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Embedded in hills near Oakwood, Wales's biggest theme park, Bluestone opened last July after years of delays and controversy over its construction.

Farmer William McNamara, who started Oakwood on his land more than 20 years ago, sold the theme park to help fund his vision of an ecologically responsible countryside escape for couples or families.

It took more than 10 years for his idea to come to fruition, delayed by legal wrangles when the Council for National Parks (CNP) challenged the decision by the Pembrokeshire National Park Authority to allow the scheme. The CNP took their objection all the way to the High Court, Court of Appeal and House of Lords, losing in all three, and a local MP resigned from the organisation over their stance.

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Peter Hain, Welsh Secretary at the time of the House of Lords judgement, called the decision "magnificent news for Pembrokeshire and for Wales," while David Bellamy had supported the appeal against any development in national parks.

Bluestone isn't on or in view of the coast, and no woodland has been destroyed. I asked William McNamara about the National Park controversy: "The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is the most densely populated and oldest national park in Britain. Natural businesses have always existed within it including lots of agriculture.

"The National Park has a sustainable tourism strategy in place, and they approved Bluestone. We are extremely respectful of the park, taking the responsibility very seriously."

To gauge some local opinion I took along my parents, sister and her husband. In my father and brother-in-law I had representatives of two farming families from different parts of the county.

We stayed in one of the 182 wood-clad lodges. Ours, a Skomer Lodge (each of the three types are named after Pembrokeshire islands), has three double bedrooms - one downstairs and two upstairs - with a balcony looking down over a huge living room.

There's two flat screen TVs, a smaller one upstairs in the balcony area, ideal for kids with its giant beanbag, and a larger one in the living room.

The living area has wonderfully comfortable sofas, lots of light and space with it open to the roof, creating a kind of mezzanine level effect. Patio doors lead out on to the terrace - we were facing away from the other lodges, with a woodland view, well worth asking for.

All the fittings are of the highest standard - a downstairs bathroom has a large bath and shower, while the two ensuites upstairs have large walk-in showers of the ilk expected in boutique or top-end hotels.

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