Plas Dinas Country House

‘Wow! This is the most wonderful country house,’ writes a reader. You don’t need to be a fan of the Netflix series The Crown to appreciate this former home of the Armstrong-Jones family, regularly visited by Princess Margaret and with a collection of royal memorabilia. It dates from the mid-1600s, but is substantially Victorian. New owners Daniel and Annie Perks have refurbishment in hand, so we reserve judgment on the decor of the drawing room, which our inspector found a bit of a mixture. Bedrooms are more harmonious, and the views to Snowdonia positively sing. Snowdon room is hung with some of his original signed photographs. Princess Margaret has a four-poster and a roll-top bath for two. Mount has views to the Menai Strait. All have Molton Brown products, home-made fudge and biscuits. In the Gun Room, Daniel ap Geraint, a former award-winning restaurateur, cooks ‘food to die for’. ‘Dinner was divine.’ ‘The atmosphere created by the staff and owners is wonderful.’ Our inspector’s breakfast was a bit of a curate’s egg, but on this, too, we wait to hear more. (Tracey Blessed, Deborah Meadows, TC, and others)