A special weekend in Wales for three generations of guests

I’m sure I’m not alone in having family scattered all across the country. It means get-togethers are rare but always feel like Christmas. My parents, siblings and I are spread from London to Glasgow, so I’m well-versed in hunting down self-catering spots in the middle swathe of the UK that are not only big enough to fit us all but also cater to the various generations in tow.  

We pinned my parents’ wedding anniversary – a balmy summer weekend in July – in everyone’s diaries and whittled down the options to Whitehall Dairy, a converted farm building up in the hills not far from Montgomery in Wales. From the moment we arrived, it was nothing short of perfect. Big enough to sleep 10 with 5 bedrooms nicely spread out (meaning not everyone got the 5am toddler wake-up call) and with a great layout that didn’t have you tucked up in each other’s pockets the whole time but did mean you actually felt like you sat and spent time together and could all eat dinner round the same table. Not to mention the location: so remote that the three boisterous children could make their loudest dinosaur noises without bothering a soul (except for the resident geese, sorry geese), while the rest of us grown-ups could soak up the calmness of nature, with the setting high in the hills offering undisturbed, 60 miles to Mount Snowdon on a good day. 

It’s the sort of place that once you’re there, you don’t really want to leave. I’d recommend taking at least one of your days here slowly. You’ll want to drop the pace a little to really soak up the setting. A leisurely start (I say that wishfully having been in the early risers’ camp) and breakfast, before letting kids burn off steam in the garden. Ducks, geese and the odd chicken stroll by regularly, providing excellent, endless free entertainment. A gentle sloping path gave optimum scooting conditions and therefore three very happy children. As the rest of the group emerged, we split up, and some stretching their legs with a stroll along the quiet country lanes, saying hello to sheep and watching tractors in neighbouring fields.  

After lunch outside and a picnic on the lawn for the littles, it’s definitely worth venturing into Montgomery. An 8-minute drive away, it’s a handsome market town with red-brick townhouses and medieval castle ruins perched over the town on a hill. It thrives on community spirit, with a handful of interesting shops, cafés and restaurants. Don’t miss Bunner’s, the ironmongers to trump all other ironmongers! And if you’re in the market for fine dining (and can free yourself of kids for a couple of hours), The Checkers, with a kitchen helmed by Michelin-starred Andrew Birch, is certainly worth factoring into your plans. No family outing is complete without a trip to the playground (there’s a nice little one here on the recreation ground) and before heading back to base, swing by Kerry Vale Vineyard to pick up a bottle of hyper-local wine. 

You definitely don’t want to miss or rush your evenings at Whitehall Dairy. The indoor-outdoor living set up, with big glassy sliding doors, makes it particularly special in the summer months and the view begs to be stared at — ideally with a glass of something cold in hand. We cooked s’mores on the fire pit with the kids before bedtime, and once they were asleep, cooked and ate outside. Keen cooks will certainly relish the excellent outdoor kitchen! Somehow, I’ve got this far without even mentioning the hot tub! A star of the show and a hit for all ages. Toddler bath time just levelled up! And for the rest of us, the ultimate form of decompression. Why are baths just so much better outside? 

The next day, we ventured further afield. You’ve got the option of Shrewsbury, Hay-on-Wye or Ludlow as charming towns all just over the English border, between 45 mins to 1hr 20 from Whitehall Dairy. All very do-able for a day trip but particularly handy if they happen to be in the direction of home. We picked the latter. I haven’t been to Ludlow since I was a child and it exceeded hopes and expectations with its mind-boggling Tudor architecture, excellent antique shops ranging from bric-a-brac to one-of-a-kind collectables, fine medieval castle, and a particularly standout cheese shop, The Mousetrap. There are pubs and cafés aplenty, delis too (Broad Bean and The Harp are excellent) and a slew of great specialist shops. Holloways of Ludlow will have you buying lights and lamps you didn’t know you needed, and The Period House Shop is a treasure-trove full of covetable knick-knacks. Try leaving empty handed… 

Safe to say our weekend in Wales was a weekend well spent, and the sunset over the hills will be etched on my eyeballs forever. If you’re looking for somewhere special to spend time with family of all ages, this is one to bookmark.  

 

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