The Clive Arms, Bromfield, Shropshire
What’s it like?
Completely refurbished this year, the hotel is part of the Oakly Park estate owned by a direct descendant (and namesake) of Robert Clive, scourge of the Indian subcontinent. Three new bedrooms have been created in the large former farmhouse, while another 14 – in what were once outbuildings – have had extensive makeovers.
My stay was in one of the new rooms and I found it a comfortable, unfussy space. While it doesn’t have the wow factor, the decor’s shades of light green, prints of birdlife and books artfully scattered about made for a relaxing environment. Slipping into my en suite I found a deep, free-standing roll-top bath and walk-in shower, and big bottles of eco-friendly 100 Acres toiletries – including a very silky conditioner. In one of the new rooms, the bath is actually inside the bedroom (“something younger couples like” according to one of the staff). It’s a pity the noisy A49 runs in front of the hotel but at least the traffic had reduced to a trickle by bedtime.
What about breakfast and dinner?
The restaurant, with a strong farm-to-fork ethos, specialises in modern British cuisine with the food-miles kept to a minimum. Most meat comes from the estate’s farm and there’s a natty map on the menu showing all its suppliers within a three-mile radius, and a list of those within 25 miles. Between them, they supply most of the ingredients served here, from salmon to gin.
I tested their mettle by requesting vegan options: kicking off with a tempura-battered courgette flower that melted in the mouth. My main was a platter of produce picked fresh from the walled garden, half a mile away on the River Teme. This proved a delicious ensemble that included broccoli, broad beans, fried salad potatoes, marigold flowers and crispy slices of cavolo nero, washed down with a bottle of Stairway, a very acceptable pale gold ale from the Ludlow Brewing Company.
Breakfast was enlivened by two twists to a now-ubiquitous dish: the Clive’s smashed avocado was not laid on toast but a lovingly crafted hash brown that was laced with chives and studded with beetroot. Served with homegrown tomatoes and broad beans, it set me up for the day.
What’s on the doorstep?
The Clive is part of an estate-run complex that includes a garden centre, bike shop, restaurant and a huge farm shop that sells the locally produced food served in the hotel. A 2.5-mile stroll from the hotel along the well-signposted Shropshire Way passes Bromfield’s fine cluster of medieval estate buildings and heads across the fields of the Teme valley to Ludlow. Beloved of John Betjeman, Ludlow was the UK’s first slow food town. It may have lost its three Michelin-starred restaurants but remains a destination for foodies, thrumming with delis, local producers, a farmers’ market and three annual food festivals.
How much?
Farmhouse doubles from £145 B&B, courtyard doubles from £95 B&B
Value for money?
For dinner or an outer room, definitely. For the main room, just about.
• theclive.co.uk
Dixe Wills
The Stump, near Cirencester, Gloucestershire
What’s it like?
This roadside inn on Roman road the Fosse Way has been licensed since at least 1772. It was formerly called the Hare and Hounds and was looking a little tired before it reopened as the Stump – the local nickname for the pub – in August. Unlike many Cotswold inns, it hasn’t been gutted and turned into a characterless, overpriced restaurant, but has been restored as a proper pub that happens to do great food. It has three open fires, exposed beams, cosy nooks, friendly staff – and great beer: from the Tap Brewery up the road and the DEYA Brewing Company in Cheltenham. It also serves wine from £18 a bottle and barrel-aged negronis for £8. Encouragingly, the bar area is for drinkers, and those playing pool, rather than given over to diners.
There are 10 bedrooms, in an adjoining building. The master suite features a rolltop bath in the bedroom and a wetroom with a walk-in shower and Bramley products. Its style is spare but appealing: mostly white with one accent wall; hooks rather than a wardrobe; a colourful still life. The other rooms are similar in style but on a smaller scale (and minus the bath).
What about breakfast and dinner?
The Stump is run by Baz and Fred, two best mates in their late 20s, who started providing pizzas at events, and now have a permanent spot in Flat Iron Square, a street-food hub near London Bridge. The Stump is their first pub and here they have branched out to include pasta but otherwise kept things simple: four starters (each around £5), seven pizzas and four pastas (from £8), and four desserts (£2-£5).
The quality of ingredients and the standard of cooking are outstanding. We loved it all: the starters of wild mushroom croquettes and fig and burrata salad. The mains of marinara pizza (anchovies, capers, oregano) and ragu pappardelle, made with slow-braised beef shin. An irresistible wodge of boozy tiramisu. In fact, we loved it so much that we changed our plans and ate there the next night, too. And that experience included sea bass cooked in the wood-fired oven, from the short specials board, and a decadent cheesy garlic pizza bread with lardo and truffle aioli (£6). Yes, cheesy bread topped with pig fat, dipped in more fat. Heaven.
Breakfast is a restrained affair of sourdough toast with jam, eggs and/or bacon. After an overindulgent dinner, it is more than enough. For those who can’t face more carbs, there is a lighter option of homemade granola with berries and yoghurt.
What’s on the doorstep?
Cirencester, the biggest town in the Cotswolds, is 10 minutes away by car or infrequent bus. We went to its Corinium Museum, which has one of the best collections of Roman artefacts in the country. We also watched glassblowers in action at the New Brewery Arts centre; visited the cathedral-like St John the Baptist church; and walked in the Abbey Grounds, where an Augustinian monastery once stood. Chedworth Roman Villa is within walking distance of the Stump, and pretty Cotswolds villages, such as Bourton-on-the-Water, are a short drive away.
How much?
From £95 for a small double, £99 for a double, £109 for a twin or £119 for the suite, all B&B.
Value for money?
By Cotswolds standards, the accommodation is good-value and the food is an absolute steal.
• thestump.co.uk
Rachel Dixon
The Kings Arms, Hampton Court, Surrey
What’s it like?
A cream-painted three-storey, 300-year-old inn next to Lion Gate, the main entrance to Hampton Court Palace. Originally barracks for soldiers serving at the palace, it became the Queens Arms in the early 18th century but had a sex change in 1772 in honour of George III.
A Nigerian investor bought it from brewery chain Hall & Woodhouse a couple of years ago and it had a major facelift before reopening in July. Dark-wood panelling has been painted white, and airy ground-floor rooms now form linked dining-bar areas. The 14 bedrooms are also in bright white, with soft-grey carpets and fittings, and plenty of boutiquey touches: still and sparkling bottled water, fresh milk in the minibar, Nespresso machine, teapig teas, Jenny Betts toiletries in big bottles, Smart TV.
What about breakfast and dinner?
At the hotel’s restaurant, Six (after a certain number of wives), the menu, devised and overseen by Mark Kempson of Michelin-starred Kitchen W8, is enough on its own to merit a visit. Inventive dishes make good use of fresh produce from the palace’s acre of kitchen garden. Palace garden salad with soft-boiled egg and sweet mustard dressing (£7) is a popular starter but English burrata with heritage tomatoes is great, too. Mains include classics, such as steak and fish and chips, but more unusual items put fresh seasonal veg centre stage, such as smashed courgettes with devilled Cornish crab (£16). There were more tender leaves from the palace with a delicate tart of shallots and aged cheddar. A good next step might be to put that bountiful harvest to use in some vegan menu choices.
The continental breakfast, included in the room rate, is plentiful, with a selection of oozy English cheeses and interesting charcuterie, fresh fruit, yoghurt, cereal and pastries. For those who still have room after last night’s dinner, appealing extras include organic duck eggs (£4 for two), mangalitza black pudding or bacon (£3), and grilled heritage tomatoes with smashed avocado (£8).
What’s on the doorstep?
The palace, literally. Windows at the back of the hotel (particularly the second floor ones) give a good view into the famous maze and its disorientated visitors. (No, you’ve tried that way – turn RIGHT!) The grounds, including that amazing kitchen garden, are free to enter, and while tickets to the palace are pricey (adult £23.70 on the gate) there’s lots to see, and it’s often peopled with actors in costume and in character. We attended “question time” with Katherine of Aragon and Catherine Parr. The art gallery has old masters, including Rembrandt’s moving The Artist’s Mother and a room of Canalettos. The 444-hectare Bushy Park is across the road, with its woods, waterways, grassland and free-roaming deer. Hampton Court railway station is just the other side of the Thames (Waterloo 30 minutes), so the sights of London are accessible, too.
How much?
Doubles from £120 including continental breakfast
Value for money?
Pretty good for the premium location and chic surroundings. Most accommodation around here is serviced apartments, so this is a welcome addition.
• kingsarmshamptoncourt.com
Liz Boulter
The Yan, Grasmere, Lake District
What’s it like?
“What’s tupping?” I asked, during a chat about sheep that my mum was having with the owners of The Yan, a new bistro-with-rooms in the Lakes. It was unfamiliar terminology to me and – meaning mating – this was much to the amusement of my mum (who lives on a sheep farm). Chatting between courses made for a warm welcome, and perfectly in tune with the Yan’s home-from-home, relaxed vibe. On a former sheep farm, in a converted 17th-century barn, the surrounding fields are now filled with the neighbours’ grey-faced Lakeland Herdwicks (along with free-range chickens, who provide eggs for breakfast). The property’s name is connected to its heritage: yan means “one” in the Cumbrian dialect still used by locals to count sheep.
Bought by Sally and Dave Keighley in 2011, it was run as a self-catering hostel before being transformed into a bistro with rooms with the help of their daughter, Jess, and her husband, and chef, Will. There are now seven bedrooms and three cottages – some dog-friendly, as is the bistro – all with huge beds, National Trust blankets and views across the fells.
What about breakfast and dinner?
Dinner is served early (3pm-8.30pm), catering to hungry walkers. The menu focuses on seasonal British classics (shepherd’s pie and cheesy mash) and modern European dishes. There are also epic sharing platters: seafood (with king scallops, smoked salmon and warm mackerel), roast meats with trimmings and a vegetarian option, including hummus of the day with flatbreads and baked potatoes filled with leeks and herb mash.
If the rooms are fully booked, I’d still recommend coming for dinner. We tried pickled beetroot and stilton salad with roast pumpkin and toasted seeds and a creamy parsnip and pear soup to start. For main, smoky tomato and chicken stew with chorizo dumplings; and a parmesan polenta cake with a warm vegetable chutney and crisped steam broccoli. Then poached pear in red wine syrup, with apple sorbet and a brandy snap basket for dessert.
Breakfast (not included) is a feast: thick-cut sourdough, loaded with smoked salmon, scrambled eggs and chive sour cream; fry-ups; or smaller breakfast baps, porridge and homemade muesli. Produce comes from the farm or the next one along.
What’s on the doorstep?
The nearest railway station is Windermere, a transport hub for the lakes. The No 555 bus heads to Keswick and Kendal, including Grasmere for the Yan (in around 35 minutes). “To the lakes”, a sign reads at one end of Windermere town, with an easy circular walk up Queen Adelaide’s Hill for a view of the lake and back along the woodland stream of Wynlass Beck. The closest walk to the Yan, is up to Helm Crag – also known as the Lion and the Lamb – one of the area’s best-known routes, it’s a moderate 6km up and back. Passing National Trust property Allan Bank, we took a walk to Silver How (around 4.5km), which increases with difficulty, but offers lots of viewpoints before the climb gets steeper towards Wray Gill.
Dog-friendly, walkers’ pubs in the area include Sticklebarn and Wainwrights’ Inn, where we stopped for a Sunday roast. Also nearby, the famous Grasmere Gingerbread Shop, Wordsworth’s former home Dove Cottage, and a great secondhand bookshop, Sam Read, on the corner of the village green.
How much?
From £100 a night, breakfast from £3.95, two-course dinner for two, around £50.
Value for money?
Yes – it’s the perfect mid-range accommodation option in the area, with the bonus of affordable high-quality food.
• theyan.co.uk
Antonia Wilson
Train travel from London to Windermere provided by thetrainline.com
The Bull, Totnes, Devon
What’s it like?
At the summit of Totnes High Street, this sometime-grotty boozer, which closed its doors in 2017, has been rescued thanks to a painstaking refurbishment by local architect Jackie Gillespie. Layers have been peeled back to reveal a rambling mid-19th century inn full of quirks. The nine double rooms come in different sizes, with a mix of pastel-painted and left-as-found distressed walls, iron fireplaces, recycled furniture, beds with Naturalmat organic mattresses, lamps by Dartington’s Rodney Lomas, and a kettle and teapot (Pukka teas). There is some random art but no clutter, no plastic, and no bottled water. No TV, either.
Bathrooms are lino-floored and tiled, with showers (Bette baths in rooms 4 and 5), shelving crafted from an old snooker table and Tabitha James Kraan toiletries. As well as a fabulous restaurant and bar, therapist Sarah Carr offers deep-cleanse facials (1hour, £55). Kitchen heat is recycled to warm water and solar panels scoop up Devon’s blue skies.
What about breakfast and dinner?
Owner Geetie Singh-Watson has a stellar track record in green-minded gastronomy, opening the UK’s first organic pub, Islington’s Duke of Cambridge, in the late 1980s (in 2009 she was awarded an MBE for Services to the Organic Pub Trade). She admits to having a “brutal passion for sourcing food meticulously” and avoiding waste. Don’t ask for crisps or anything in packets. The kitchen, led by chef James Dodd (who worked with Singh-Watson previously at Riverford Field Kitchen), changes menus daily. I tried starters of beetroot, red cabbage, creme fraiche and pomegranate (£5.50) and pork terrine (£6.50). My main was seven-spiced lamb shoulder (£16.50, perfect to share) – cooked overnight – with leeks, beans and fried cauliflower. “Veggies are the main, meat is sides,” insists Singh-Watson. The chocolate cake was vegan. Unusual wines are all sold by the glass, along with a range of British spirits and vermouths. Check out Totnes’s own New Lion ales. Breakfast is granola and berries plus baked grapefruit, or shakshuka, or bacon and rösti, coffee and Almond Thief sourdough toast.
What’s on the doorstep?
Check out local history at Totnes Museum (free, donations welcome). Round the corner from The Bull, The Bay Horse is the town’s ale pub, while the Totnes Brewing Co does craft beers, with live music upstairs. Totnes has impressive shopping for a small town. Drift Records has a selection of vinyl and books (its Sea Change Festival is a top-notch showcase). Me and East sells bespoke, handmade gifts. For a country walk, there are paths on the River Dart, and the Dartington Estate has gardens, ancient yews, a deer park and cool modernist buildings.
How much?
B&B doubles from £130; all rooms £130 for the first three months (The Bull opened 1 December 2019). Dinner for two £50-£80 with wine.
Value for money?
The rooms are good-value, the food superb value. You could go cheaper and do a B&B, but The Bull feels private and intimate – and falling into bed after an indulgent dinner is the way to go. Totnes, a popular stopover for coast-bound holidaymakers, now has an inn that befits its Transition Town status and indy spirit.
• bullinntotnes.co.uk
Chris Moss
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