Y Beuno
Clynnog Fawr, near Caernarfon, LL54 5PB
01286 660785
Category: B&B;, Snowdonia
Visitors have been stopping off at Clynnog Fawr for centuries. This Llyn Peninsula village is on the historic Pilgrim’s Way trail to Bardsey, the ‘Isle of 20,000 Saints’. Visitors are still drawn to its massive, cathedral-like church dedicated to St Beuno - and to the eponymous hostelry that, over the last few years, has reinvented itself as a stylish hotel and restaurant. It’s all thanks to the energy and commitment of Ann Thomas, who transformed what was a tired hotel into the kind of place that attracts today’s discriminating travellers.
Y Beuno offers an amenable mix of luxury and informality, an unmistakably Welsh welcome and unbeatable local produce. It’s on the fine dining circuit thanks to delicious menus based on top-quality food that’s as genuine as you can get - lobster, crab and fish caught daily from Caernarfon Bay, Menai Strait oysters and mussels, Welsh lamb and Black beef from nearby farms, and produce from it’s own kitchen garden.
The refurbished Grade II building is a successful blend of old and new, retaining its original character while appealing to contemporary tastes. The low-ceilinged bar is a cosy concoction of wood beams and stone walls, while the airy bedrooms - some with stunning sea views (and sunsets) across Caernarfon Bay - are fresh, fashionable and well equipped. Llyn, an ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’, boasts a wealth of wildly beautiful beaches, dramatic coastal walking on headland footpaths and great golf.
There’s more: Y Beuno is also just a short drive from the mountains of Snowdonia, Caernarfon Castle and a host of attractions, including narrow-gauge railways, slate caverns and the Italianate village of Portmeirion.
Visit Y Beuno
01286 660785
calls charged at national rate
www.ybeuno.com