Who would have predicted such amazing weather for a Bank Holiday weekend?

The sun certainly shone brightly this Easter and we wanted to go somewhere which would keep the whole family entertained, without having to drive too far.

So Chirk Castle it was.

With their Easter egg hunt keeping my grandsons suitably entertained, my mum and son decided to give the castle itself the once over and went off to find out all about this magnificent fortress.

We were not the only ones to have the same idea, there were hundreds of people at the castle and the staff coped brilliantly with the hoards that had turned up.

The boys followed the map they were given and cleverly worked out the clue word which enabled them to get a chocolate egg at the end.

Suitably exhausted by the excitement and the sun, everyone was in need of refreshment, so we headed for the Courtyard Cafe.

The cafe is situated in the west wing, with overflow seating in the Distil Tower (Northwest Tower) and outdoor seating in the courtyard.

The space once housed a Tudor range and served the state dining room in the main house.

It buys local and Fairtrade products wherever possible. All the cakes and treats are baked daily in the original kitchen areas, by their own baker. Needless to say it was heaving with hungry people but after waiting patiently we managed to grab a table and enough chairs to accommodate us all.

Some of us wanted just a sandwich, while others fancied something more substantial and hot.

I choose a tuna mayonnaise and cucumber sandwich. The filling was delicious, packed with tuna and the bread light and fluffy. My son and mum both opted for the bangers, mash and gravy. The buttery mash was colcannon and came with spring onions chopped up inside.

They both said the mash was creamy and light and the only criticism was there needed to be a bit more gravy to help cope with the mash mountain. The sausages, of which there was three each, were traditional pork bangers and packed with flavour. Mum could only managed two, so her greedy grandson was able to help out.

My grandsons tried the sandwiches too, as there was plenty of choice to suit all taste buds.

My daughter opted for a traditional cream tea with an enormous scone and a cute little pot of strawberry jam. It was then all polished off with ice creams, ranging from honeycomb, mint choc chip to passion fruit and white chocolate.

Suitably refreshed, it was then back into the gardens to walk to all off!

Courtyard Cafe, Chirk Castle Tel: 01691 777701

Food 8/10

Service 8/10

Ambience 9/10

Disabled access - yes

Children welcome - yes