It’s often easy to forget how much beauty the UK has to offer for the trouble of just a few hours in the car.

Around four to five hours from Dorset you can find yourself in Pembrokeshire on Wales’ wild west coast.

It is a rugged landscape, with the Irish Sea often creating some dramatic scenes as it batters the coastline.

The area is home to many gems set in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.

Rocky hills make for a wild terrain inland, while the coastline offers sandy beaches and scenic estuaries.

Newgale is one example where all of these aspects come together, with a long stretch of beach at the bottom of a steep hill, the top of which is a must-stop place for those with an eye for a stunning picture.

Continue on and you’ll come to the fascinating city of St David’s.

In reality it is a sleepy small town – at a push – but it is home to a sizeable cathedral and the ruins of a once-grand Bishop’s Palace.

Britain’s smallest city with a population of just a couple of thousand, it was given city status again by the Queen in 1994 having lost it in 1888.

It is a quirky and curious place, where a small building bears the moniker ‘City Hall’, despite being no bigger than most village community centres.

It’s an interesting juxtaposition of big and small, with quiet streets with little shops giving way to the large cathedral and palace.

Along the coast is Solva, just one example of the area’s coastal communities.

A pretty place with colourful buildings and a small harbour, it provides a great opportunity to stop for lunch, whether in the car or walking the coastal path.

A few miles on we found our accommodation, a Georgian country house and farm called Crug Glâs, which can trace its history back to the 12th century.

Run by Janet and Perkin Evans, who both have long-standing family links to the farm – as far back as the 1600s in Janet’s case – it offers panoramic views of the breathtaking countryside around it. The main house contains five rooms, while two outbuildings have been renovated in the past few years to provide exquisite self-contained accommodation.

We stayed in one of these, The Coach House, and it was beautiful. Decor is luxurious and modern, but historic features have been left, such as exposed brickwork in places, to remind you of the building’s past. With a lounge area, two bathrooms – one including a jacuzzi bath – and bedroom with sumptuous four-poster bed, it makes for the perfect hideaway for couples.

Dinner and breakfast is on offer and Janet is very much in charge in the kitchen. From melt-in-the-mouth steak to mushroom and brie Wellington, her meals were superb to the extent of being high-end restaurant standard.

It’s no surprise, then, that Crug Glâs has gained a reputation locally not just as a hotel, but as a top restaurant, with guests coming back time and again.

There is so much to see around the area and the following morning took us, on Janet’s recommendation, to Strumble Head, close to Fishguard.

Following ever-narrowing lanes, you eventually come out on the edge of cliffs next to a lighthouse, with waves smashing against the shore and the island that is home to the lighthouse, which is fully functioning.

Heading back down towards Fishguard, there are cracking views to be had of the ferry port and the town itself, which sits on two levels, the lower part being a quiet fishing port.

Pembrokeshire really does offer something for everyone, whether you want to walk the coast or hole up in the luxury of somewhere like Crug Glâs, soak up the fascinating history of St David’s or eat fish and chips at Solva.

It’s well worth the drive.

Getaway

Five-star Crug Glâs, close to St David’s and Haverfordwest, has five rooms in the main house, plus two self-contained rooms. It is part of the Wolsey Lodges group, which has locations around the UK and in France, and rooms start from £115 per night, based on two sharing.

The Coach House costs £170 per night.

For more details visit crug-glas.co.uk (01348 831 302 janet@crugglas.plus.com) or wolseylodges.com