Lake Country House

PEACE AND TRANQUILLITY  are the big draws at this elegant and airy neo-Tudor country house, built in 1900 as a hunting and fishing lodge in a blissfully secluded corner of mid Wales. Inside the Lake Country House Hotel it's all gleaming floorboards and terracotta walls set off by oriental rugs, dark wood antiques, expansive sofas, jugs of fresh flowers and old ticking clocks.

Bedrooms at The Lake are supremely comfortable, while a maitre d’ oversees the well appointed dining room. Outside, it’s a visual feast and the perfect place for dreamy riverside walks or a game of croquet – and there's a full-blown spa here too.

Step on to wide, precision-mown lawns that sweep down to the river Irfon – just one feature of the gorgeous grounds with 50 acres of woodlands and a well-stocked trout lake where herons and kingfishers swoop. The Lake’s traditional afternoon teas – served on a trolley under the chestnut trees in summer or before a crackling fire in winter – are worth driving miles for.

Winning dinners

An award-winning fusion of Welsh and English cuisine with an added pinch of inspiration makes dinner worth waiting for. Try specialities such as stuffed saddle of rabbit with puy lentils, garlic confit and a light sherry vinegar jus. Local attractions include Powys Castle, the book emporia of Hay-on-Wye and the Brecon Beacons. There’s tennis, fishing and golfing in the grounds, not to mention the excellent Kingfisher Spa.

Kaiser Wilhelm and his empress stayed here incognito in the early days. You'll have no trouble going to ground in this green and indulgent enclave.

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