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Well howdy there! A very happy Sunday to you. I hope everyone's had a lovely weekend - I was starting to get a little bit anxious about the arrival of Autumn now that's September's upon us (where did that sneak up from?!) but it's actually been such I mild weekend I could even hang a washing up outside. What a rush! Well, now that I've established I'm firmly in my 30s with that sentence, I'd like to take you to a special hide-out in the heart of Wales known as The Lavender Escape. Wales is somewhere I've always wanted to see more of; Rob has family there, as well as living nearby himself in the past, and has always raved about it, so we decided this was the year we'd see a little more of it. We found the Lavender Escape via Kip Hideways, who I'm sure you'll have heard me mention many a time before. If you're in the market for a quirky wee stay that's a little different to the norm - Kip are your guys. They've got a whole host of special stays across the UK so we knew from the get go we were in good hands.
We arrived slap bang in the middle of a heatwave so, when we were greeted with the sight of The Lavender Escape's wild swimming pond we almost fell to our knees in gratitude. Surrounded by wild flowers and rolling hills, it is one truly breath-taking spot; I think I took roughly 5000 photos of it during our stay as it changed throughout the day, at sunset and sunrise in particular it's a real sight to behold. We had a little read through the guest book (my favourite thing to do, as well as getting a warm fuzzy feeling you can also pick up some great tips for what to see and do in the surrounding area) and the most notable thing was everyone saying how relaxed they felt, which you really do feel as soon as you step onto the farm. Be it walking through the Lavender fields, bird-watching, swimming in the pond, being a child again on the swings and see-saw, reading or playing cards on the front deck (accompanied by one of the delicious cakes from the on-site shop) you really do feel yourself beginning to unwind from the get-go. There's also a fire pit there for your use - not the most appropriate in the middle of a heatwave (I don't even think Mitchum could help with that one) but in Spring/Autumn/Winter it would be the perfect spot to sit out and cook some dinner or roast some marshmallows. As it's so remote you've also got a clear view of the stars in the eve which makes the stay all the more special.
The accommodation itself is in a Pantechnicon (otherwise known as a large van used for transporting furniture) which has been cleverly converted. You've got a king sized bed, small kitchen, bathroom and shower and it's all kitted out with the beautiful Lavender scented products made on site. Worry not, you don't have to be a guest to try them - you can find them all over on the website here!
And there we have it, one very special and very quirky stay where you'll be made to feel very welcome by everyone who works there from the minute you set foot on the farm. One thing to note is that the wild swimming pond is open to the public for a small fee during the day (one to keep in mind if you're driving past and looking for somewhere fun to stop off!) but it does mean that during the day there is the possibility that it can get a little noisy. I imagine it was busier than normal when we were there with families stopping off to cool off during the heatwave, and that many other times you'd have the place entirely to yourself, but just a wee something to note ahead of the stay. In the eves and early morning you'll have absolutely no problem with that, however - it's as quiet as quiet can be and so incredibly peaceful and still. Another thing to note is that it's located only 20 miles West of Hay-On-Wye so, if you're looking to do some exploring during the day, you've got that right on your doorstep! We popped over on the day we left, which just so happened to be market day, and had a great wee coffee and wander in the sun. There are also some pretty epic walks in the area (you bet I read that in the guestbook) so plenty to do if you don't decide just to chill the whole time! You can find the Lavender Escape, as well as Kip's other hideaways across the UK, here.
With that, I shall bid thee good eve - have a very happy Sunday and I'll be back with some more waffle soon. Most likely about my rapidly increasing excitement for Bake Off's arrival.
Amy
