Celebrating St. David’s Day in Wales
March 1st, Wales comes alive in honour of its patron saint, Saint David. Monk, teacher and miracle worker, just like us he is remembered for his humility and his enduring advice to “do the little things.”
On St David’s Day, daffodils and leeks are worn with pride and yes, an entire nation confidently accessorises with a vegetable for the day.
Wales has yet to be discovered by mass tourism, so here you are far more of an explorer than a tourist. This journey unfolds across dramatic coastlines, elegant country estates, medieval castles and vibrant local traditions. We’ll make sure that you are in the best rooms in the top country house hotels with beautiful historic character, fantastic service, award winning cuisine and outstanding grounds.
North Wales
Sites include Penrhyn Castle, a Victorian mining millionaire’s lavish fantasy, and Conwy Castle, Edward I’s thirteenth century sledgehammer to crush the Welsh. There’s Portmeirion, now more famous for its botanic tableware than the 1970s cult TV series The Prisoner. There’s one of Britain’s tallest mountains, Snowdon, on whose flanks chuff steam engines that inspired Thomas the Tank Engine.
Find a hidden honey farm, a tiny tweed mill and even a Welsh whisky distillery, though fastidious friends from Scotland say its primary charm is alliteration.
South Wales
In the south of the country, Hay on Wye, the town of books, has international recognition. Further down the Wye, from Wordsworth’s Tintern Abbey to Harry Potter’s Forest of Dean, you will discover a treasure trove of unexpected delights.
To the west are the valleys, once famed for coal mining and rugby and still famed for poetry, seaweed bread and the wild landscape of the Brecon Beacons.
Our Favourite Welsh Hotels
Bodysgallen Hall
Through stone gates you arrive at a seventeenth century manor set high above Conwy Bay, with Snowdonia rising in the distance. Fires glow in drawing rooms layered with antiques, and walled gardens stretch toward the sea.
Michelin starred dining elevates each evening. It feels less like a hotel and more like being quietly handed the keys to a historic Welsh estate.
The Lake Country House & Spa
Set within fifty acres of sweeping parkland along the gentle banks of the River Irfon, threaded with tranquil streams, glistening lakes, and winding woodland paths, Lake Country House feels like a hidden sanctuary in the heart of Powys
Pale Hall
Deeper into Snowdonia’s southern reaches, the road narrows and the mountains close in. Llyn Tegid stretches wide and still beside you before the Victorian mansion comes into view.
Built in 1871 for railway magnate Henry Robertson and later hosting Queen Victoria, Pale Hall carries quiet grandeur without pretence. Lake views at breakfast, fires glowing by evening. It feels less like a hotel and more like being quietly handed the keys to a historic Welsh estate, with the gentle expectation that you might stay forever.
The Grove of Narberth
Tenby’s pastel harbour offers a soft coastal pause before you settle into The Grove of Narberth in rural Pembrokeshire. Hidden within rolling countryside, this intimate country house feels deeply rooted in place.
The welcome is warm, the rooms quietly luxurious, and the dining a confident celebration of Welsh land and sea. It is refined without ceremony and personal without formality.
Call Ireland and Britain Observed to plan your Welsh Escape. +353 87 287 2248.
© Bodysgallen Hall
© Pale Hall
© The Grove of Narberth
