The Best Boltholes in North Wales for a Big Family Get Together 

There’s something deeply satisfying about gathering the whole gang under one roof. Cousins who only see each other twice a year. Friends who’ve long since become family. The group chat finally becoming a real weekend. 

North Wales is made for it. Big skies over the mountains, beaches that seem to stretch forever, castles appearing around quiet corners. But just as importantly, there are houses here where food becomes part of the adventure: kitchens big enough for a crowd, tables that happily seat a dozen, gardens where barbecues run late into the evening. 

Some families come for the hiking and the sea swims. Others arrive with cool boxes and ambitious meal plans. Often, it’s both: a long day outdoors followed by an even longer dinner around a table that seems to gather everyone naturally. 

And if nobody in the group fancies cooking for twelve? Local cook Earthly Feasts can deliver beautiful dine-in feasts straight to your door, leaving you free to open the wine and settle in. 

Ty Castell, Beaumaris 

For food-loving families and sociable weekends

Beaumaris is one of those towns that naturally revolves around food, with bakeries opening early, delis well worth travelling for, and restaurants where a “quick dinner” easily turns into a long evening. 

But the real joy for food lovers comes once everyone returns to the house. 

The kitchen is wonderfully set up for group cooking- plenty of worktop space for multiple chefs, room for chopping boards and wine glasses side by side, and a layout that allows people to cook, chat and hover hopefully near the stove. Someone can be slicing bread while another stirs a huge pan of pasta and someone else opens another bottle. 

The dining space easily accommodates the whole group, with windows framing views of the castle lawns beyond. Meals here tend to stretch into long evenings, with second helpings appearing long after everyone swore they were full. 

Of course, if the group decides to outsource the cooking entirely, the nearby food scene makes that easy too. The Bull’s Head Inn is perfect for a celebratory dinner, while Tredici Butchers and Deli is the place to stock up on ingredients if you’re planning a serious family feast. 

And dessert? A wander for gelato from Red Boat Gelato rarely meets much resistance. 

Mynydd Ednyfed, Criccieth 

For the big reunion that’s been overdue for years

Arriving at Mynydd Ednyfed feels like stepping into a house designed entirely for celebrations. 

A long, tree-lined drive leads through seven acres of gardens just outside Criccieth. The sea glimmers in the distance and the town’s famous castle rises above the shoreline. 

Inside, the house unfolds into generous entertaining spaces clearly designed with gatherings in mind. 

There’s a conservatory where breakfast naturally turns into brunch. A lounge with a roaring fire where pre-dinner drinks gather momentum. And a dining room with a cocktail bar that quietly hints at how evenings here tend to unfold. 

The dining table seats up to twenty – the sort of setup where platters are passed back and forth, someone inevitably carves something impressive, and children keep returning for “just one more”. 

Outside, the food theme continues. The outdoor kitchen is equipped with both a pizza oven and a Kamado barbecue, meaning afternoons can easily turn into slow cooking sessions, homemade pizzas sliding in and out of the oven, smoky barbecue scents drifting across the gardens. 

Meanwhile the tennis court, lawns and table tennis provide just enough distraction to build up an appetite for the next meal. 

Dryll y Gro, Porth Trefadog 

Salty hair, sandy feet and family times

Hidden at the southern end of Porth Trefadog, Dryll y Gro sits just above one of Anglesey’s quieter beaches. Reaching it means winding down narrow island lanes until the sea suddenly appears below. 

Originally a fisherman’s cottage, the house has grown towards the shoreline with glass-fronted rooms and terraces designed entirely around the view. 

Food here naturally gravitates outdoors. The terrace becomes the evening hub, where barbecues stretch late into the night while the tide moves slowly across the bay. Children drift in and out with sandy feet, occasionally delivering freshly discovered shells or sea glass to the table. 

Inside, the original cottage still shows through. Whitewashed stone walls, a wood-burning stove, and a sitting room centred around a chimney built from smooth beach pebbles create a warm and welcoming space once the sun dips and everyone wanders back inside. 

And when the food coma sets in, the hot tub overlooking the cove offers the perfect place to watch the last light disappear over the water. 

Highground, Anglesey 

For grown-up gatherings and very good living 

Perched right above the Menai Strait, Highground feels like a house built entirely around food, views and good company. 

The kitchen is the heart of it all. A proper cook’s kitchen, complete with an Aga, generous worktops and a large dining table positioned to soak in views of the water. Morning coffee here comes with passing boats and shifting light on the strait. 

It’s the sort of kitchen where multiple cooks can happily work at once – someone preparing seafood, someone else assembling salads, another keeping an eye on the bread. 

Lunch often spills outdoors. The garden runs right down to the water’s edge, perfect for long tables of grilled fish or seafood platters enjoyed in the open air. If anyone feels brave, a quick swim or paddleboard before dinner feels surprisingly appropriate. 

Later, the cedar sauna warms everyone back up before evening settles in. Fires are lit indoors, cards appear on the table, and the kitchen once again fills with the sound of glasses clinking and another round of snacks appearing. 

Helfa, Llanberis Valley 

For adventurous families who want the mountains to themselves 

Hidden high above Llanberis in the wild valley of Cwm Brwynog, Helfa feels wonderfully remote. 

Getting there is an adventure in itself. The road climbs steadily out of the village before turning into a mountain track, with the final stretch reached by Land Rover across rocky ground and a shallow river crossing. When the house finally appears, the reward is extraordinary, sweeping views beneath Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) and a sense that the valley belongs almost entirely to you. 

After long days walking the surrounding peaks, the focus turns to food. 

The kitchen is well equipped for hungry groups, with space for several people cooking at once and a long dining table ready for generous, comforting meals, steaming pasta, trays of roasted vegetables, thick slices of bread disappearing almost as quickly as they’re cut. The dorm-style bedrooms mean everyone gathers in the same rhythm too; boots drying by the door, mugs of tea or post-hike beers appearing as stories from the day unfold. 

Outside, evenings take on their own atmosphere. Helfa has a fire pit set out beneath the vast mountain sky, which quickly becomes the natural gathering point once darkness settles in. Someone inevitably produces marshmallows, someone else tries their hand at toasting them properly, and before long the group is wrapped in blankets watching sparks drift upwards into the stars. 

With no streetlights for miles, the sky above the valley is extraordinary. After a day in the mountains and a meal around the table, sitting by the fire pit under that kind of night sky feels like the perfect end to the day. 

Bringing Everyone Together 

Every big family gathering has its own rhythm. 

Sometimes it’s about exploring beaches and mountains. Often, it’s about food, the kind that takes time, fills the table, and tastes better when shared with a crowd. 

North Wales has a knack for making those weekends feel effortless. Find a house with a kitchen big enough, a table long enough, and a garden where the barbecue can run well into the evening. 

Add good ingredients, good company, and perhaps a little help from the local chefs, and the rest tends to take care of itself.