Bron Eifion Country House Hotel

Bron Eifion was built in 1883 for the slate magnate John Greaves, and the money shows: a soaring galleried great hall in Oregon pine, carved staircases and long windows onto the lawns. It stands on the western approach to Criccieth, at the point where the Llŷn Peninsula runs out from the mountains of Eryri.

The house works as a small country hotel and a well-known destination wedding venue, so it is worth checking the diary before booking a quiet weekend. Bedrooms are traditional in style, with garden or sea-facing outlooks, and the dining room cooks straightforwardly around Welsh meat and Cardigan Bay fish.

Five acres of Victorian gardens surround the house, with specimen trees, a walled garden and a summerhouse. Criccieth's castle and shingle beach are a ten-minute walk, and the beaches of the Llŷn — Porthdinllaen, Abersoch, Aberdaron — are within easy reach.