Free Range Holidays at Bluestone National Park Resort

We were delighted to be invited to Bluestone National Park Resort during the Easter holidays for a short break, staying in a 4 bedroomed Grassholm Lodge. After a four hour drive we arrived at Bluestone, went through the efficient drive through reception and were given a map and directions to our lodge in the Preseli View area of the resort. We were able to drive up to our lodge, unload our luggage and then return the car to the car park for the duration of our stay. This keeps Bluestone safe and free from traffic. Guests can hire bikes or golf buggies to get around, but we opted to stay on foot for our stay.

The accommodation was quite honestly one of the best holiday homes I have ever stayed in. It was well equipped, spotlessly clean, spacious, well furnished and beautifully designed with high ceilings with wooden beams, open plan rooms and a balcony at the top of the stairs looking down into the living area below.  With one master bedroom with en suite bathroom, two upstairs twin bedrooms with a family bathroom and one ground floor twin room with a wet room, the property is suitable for up to eight guests.  The living area had comfy seating, a big TV and DVD player and a patio door leading to an outdoor patio area with seating.  The kitchen was big and really well equipped with just about everything you need for a self-catered holiday including a microwave, dishwasher, an oven, a fridge and freezer, cookware and crockery. A wooden dining table comfortably seated up to eight for family meals.  For younger guests, the lodge came equipped with stair gates, a travel cot and a high chair. There is also a safe in the wardrobe of the master bedroom. All linen and towels are included and there is even a pack in the kitchen consisting of a small bottle of washing up liquid, dishwasher tablets, sponge, cloth, extra bin bags and a tea towel. Recycling is encouraged and the kitchen bin is divided up for non-recyclable and recyclable waste.

The resort is built around the central picturesque village area where there is a convenience store, a baker's, a pub and some restaurants. There is also a fantastic Tree House play area for the kids to enjoy. A marquee in the village square is the venue for some kids' entertainment and Freddy was very pleased to get a balloon sword from one of the activity's team during the free daily kids' hour.

The Blue Lagoon swimming pool proved a huge hit. Guests can enter for free throughout their stay and get 2 hours exclusive access from 9 am, after that the public can pay to enter. It has a lazy river, hot tubs, wave machine, slides, kids' area, jets and flumes. There is also a cafe area where spectators can sit and watch. Freddy enjoyed splashing around in the pool, using his new found water confidence gained from doing swimming lessons. I sat in the cafe with a coffee and watched him, his sister and his daddy play in the water.

The Adventure Centre has some amazing free indoor activities such as mini-golf, a ball pool, soft play, a bouncy castle, LEGO and a huge wooden play area with slides. It is also home to the Big Four: the Swing, the Drop, the Sky Trail and the Wall. For just £7 each or £20 for all four, kids over 6 can take part in these exciting, fully supervised indoor activities. Unfortunately, Freddy was a bit too young and the girls were a bit too reserved to give them a go.  There are also arcade games in the Adventure Centre to keep kids occupied. It is an excellent all weather facility.

Upstairs is the Wildwood Cafe, which is an enchanted, woodland themed restaurant set around a 20 ft tree. Seating is in a giant tree house, a forester's cottage, a nest pod and a squirrel's drey.  We found a seat in the treehouse and enjoyed a meal of a veggie burger and chips, which was very nice. Freddy enjoyed doing an activity sheet while he waited for his meal of pizza and chips.  The Wildwood Cafe is the venue for the Neverwood Pirate Dinner Show, where families can experience challenges, games, shanties and stories while enjoying a meal.

Bluestone also boasts its own Well Spa Retreat for relaxation with seven unique thermal facilities and a host of treatments available.  The village pub has free entertainment in the evenings such as a pub quiz or live music.

The resort is situated in 500 acres of countryside in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. This equates to beautiful scenic views and wonderful walks. We took a nature walk from the lake, through the forest following the stream down to the steep ravine at the other end of the resort. We then climbed the board walk up the ravine and back into the resort. It was absolutely lovely.

I was very impressed with the signs that marked out the nature walk along with facts about the flora and fauna of the area. It added an extra dimension to the walk learning about the trees and flowers.

Freddy enjoyed playing Pooh Sticks on the little bridges with fallen branches, and the kids climbed trees and played in dens.

In the resort stands the old abandoned ruin of Newton North Church. It is now a haven to wildlife and was really interesting to learn about. There is a brilliant living Willow sculpture of a giant caterpillar that Freddy absolutely loved, he ran through it again and again. At Bluestone you are never told to 'Keep Off the Grass', instead you are encouraged to run on it, play on it and roll down the hills!  It's a wonderful ethos.

As well as the free activities and entertainment, Bluestone offers hundreds of paid for activities for families to enjoy and has an impressive programme of activities, spa treatments, dining options and pre-school sessions. The activities include everything from kayaking on the lake to taking on the Sky Wires in the Steep Ravine. Many are all -weather activities so rain won't stop play!

Whether you are a thrill seeker or looking to relax, there are loads of suitable activities available. There are activities for children that they can do with or without parental supervision. So if you want some grown-up time, you can send the kids off for an unaccompanied adventure or pop the little ones into the creche.

With the hundreds of paid for activities, plus the use of the Blue Lagoon and Adventure Centre as well as the wonderful forest walks, a stay at Bluestone can be as action packed as you want it be.
For us we had quite a relaxing time, taking in the scenery, enjoying family evenings in the lodge, going for walks and making the most of the pool and the Adventure Centre. We had a wonderful time in a beautiful part of the world.

To find out more about Bluestone National Park Resort visit www.bluestonewales.com and start planning your own luxury free range break!

Our Review of Center Parcs Sherwood Forest

Last Friday, we headed off to Nottingham, to enjoy a prize of a three night stay in a pair of three bedroom Woodland Lodges courtesy of Center Parcs Sherwood Forest.  My two eldest children joined us which meant I had my family, including my 5 month old grandson, altogether for a few days.  Thanks to Center Parcs' hospitality, we were treated to a wonderful long weekend with all the trimmings!  Even the sun shone for us, which made for a perfect family break.

The Woodland Lodge was quite practical and utilitarian looking from the outside, being single story, flat roofed and built from brick and wood cladding.  But inside it was modern, spotlessly clean and very well designed.  The main living area comprised of an open plan, fully equipped kitchen with all mod cons enclosed by a bar-like counter, a six seater dining area and a lounge with corner sofa and  built in TV.  Patio windows opened out onto a patio area with a BBQ and six seater table and chairs.  A full sized blackboard had a chalked on message welcoming us to Center Parcs which was a lovely touch.  Lovely photo artwork was hung on the walls making the place look really inviting.  Our lodge was stocked with some grocery essentials and a few luxury items to make our stay special.

The two twin bedrooms and double bedroom had very comfy beds made up in crisp white linen.  There was adequate storage and a vanity area.  The main bedroom had a TV.  There was a family bathroom with over-bath shower and a second toilet.  The accommodation included a cupboard where an iron and ironing board, cot and highchair were stored making this a very friendly family choice of accommodation.  It was a perfect venue for baby Ted's first holiday with our family.

Bike stands allowed us to lock up our bicycles safely outside, and a large hall was perfect to store the pushchairs, hang our coats and store our shoes.

 Our lodge was nestled in an area of woodland with a duck pond in its centre.  The flora and fauna surrounding us was delightful.  We had regular woodland visitors: swans, ducks, geese, moorhens, squirrels and rabbits, who came to our patio looking for breakfast every morning.  The natural setting was a wonderful playground for Freddy to let off steam, explore and play.  He made friends with children from neighbouring cabins and they enjoyed playing with sticks!!  It was idyllic!

Although the lodges have full self-catering facilities, Center Parcs boasts a host of restaurants and takeaways to tempt you away from the kitchen.  We were treated to a meal at Huck's where we were invited to eat, drink and be merry!  We had a table overlooking the lake.  The American style restaurant has an informal atmosphere and even has a play area for the kids.  Children can eat from a buffet so they don't have to wait for their food.  Adults can choose from the Tex-Mex menu which features delights such as burgers, burritos, ribs, fajitas and steaks. 

To start we had the Surfboard platter that consisted of onion rings, a dipping pot of hot cheese and spinach sauce, goats' cheese empanadas, bruschetta, lime shrimp and buffalo wings.  It was enough for us all, both veggies and non-veggies alike and brilliantly presented on a mini-surfboard at the table.  For mains I chose the Portobella Mushroom sandwich served in a Brioche bun with salad, coleslaw and 'wet' fries (fries topped with cheese sauce).  It was very good and the portion size was big!  Freddy, being a little vegetarian, wouldn't have done justice to the kids' buffet of hotdogs, nuggets, fishfingers etc, so the waiter went out of his way to get him a cheese pizza from the next door restaurant.  It really went beyond the call of duty and we were very grateful!  For dessert, we had the absolutely massive Giant Sundae of Classics.  It consisted of ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate brownie, marshmallows, sprinkles, sauces and loads of chocolate  sweets in a huge bowl!  We all enjoyed cocktails, including non-alcoholic ones for the kids.  My Mudslide was gorgeous made with Baileys, Kahlua and vodka mixed with ice-cream and served with whipped cream and chocolate sauce.  Megan had a funky Jam Jar cocktail which was brilliantly presented in a glass actually made from a jar.  The restaurant experience was excellent.  We ate loads, drank some fabulous cocktails and enjoyed a relaxed meal overlooking the picturesque lake.  Perfect!

We also sampled the delights of Dexters where we had an excellent veggie burger and milkshake, and the Dining In takeaway where we had a pizza meal deal delivered to our lodge and the amazing Pancake House (their Banoffee pancake was simply fantastic).  The onsite Starbucks provided a familiar setting for coffee and snacks.  The local Parcmarket stock a great range of groceries.  They have a lovely bakery section selling yummy cakes and biscuits!

During our stay we had bicycles from the onsite cycle hire shop.  I have never seen so many bikes of all shapes and sizes in one place!  We had mountain bikes for the adults.  Freddy had a trailer that was towed behind one of them.  He loved being ridden around the woodland setting and it was a very efficient way of transporting him around safely.  It was lovely to cycle around the roads knowing that we wouldn't encounter traffic.  Kizzy loved the freedom of being able to cycle around in a safe and beautiful environment.

Center Parcs Sherwood Forest has a lot of free activities to enjoy.  There are several outdoor play areas which were great with a lot of very impressive and unusual pieces of equipment for the children to play on.  The older kids enjoyed joining in the fun and "helping" their younger siblings climb up, slide down, swing and bounce!  The lake has a lovely, sandy beach which was a hit with the little ones.  They could build sandcastles and dig holes as if they were at the seaside.  

The fabulously landscaped, sub-tropical swimming pool is brilliant!  Freddy used one of the inflatable jackets that are free to borrow, so he felt confident in the water.  The main pool has waves that go off every half hour.  The outdoor pool was absolutely glorious in the lovely weather and I could easily believe I was somewhere tropical as I relaxed in the warm waters.  The older children loved the flumes and slides.  I was coerced into riding the rapids and instantly regretted my decision as I was tossed inelegantly through the water, not knowing which way was up, eventually sliding down with a huge splash into the plunge pool at the end.  The children thought it was hysterical and I did eventually laugh at my misfortune after the event!!  Freddy loved the children's pool featuring a pirate ship and a mini flume and slide.  It was really fun for him to splash and play in the warm water.

There are a lot of paid for activities to try out including golf, archery, high ropes, pottery, sports, watersports and exercise classes.  We tried our hand at a family game of ten pin bowling.  We were pretty shocking but it was good fun and the venue was pretty cool with funky lighting and effects.  Freddy and Ted scored best as they used ramps and bumpers to take their turns.  The rest of us threw most of our balls into the gutter!

The Aqua Sana is the onsite spa.  We were all treated to a 3 hour spa session where we experienced the different saunas and steam rooms and enjoyed the outdoor pool.  Ian and I had a Serail Mud Treatment where we smothered ourselves in different muds and then steamed ourselves for 25 minutes before showering the mud off.  It was very mucky but my skin felt lovely afterwards.  My girls babysat Freddy while we were at the spa giving Ian and I some alone time, and Freddy some quality time with his doting sisters!  While the older kids were at the spa, Ian and I had our first solo grandparenting task of looking after Ted on our own.  He survived...so I guess we did OK!

Overall, we had an excellent short break, enjoying everything that Center Parcs has to offer. Even with the different ages of the children, everyone had a great time in the great outdoors.  

Centre Parcs is not a super cheap holiday destination.  Instead it is a high quality alternative to travelling abroad where family can get together in a stunning environment with great accommodation to suit every budget (from the more reasonable Comfort lodges to the luxury Treehouses) and plenty of activities to take part in.  The facilities are excellent and the site is family friendly.  It's definitely worth spending your budget on a Center Parcs holiday tailored to suit your needs.  There are activities for every age group and the Subtropical Swimming Pool is excellent and free.  You can spend a lot of money at the restaurants and on activities, but you don't have to.  The self-catering aspect of the lodges means you can dine in cheaply if you choose.  There are enough things to do that are free meaning you don't have to spend a lot on extras to have a good time.  Although hiring a bike is great, it's not essential as everything is within walking distance.  

Whatever your budget, Center Parcs is a great destination for spending quality time with family and friends.  We loved it at Sherwood Forest and definitely hope to return.

Find out more at www.centerparcs.co.uk