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BEAUTIFUL BLUESTONE
City Life spent a wonderful weekend in Pembrokeshire at the stunning Bluestone village and rediscovered the beauty and tranquility of West Wales.
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The first thing you notice on arrival at Bluestone is the newness and, I have to say, I quite liked the fact that I was one of the ‘Bluestone pioneers’ to coin a phrase. I’m sure in five or ten years, the planting will be more established and the village will have that ‘lived in’ feel about it but, for now, I am enjoying the vista of the new.
Once we had booked in, we made our way to our lodge. The short drive down is the first chance you get to appreciate the views here. Fortunately we had chosen, what seemed to be, the only scorching weekend in September, if not summer. We were rewarded with glorious, almost breathtaking views towards the Preseli hills to the north – this is a truly stunning setting.
The second thing you notice is how peaceful it is. There’s a real sense of calmness about the whole place. Staff are extremely friendly and nothing seems too much trouble - they seem genuinely willing to please. The other thing that struck me almost immediately was that we weren’t being discouraged from going off site! I have been to several developments like this and you get the impression that once they have you through the gate you are locked in. At Bluestone, this is certainly not the case. In fact, we were positively encouraged to leave and explore which we did.
Bluestone is literally next door to Oakwood and the pretty little harbour town of Tenby is a mere fifteen minutes away. Besides these great attractions, there are scores of others to choose from that are suitable for children of all ages. You could easily spend two weeks in Pembrokeshire and not run out of things to do. It’s the perfect family destination. And, even if you don’t have children, you’re equally spoilt for choice. There’s bundles of heritage and history, great restaurants and some of the finest beaches in Europe just a short drive away. As a base from which to explore Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire, Bluestone is perfectly placed.
I suppose the test for the great british holiday is what happens when it rains. Bluestone delivers. With it’s excellent pool, wonderful wave machine and slides, you certainly shouldn’t be bored. There is also a superb sports facility with gymnasium, badminton courts, pool tables and much more.
This is also home to various activities such as the very popular Rock School for the aspiring rockstar. There is also a range of indoor and outdoor activities for both young and the not so young such as crafts, off road safari and archery and laser clays.
Bluestone has been compared, understandably, with Center Parcs and, okay, there is similarity but they do deliver very different experiences and, if I am forced to make a comparison and decide between the two, in my opinion Bluestone wins hands down because it has something that Center Parcs doesn’t… Pembrokeshire!
As a parent, I was concerned that there would be enough activities for our nine year old son Jack to keep him amused. I needn’t have worried. Jack is a vocal nine year old, as they often are, and wanted to give his account of the trip.
“I liked the lodge we stayed in because the bedrooms were downstairs and the kitchen and TV area were upstairs. I got to go on a jeep safari which was cool because mum and dad couldn’t come and we went in the mud. It was awesome! I also had a go at laser clays and I loved the pool because when the hooter went the waves started. That was awesome!
The food was good too. Mum doesn’t like me eating kids food because all you get is chicken nuggets and chips but in the restaurant I could have what I wanted, so I had spare ribs and massive prawns in their shells.
We also went on a trip to Tenby beach which was near to the lodge and the tide came in. Dad had to carry mum through the sea because she’s scared of crabs! I liked Bluestone and want to go back next week. It was awesome!”
What we liked about Bluestone
■ Family-friendly environment
■ The impeccably designed lodges
■ The sustainability principles central to Bluestone’s ethos
■ The genuinely friendly and helpful staff (we can’t praise them enough!) ■ Stunning views of ancient woodlands, rolling fields and the Preseli Hills ■ Pembrokeshire on your doorstep.
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