I get a sinking feeling when I enter many guest houses in Britain, but this
one is different. In fact, for most of my stay I feel as if I’m floating –
not on air but on water. I’m staying in a Grade II listed lighthouse built
in 1821 and everything is going swimmingly.
My room overlooks the bracing Bristol Channel and I’m lying on a king-size
waterbed gently rocking to the beat of the waves crashing outside. Above me
is a strange 3D mural of shells and model lighthouse stuck to the ceiling.
It’s not a luxurious room (a bit ramshackle), but refreshingly quirky. The
house is crammed full of nautical artefacts such as model ships in bottles,
steering wheels and anchors and there’s a few bizarre ones, too, including a
wishing well and a life-size Dalek (an original signed by John Pertwee) at
the base of the stone spiral staircase.
Unsure what I’ll uncover next, I climb the stairs to the top to discover that
as well as fabulous sea views, there’s an open-air deck area with hot tub,
BBQ and bring-your-own bar at my disposal.
But first I’m eager to try out the “alternative treatments” on offer and
venture outside to a rickety shed on stilts, which houses a hidden flotation
tank. After an hour bobbing around in a warm bath of Epsom salts to the
sound of waves outside, I emerge refreshed and rejuvenated (if a little
wrinkly). But that’s nothing compared to what my host Frank Sheahan must
have felt when he broke the Guinness Book of Records for the world’s longest
float lasting 24 hours...
I return to my room for a pre-booked massage from a visiting therapist and
then venture a couple of miles along the coast road to the Inn at the Elm
Tree restaurant for a super dinner (starters £7.50, mains £16.95, or the
earlybird menu is £12.50 for two courses if you go before 7pm).
If you want to go further afield, Cardiff is 10 miles away and you can get
chauffeur driven by David in his Rolls Royce if you want to drink.
Sadly, the lighthouse has no restaurant but it does offer a cracking cooked
breakfast so make sure you wake early to work up an appetite walking the
resident sheepdog Sparky, for a bracing walk by the sea. I tucked into an
enormous plate of eggs, beans, mushrooms and tomatoes, plus there are
succulent sausages on the menu, too.
Tripadvisor.com users give the B&B
an average three out of five. Most love the fact that it’s a B&B
with a huge personality. They see its quirky and eclectic nature as a plus
point, and don’t mind that it’s a bit old, dated and “a touch rickety”.
However, one recent user was disappointed by “the hotch potch of
nick-nacks”.
The biggest complaint among Tripadvisor reviewers is the price. If the
lighthouse lowered prices, guests wouldn’t expect a luxurious lighthouse and
would concentrate instead on its uniqueness. They would also perhaps have
money to spend on some of the great treatments on offer…
If you like quirky places to stay or are passionate about lighthouses, you’ll
love it here. Just don’t expect anything luxurious - bottom line is this is
a B&B not a swanky hotel (even if the prices suggest it is).
Bottom line: Doubles from £110 to £130 B&B for two people
per night. There are two double rooms – one with king-size waterbed and one
with a four-poster; plus one single room from £75 a night. Treatments are
extra and cost from £40-£90.
Need to know: West Usk Lighthouse, St. Brides Wentloog, Newport, Gwent,
NP10 8SF; tel. 01633 810126; www.westusklighthouse.co.uk
Access all areas: No wheelchair access as all the guest rooms are all
on first floor of the lighthouse via a stone spiral staircase.
Best thing: Having a BBQ, drinks and hot tub with mates on the top
floor of an original lighthouse.
Worst thing: The views on one side of the lighthouse overlook
industrial Newport
Food: 8 out of 10 (breakfast only)
Service: 8 out of 10
Value for money: 6.5-7 out of 10
Useful links: Visit Wales
