Earlier this week I told you about my spa retreat at Bluestone Wales. For me this was a holiday in two parts, as I brought along the Purple Kids, my friend Abbi and my nephew Lynton. It was wonderful being able to take the children away, it has really brightened up January, which can be a little post Christmas, dark winter, miserable otherwise.

Highlights of our Bluestone Wales family holiday

The accommodation. We stayed in a Grassholm lodge, which has four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a spacious kitchen and lounge. It sleeps eight comfortably. I was really impressed with the lodge, it surpassed my expectations. Open plan, light and beautifully modern, the colour scheme being purple was naturally perfect for me. The kitchen is well stocked, with a large dining table perfect for gathering the family together at mealtimes. The views from the lodge of the Pembrokeshire countryside are stunning.

The pool. The pool really was a highlight to our visit to Bluestone Wales. It wasn’t at all crowded and had some really fun features. A preschooler/toddler area with a little slide and wonderful rock pool area that Wonder Girl spent ages each day exploring. The main pool has a wave machine, and water fountains. There is a lazy river which takes you outside, outdoor swimming in hail being a new experience of ours from the holiday. Three big slides, I didn’t brave the two tube slides, but really enjoyed the rapid’s which featured several lovely outdoor pools on its journey. A splash area with lots of fun ways of having water dumped on your head and finally two jacuzzis.

The activity centre. A real lifesaver on a winter holiday, especially when it rains. A large hall with soft play, and a large play structure made of wood with slides, and lots of things to climb. There is mini golf, which is free to play, and we had several fun games on there. You can also pay to do adventure activities, climbing, the big drop, a swing and a high walk. I had a go at the high walk and it was really fun/reminded me how much my fitness levels have dropped since my trapeze days.

The view. Bluestone Wales is in beautiful Pembrokeshire. It’s idyllic, with rolling hills and enough sky to fill my mind for a while now I’m back in the city. We didn’t get to go out and explore much because it was very windy,wet, snowing and hailing at points. On a better week I can imagine spending hours running around outside with the children gathering nature treasures and getting good and muddy.

Packing tips for a winter holiday at Bluestone Wales

• Think outdoorsy, lots of warm layers, wellys and waterproofs all round. The lodge has plenty of drying space for wet jeans.
• Bring a torch. There is not a lot of night time lighting around the site, which is great and gives some brilliant night sky views. Pack a torch and find your way home from the pool more easily.
• Chopping board. Bring one, I didn’t find one in the kitchen.
• Knives. The ones provided are blunt, and I was hacking more than chopping.
• Dishwasher tablets. You get three, you’re there for four days, enough said.
• DVD’s, for early morning kids entertainment whilst you sleep.

We had a wonderful time and I would really recommend Bluestone for a lovely, relaxing, family holiday. Here’s our time in photos. For booking and more information here’s the website. 

*Disclosure: I was provided with a lodge for eight in order to write this post.