Plas Tan-Yr-Allt

You can lie in an antique four-poster in the William Madocks room at this singular B&B with views over the Glaslyn estuary to the Rhinog mountains, and listen to steam trains puffing along the sea wall. Madocks built not just that wall (the ‘Cob’), but Tremadog itself, and incorporated a small house on the hillside above town into the late Georgian villa of today. ‘The property is stunning and luxurious; the amount of love and effort that has gone into maintaining it is evident.’ Howard Mattingley and Mark White are genial hosts. ‘On arrival we were met by Mark, who settled us in and arranged a lovely tea in the drawing room.’ The bedrooms are named after former residents. Shelley’s Theatre recalls the poet Percy B, who wrote Queen Mab here before doing a flit, claiming someone had tried to assassinate him. Miss Hilda’s room honours Hilda Greaves, born at the Plas in 1855, aunt of Clough Williams-Ellis (see Hotel Portmeirion, Portmeirion). All have a coffee machine, mini-fridge, Welsh toiletries. ‘A treat to find such a lovely hotel in a beautiful setting.’ ‘The eggs Royale for breakfast was to die for.’ (AB, HH, MH, and others)