We spent some time before our departure at Bryn Hedd in Penmaenmawr, North Wales. Bryn Hedd was once the holiday home of former British Prime Minister William Gladstone. It was reported, after Gladstone’s death, that it was in one of the front rooms here that he drafted his bill which ended the tax on paper, reducing the price of newspapers and other publications. The property now owned by Alan and Iain Scott. Alan and his wife had previously managed Bryn Hedd as a nursing home, later converting it to individual living units. We were fortunate enough to be staying in the Belvedere Tower of this property, I enjoyed cooking little treats for Alan. Both Alan and Iain were full of local knowledge and very charming hosts. The sunsets from Bryn Hedd were absolutely breath taking – some of the most spectacular sunsets of my life. I’ll never forget our time spent here.
Penmaenmawr is located on the North coast of Wales, it sits in between Conwy and Llanfairfechan. It boasts a beautiful dog friendly beach with tumbling sands, lots of beach, sea life and nature for children to explore. There is small town centre where you pick up everything you need, an outdoor paddling pool located by the beach, a local beach cafe and a fantastically quirky secondhand book store – where you post your payment through a letterbox. Another appealing feature of Penmaenmawr is that it has its own train station, offering direct links into Liverpool and to Holyhead.
We enjoyed visiting Beaumaris for lunch and fishing trips, we caught over eighty mackerel one afternoon, not bad for a days work. We also enjoyed crabbing at the harbour in Conwy and walking the walls of Conwy Castle. Also close by was the Welsh Mountain Zoo, which me and Annabella loved.
This area has a lot to offer in the way of local food, I am a huge fan of the Snowdonia Cheese Company and was in heaven with the local seafood. PEI Mussels and Oysters are delicious, but I’m pretty sure Menai Mussels and Oysters could give them a good run for their money. Annabella enjoyed eating an abundance of welsh cakes and we also enjoyed a picnic or two at the top of the Great Orme in Llandudno. You will also find lots of little tea shops dotted around this area of North Wales, some fantastic fish and chip shops and beautiful restaurants such as The Marram Grass and Dylan’s in Menai Bridge.
It was in Penmaenmawr we sadly had to say goodbye to our beloved cat Theodore, as he detested travelling, so it would have been detrimental to his health to move him to Canada with us. We were fortunate enough to meet a lovely tenant of Bryn Hedd whom offered Theodore a new home.
The Sly Cook 