Bigging up UK 'rural retreats'!

[llantwit]

South West Wales, to be precise! No nasty short-haul air trips (although a nasty polluting car comes in handy), and plenty of varied gorgeous scenery and great places to visit:
Day one: National Botanic Gardnes (http://www.gardenofwales.org.uk/. Great place set in rolling green countryside with fantastic formal gardens, some great little herb gardens, a massive breathtaking Norman Foster esigned glass dome full of plants from around the world, a male-voice choir singing in the courtyard of an old tately home. Drizzle. What more could you want from Wales?!
Drove on accross West Wales over Mynedd Preseli (Preseli mountains - think rugged, bleak, and beautiful with sheep and cows all over the roads) through mad little villages like Rosebush (where you can buy the excellent Pant Mawrcheese straight from the farmer who makes them), and Pontfaen (Where you can sup Bass poured into a jug by anancient old woman called Bessie in a living-room style pub straight outta the 19th century).
Arrived at the little fishing Village of Newport (just south of Fishguard) and stayed in an excellent tastefully (and newly) decorated organic B&B called Awen Ingli (no website), before going for a nice long walk and having an excellent meal in one of the town's three very high quality restaurants The Mochyn Drwg (http://ymochyndrwg.co.uk/restaurant.html).:)

Rosebush:

Bessie's Pub

Newport, West Wales:

 

[marty21]

We stayed in a cottage overlooking that dome, during the petrol blockade a few years ago, it is a beautiful area, luckily for me i was driving an old banger which took 4star petrol which lasted a lot longer at the pumps

 

[llantwit]

Day two: After a great locally-sourced organic breakfast we drove back through Pembrokeshire and into Carmarthenshire (in the sun - yay!) to our second horticultural visit at Aberglasney (http://www.aberglasney.org/), a little gem of a country house with gorgeous gardens and a lovely restaurant. Place is straight outta Jane Austen.
Had a great Sunday Lunch at nearby Llandeilo (great restaurant in a rather hip-looking boutique place called the Cawdor Hotel - http://www.thecawdor.com), before heading off over the Black Mountains and back home to Cardiff down the Aberdare Valley.
Can't believe I haven't seen more of my beautiful country.

Aberglasney:

Tywi Valley:

Black Mountains:

 

[marty21]

it's a wonderful part of the country, haven't been back for a few years, thinking about it a bit more now

 

[Sunspots]

...Pontfaen (Where you can sup Bass poured into a jug by anancient old woman called Bessie in a living-room style pub straight outta the 19th century).

I've stayed in a tiny cottage there before. Cwm Gwaun? (-Couldn't initially remember the name of the place, but I immediately recognized your picture and description of Bessie's Pub!)

Had no mobile reception and no telly. Bliss.

 

[rorymac]

I've just been in Devil's Bridge in Wales and it is an amazing place to be fair.

 

[llantwit]

I've stayed in a tiny cottage there before. Cwm Gwaun? (-Couldn't initially remember the name of the place, but I immediately recognized your picture and description of Bessie's Pub!)

Had no mobile reception and no telly. Bliss.

What a cool little valley - idyllic.