Hurst House on the Marsh is situated just outside Laugharne in South West Wales made famous by Dylan Thomas in his classic work Under Milk Wood. Fifteen minutes from Carmarthen’s mainline train station and a half hour drive from the coastal town of Tenby and the picturesque village of Narberth.
LOST IN LAUGHARNE
After a particularly manic spring, I was feeling pretty exhausted, so my husband offered to take me for lunch ‘somewhere special.’ Little did I know, to make the experience an even more memorable one, he had booked a helicopter flight to take us there and back.
To my joy, I learned that we were going to be staying at Hurst House on the Marsh in Laugharne, a Grade II listed hotel with eighteen sumptuous bedrooms and bijou spa. With the dining provided for by the talents of consultant chef Martin Blunos, who has two Michelin stars, we were in for a real treat!
The day of our trip arrived and we made our way to meet Julian Verity, Director of Veritair, and our pilot Captain Phill Hall-Davis, who were to accompany us on the trip. Julian was a very affable, amenable gentleman who gave us a tour of the facilities of Veritair and told us all about the helicopter in which we were to travel, and (here’s the science bit) the very impressive seven seat (six passengers and pilot) Bell 407 made in Canada. It was the manufacturer’s latest model, with a top speed of 160mph and a range of 400 nautical miles. I could think of many reasons for travelling this way, including business or pleasure trips or even as a wedding charter!
As neither of us had flown before, Julian ran through the instructions on how to alight and depart and made sure that we were strapped in and had our headgear on. The sensation of taking off was unusual to say the least and the feeling of flying in a helicopter was amazing, but the main highlight for me was the stunning view. We were able to see the landscape below with so much clarity that I commented on how many mini trampolines there were in gardens across the Vale - we decided that perhaps we should have been in the trampoline business! What struck me during the flight was that we really do live in a beautiful part of the country. When you see things from the road, you often miss much of the detail around you and all the wonderful colours and forms of the landscape.
Half an hour later, we had reached our destination and the landing was just as graceful as the takeoff. We alighted and made our way into the hotel where we were welcomed by the General Manager who gave us a whistlestop tour of the hotel. We had a quick peek at the newly built spa with pool, spa bath, gym, three treatment rooms offering a selection of Elemental Herbology products and a tranquil relaxation space. The bedrooms are all individually designed with an eclectic mix of lovely antique furniture and high tech comfort, including media centres, Roberts radios and large bathrooms with REN products and huge Frette linened beds - pure indulgence!
The quirky mix of furniture continued throughout the hotel and as we sat in the lounge perusing the lunch menu, it was delightful to see a family with their children and dogs looking so relaxed and obviously enjoying their stay. There’s nothing worse than a hotel where you can’t feel like you can kick off your shoes and relax.
We were sat for lunch in the hotel’s restaurant which overlooked a large working kitchen garden, the fruits of which feature in their seasonal menus. The area was glass fronted and punctuated by olive trees. I could easily imagine a wedding party in this environment, of which the hotel hosts many throughout the year, as well as meetings, conferences and general family events. Hurst House even boasts a cookery school.
The owner mentioned that they recently hosted a wedding function where, after the wedding breakfast, the bride and groom and guests enjoyed the rest of the day on the beautiful beach only a stones throw away.
Our lunch consisted of baked asparagus wrapped in prosciutto with Hollandaise sauce to start, followed by roasted rump of lamb with creamed carrot and caraway. Then, came one of the Chef’s speciality dishes of ‘boiled eggs and soldiers’. Not the conventional type, of course, this was a sorbet served in an egg shell with cake soldiers and sugar and chocolate granules (salt and pepper) served on the side. True theatre! Our dessert was mango crème brûlée with cardamom cow.
Over coffees and home-made truffles the owner explained to us that the next phase of the development plan will include luxury lodges set in aces of marshland as well as a recording studio, perfect for the many musicians and artists who flock to Hurst House for its privacy, discreet service and inspiring, secluded surroundings. Our experience concluded with the helicopter ride home which was just as amazing as our flight down as due to low cloud, we had to hug the coastline for the return journey - a real joy!
Would I want to do this again? Definitely! The helicopter trip was a real experience of a lifetime and Hurst House is a beautiful hotel in a very special part of the country. If flying is not for you, then you can drive there from Cardiff in roughly ninety minutes and I thoroughly recommend you do.
