Pool, gardens and grounds
In front of the mythical mountain of Mynydd Marchywel, where the red kites wheel and the buzzards hover, sits a splendid Italianate garden with domed folly and secret walled garden with lily pond. Here, the trout-rich River Clydach gushes its way towards the gorgeous Gower coast.
Let the kids loose among century-old trees and the grey wagtails that follow the winding river, to plunder the ponds for newts, frogs and tadpoles. Or just invade the tennis court in front of the orangery, where cows and sheep in the neighbouring field pass judgement on dubious service actions.
At night, with little light pollution to spoil the view among 100 acres of uninterrupted countryside, you’ll want to gather everyone around the fire pit and watch the Milky Way cross the ink-black sky on a moonless night.
The ten-metre indoor swimming pool’s as photogenic as it’s fun. Heated to 29 degrees entirely by green energy, it’s perfect for all-year-round amusement that comes with exposed 15th-century stone walls and views of the pond garden, the folly and the neoclassical statues. Dive in, chill out, face off at water polo.
Living spaces
Elsewhere, there’s a certain magic about the internal spaces here. Could that be linked to the dynastic owners of bygone eras who claimed descent from a Welsh King of the Dark Ages and prominent figure in Arthurian legend? That may be so but there’s nothing ancient-mythology about the superfast Wi-Fi and Netflix-ready flatscreen TVs.
If you’re box-set bingeing, you’ll want accompanying tipples. Keep your Bordeaux and Burgundies in the 15th-century wine cellar. The stone floor and exposed-stone walls provide the perfect atmosphere for optimum storage. And take your after-dinner drinks in the orangery’s spacious bar with views of the tennis court where you can challenge worthy opponents on the table tennis and football tables.
The living room and drawing room sit either side of the entrance hall with its vaulted ceiling. Join the throng or duck out as the mood takes. And for pure escapism, the oak-panelled library comes with a secret doorway through to a private collection of centuries-old volumes belonging to previous Lords of the Manor.
Cooking and dining
Albert Roux himself would be proud of the French-farmhouse gourmet kitchen with its bespoke, extensive cabinetry, reclaimed stone inglenook and four-oven oil Aga. You’ll be further aided and abetted by the two portable plug-in hotplates, dual electric hob and American-style fridge/freezer.
Prefer to work on your breaststroke or backhand? Call up our pro chefs for anything from a hog roast to a Hogmanay feast. They’ll even load up the dishwasher afterwards. Stock up on fresh local produce from Pontardawe Farmers’ Market, Frosty’s greengrocers and Ponty butchers. Croissants? That’ll be Jenkins’ Bakery.
There’s room for just the 20 around the baronial dining table and even more outside beneath the red kites around the coal barbie or on the terrace. Wrap up your meal with a latte from the Nespresso. Takeaways? Try a classic British menu from Rhos Meadow Fish Bar, an Indian from one of three in Pontardawe or Chinese from one of four.
Wood-fired pizzas are the best and Riverbank Restaurant in Clydach offers the finest around. Try the Grape and Olive in Swansea for a modern menu based on regional ingredients served with spectacular views of Swansea Bay, the city and Mumbles. Or taste a Michelin star at Beach House Restaurant on the golden sands of Oxwich Bay.
Bedrooms
In the shadow of Mynydd Marchywel, amid century-old trees by the River Clydach, you’ll sleep log-like here. Choose from nine bedrooms sleeping up to 21. Need more space? Ask us about the cottage in the grounds sleeping a further four.
Each room is named after individuals who lived in the property in centuries gone by. On the first floor, Louisa is a superkingsize, while Gertrude offers a double, with both sharing a family bathroom.
Frances is a superking with an en-suite shower room and Herbert and Lloyd are en-suite superkings that zip-and-link into twins with Herbert also having an extra single bed. Lloyd is also a rather lovely master suite. Take your breakfast on the Juliet balcony that overlooks the garden with views of the ornamental pond and folly, then tog up in the walk-in wardrobe and dressing room.
On the second floor, Unity and Norah are doubles that share the family bathroom, while Nina and Ada are superking zip-and-links with Ada having its own en-suite featuring bath and walk-in shower. Three foldaway beds bring the total sleepers in the house to 21.
The option to add on the cottage near to the rear of the house provides some privacy for an additional four guests. Henry has a sumptuous superking zip-and-link bed with Edward offering a double.
Children welcome
If your kids always fancied France, give them a taste of la belle vie in South Wales. They’ll run as free as the chickens that live in the old rusty Citroens you always find in French farmyards. Let them loose to explore the wine cellar, the Italianate gardens and the river that runs off to the Gower sea.
There’s plenty to explore in the gardens and grounds. Maybe set them a treasure hunt? Who’ll be first to find the domed folly and the secret walled garden? Bring their nets for the ponds, rich in newts, frogs and toads, and don’t forget the tennis rackets, for a game on the all-weather court umpired by nosy sheep and cattle.
Inside, the ten-metre heated pool’s the showstopper here. Get some lengths in, or just split yourselves into water-polo teams. Towel off and gather for a family movie on the 55-inch TV in the living room. Don’t forget your Netflix password and tune in care of superfast Plusnet broadband. Or fancy some competition in the games room? Take on your family and friends on the table tennis or football tables.
At night, the skies dye themselves a deep, inky black here and, surrounded by 100 acres of countryside, the stars reveal themselves, constellation by constellation. Gather around the fire pit with blankets for the best view of the stars and why not toast some marshmallows.
What people say
On water, on land and underground
Surf great beaches at Langland, Caswell and Oxwich. Canyon, cave and kayak with Adventure Britain. And pick from six amazing golf courses. Kids can see the show caves at Dan Yr Ogof, make a splash at LC2, Wales’ biggest indoor water park, or ride one of the world’s best rollercoasters at Oakwood Theme Park.
