toast with the crusts cut off to salty sweet bacon and perfectly cooked eggs.
Bodysgallen is also famed for its impressive spa, where I was pampered with a bespoke facial using the latest collection of results-driven products by Aromatherapy Associates – all natural and smelling utterly divine.
Apparently, they have soothed away the wrinkles of some famous guests. But dash it: as this is a place of peacefulness and discretion that encourages return visits, they wouldn’t tell me who. Maybe Ryan Reynolds on his way to Wrexham? Who knows? You really don’t have to be a famous person to be treated royally at Bodysgallen. Everyone is looked after wonderfully well.
Janet Reeder was a guest of Bodysgallen Hall and Spa, Llandudno LL30 1RS.
0149 258 4466
bodysgallen.com
