Fit for a queen
AMANDA CROOK enjoys a luxurious weekend break at a hotel that was once favoured by royalty
THERE’S something about the crunching of gravel as you weave up a long drive which raises your expectations about what is going to happen next, isn’t there?
Certainly, that’s what went through my mind as we turned into Pale Hall’s grounds after a two-hour drive from Manchester into North Wales. And Pale Hall certainly didn’t disappoint.
A final sweep of the drive and the trees gave way to a remarkable building which has been lovingly refurbished and turned into the sort of place I fully expect to see making regular appearances in the sorts of magazines which adorn expensive coffee tables in big houses for years to come.
When it was put on the market back in 2011, the agents selling Pale Hall, in Llandderfel, near Bala described it as a country mansion beloved by Queen Victoria, who stayed there during her reign.
To say the hotel is fit for royalty now is an understatement.
If anything, the grand vista which greets you when you arrive is merely a taste of what is to come inside.
A grand hall awaits as staff greet you, before taking you a commanding staircase to one of 18 individually-designed bedrooms.
It’s a place where you are immediately made to feel at home. Nothing is too much trouble, and everyone is very welcoming.
It has a relaxed feel, and that is something the team have clearly worked hard on.
Striking the balance between respecting the past and providing all the modern luxuries expected in a boutique hotel such as this is a fine line to tread, but tread it owners Alan and Angela Harper have – and with great flair.
Angela took great pride in explaining how they had personally overseen the refurbishment of the hotel, which is already making a name for itself as a weekend destination for people looking for a break from it all wherever they are in the UK.
Our bedroom overlooked the grand drive we first been so impressed by, and provided us with a glimpse of the village of Llandderfel between the tall trees.
Beneath in a field several horses and donkey were resident, and they provided pretty much the only noise to drift through the windows in the evening.
It was the sort of room you’d happily just sit and read a book in, occasionally looking up to check on the view, or maybe switch on the television, mounted as it was inside a mirror.
But to do that would be to miss arguably the hotel’s main attraction – the food.
Angela and Alan persuaded chef Michael Caines to oversee the creation of a remarkable menu for those staying at Pale Hall.
Dishes such as pan-fried scallops with tapenade, aubergine and tomato vinaigrettes will live long in the memory – and that was just one of the starters.
The roast Welsh lamb – complete with smoked aubergine puree and boulangere potato – and the Welsh black beef with braised beef cheek and horseradish and shallot confit were, in lieu of a better word, remarkable.
As with the hotel, the menu was luxurious but not pretentious, providing you with a meal to remember in surroundings which we simply unforgettable.
We did venture further afield from the hotel – as far as Snowdon, about 45 minutes away – and the nearby town of Bala is a friendly spot for a walk and a drink too.
But I think the fact that time spent away from the hotel runs the risk of feeling like time wasted tells you all you need to know about Pale Hall.
Queen Victoria would surely have approved.