THE GREAT ESTATE

SOMETIMES, the more you travel, the more you forget about the fabulous places to visit that are right on your own doorstep.

- BY ROHAN SMYTH

That was certainly the case for me with a recent family trip to the Johnstown Estate in my home county of Meath.

The four-star hotel and spa in Enfield was just over a half-hour drive from our house, and is about the same distance for anybody based around Dublin, so it was great to cut down on the amount of time spent travelling and to be able to explore more of the property.

Arriving at the estate, you are immediately taken aback by its sheer scale - set on 120 acres of sprawling parkland, it more than lives up to its billing as an idyllic countryside escape.

The entrance to the hotel itself is quite striking as well, with a long rectangular fountain directly outside making for some great photo opportunities.

We stayed in one of the hotel's self-catering lodges, which have their own parking facilities to save you walking from the main car park with all your luggage.

"It's just like Center Parcs!" the kids declared upon entering the lodge - high praise indeed.

BUSY