Seeking shelter from the storm, a particularly nasty one at that, we (literally) stumbled into…read moreRuthin Castle. Though freezing cold and covered with slushy mud, we were warmly welcomed by the host and offered safe accommodations if we chose to stay. We were given a tour of the castle, it's banquet hall, kitchen, the rooms, dungeon and even "the drowning pool"*. I was excited and even more so after they told us of the ghost that haunts the parapets. And though I was game to stay, I was over-ruled and we left after a brief lunch. Why did we decide to take our chances on the roads? Because this castle was "haunted" and two in our group were "scared to death" of staying! Hell, I wanted to look for the ghost, maybe swap some stories or share some make-up secrets. But nevertheless, we headed back out into the storm in a futile attempt to make it to London for an important meeting. What a mistake! We got halfway there when we were forced to overnight at a road-side dump before making into London the next day. We missed the banquets, marriages, gorgeous views and the chance to rub elbows with a ghost. I need to go back, perhaps in the spring. I know the ghost will wait. She's been doing that for hundreds of years. That's why I want to discover her make-up secrets and sell them on HSN. *a chamber filled with water and used to drown victims http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jb-JZPmiEOI P.S., I've requested the title be simply labeled "Ruthin Castle".

Two years ago I got married at Ruthin Castle and it has a special place in my heart. The castle and…read morethe grounds in which it is set are beautiful. The italian gardens and peacock filled lawns are glorious, especially in the middle of summer. I've eaten at the Castle on a number of occasions and the food has always been excellent. My one issue with Ruthin lies with the wedding planning service which was, at best, 'shoddy' from start to finish. We struggled along with them for over a year and had to get very senior staff members involved in order to resolve many of our issues. If I could rate this seperately the it would scrape a single star. Despite the problems in the build up we had an excellent day.

Attended wedding in july 2010. Was manic, brides and bridesmaids all over the place, guests not…read moreknowing where to go, staff with totally numb looks, the owner a complete idiot, dj must've thought it was a funeral, food dull and dank, wine warm, toilets smelly, very very tired in need of make over, bit like the receptionist. You get what you pay for I suppose but for such a special day I think paying an extra £10 per head will get you that SPECIAL day to remember. Hint..look elsewhere 1st

The venue is decent, but it is one of those places that takes advantage of you at the bar.read more

Although I've never spent a night in the Oriel House I have spent a few days there. Years ago I…read moreworked for an employer who from time to time used the Oriel as a venue for training courses. I actually spent my fortieth birthday there on a slightly strange course from which I learned nothing but at least I got a day out of the office and a nice lunch. I've just recently been back as my brother-in-law and his fiance chose the hotel as their wedding venue. They do the complete wedding package in-house so the ceremony, wedding breakfast and night do all took place in the hotel. The grounds are ideal for wedding photos and there is a nice outdoor patio, not too far from the bar, which is a great location to sit around and chat while the photos are being taken. If the weather isn't good enough there's a bright and warm conservatory adjacent to the patio. The food at the wedding breakfast was very good, duck parfait as a starter, roast chicken with boulangere potatoes and veg for the main course and a rich chocolate cheesecake with caramalised bananas for dessert. Everything was well cooked and tasty. Service was very efficient with courses been served quickly but without any feeling of being rushed. The evening buffet consisted of cooked meats, quiches and pasta and rice salads and again was very tasty and a step above those hotels that rely on the freezers in Iceland for their buffet menu. All in all a very well organised and enjoyable day. I can't really comment on the accommodation, although I did get a quick look at the bridal suite (and I assume that not every room has a jacuzzi the bedroom!), but as a conference/training or wedding venue you can't go too far wrong with the Oriel House. The only minor quibble we had was that there was no facility to pay by card at the bar, we had to leave a card behind the bar and set up a tab, but we would have preferred to pay as we went.

Situated on the A525 just outside St Asaph on the road to Trefnant. An extremely spacious car park…read morein very well kept grounds. The first thing that strikes you when you enter is that this hotel is very well run. The staff are young bright and energetic, nothing is too much trouble for them. The hotel caters for resident and non resident and function rooms are available for that night out, parties, conferences etc. There is an extensive menu and the food is well cooked and well presented. They also have an extensive wine list

the castle has nice views ( when it's not raining, and in summer it's great…read more rhuddlan is just great, there's caravan parks ( Clwyd view and sun Valley)

Rhuddlan castle was one of the first of Edward I's castles to be built in north Wales, at the same…read moretime as that of Flint. There was actually a pre-existing Norman motte-and-bailey castle close by, erected in 1073, now called the Twthill, but the new design was both much larger and more advanced. Begun in 1277 and completed in 1282, it was erected during the first of Edward's campaigns in North Wales. It follows the familiar design of a strongly fortified inner ward and further concentric walls forming an outer ward, protected by a moat, in this case walled in stone. The inner ward has an unusual 'diamond' plan with huge double-tower gates at the East and West corners and single towers at the North and South. A key feature of his campaign was seaborne support, and the castle was built adjacent to the River Clwyd and close to the sea. Edward had the River Clwyd straightened to enable the castle to be provisioned by ship if the overland routes were disrupted, and a defended water-gate and dock are still well preserved. Rhuddlan was the venue for the signing of the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284, which was the governing document for North Wales, introducing English Common Law into the Principality. It was superseded only in 1536 when Henry VIII introduced the Acts harmonising the law fully in England and Wales. The castle was attacked by the Welsh in 1294 and again in 1400 by Owain Glyndwr's forces, but held out (the town unfortunately being burned). The castle was defended by Royalist troops in the Civil War, but taken by the Parliamentary Forces in 1646. Like many castles, it was partly demolished in 1648 by Cromwell's forces to prevent its future use. It is now in the care of Cadw. Although much smaller than the later Edwardian Castles like Conwy and Caernarfon, it is still well worth a visit. There is a large car park, toilet facilities and a small gift shop. There is partial level access around the site for wheelchair users, albeit on grass or gravel paths. A walkway on the upper walls affords fine views of the surrounding countryside.

This is a nine hole pitch and putt ideal for your amateur golfer who has just started. Some of the…read moreholes are extremely short, less than a hundred yards and the faireways and greens are not the best and could do with some maintenance. It is difficult to locate your ball even when it remains on the fairway. The price is reasonable and it is never very busy (this may reflect on the course) with ample parking. The saving grace for the venue is the driving range allowing you to practice even when the weather conditionsare not favourable. Situated in Bodelwyddan next door to the Indian restaurant on the road to St. George.