At the end of the February half term holidays we were invited to review Brooks Country House, a newly renovated 22 bedroom Georgian manor house set between Hereford and Ross on Wye.
We arrived late at night in the dark and enjoyed driving up the rather dramatic tree-lined drive way to this view of the absolutely stunning country manor house…
I was going to run into the manor house on my own to pick up the key for our coach house suite but Richard and my boys didn’t want to miss out, so we all walked across the gravel courtyard together to explore the public rooms.
The bar area and guest lounge looked very warm and inviting with comfy sofas and atmospheric lighting. If Richard and I had travelled alone we would have been quite happy spending the evening in front of the fire, chatting and sharing a bottle of the house wine, which is grown in the ‘Pengethley Estate’ vineyard. Instead we took a bottle of wine to our suite and listened to owls hooting outside and Charlie & Harry giggling until 10pm until they eventually fell asleep together on a sofa bed in the front room!
The next morning we awoke to incredible views of the surrounding countryside. The manor house used to be at the centre of a 1000 acre estate, today it sits on a (still very impressive) 13 acres in the Wye Valley, overlooking land owned by the National Trust. The estate is classed as an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and it was easy to see why. We took a stroll around the grounds, watched the sheep and their lambs on the hills opposite and ducks playing on a lake.
After exploring the grounds we enjoyed a lovely breakfast served in the manor house library. We started with a continental buffet set up on a long table in the center of the room and finished with a perfectly cooked full English breakfast, with eggs cooked any style.
There were a few other families with older children in the library during breakfast and a couple enjoying a romantic break but we didn’t feel out-of-place, even when Harry decided to make himself at home…
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Review Brooks Country House – What we loved about our stay!
We genuinely felt relaxed and at home whilst staying at the property. Our coach house suite was very spacious with a large front room, flat screen TV (much to my boys delight who made the most of watching CBeebies in the morning whilst drinking the hot chocolate provided!) Our bedroom, with a very comfy king size bed, also had a TV so Richard and I were able to watch the news without being pestered for cartoons in the morning. The suite worked perfectly for us as a family of four.
We didn’t eat dinner in the restaurant, as we arrived too late, however the country house serves classic brasserie food such as steak and frites and moules marinere. We were very impressed to read on our breakfast menu that they use all locally and ethically sourced food.
I particularly loved the eclectic mix of decor and furniture. Our suite had modern quirky chairs with original wooden beams, antique bed side tables and a fabulous roll top bath. The same eclectic style can be seen throughout the entire house and looks great. I wish I could pull off the same interior design style in my own home!
We loved the attentive and friendly service. The young waitresses serving breakfast were great with Charlie and Harry and when we called from our room for an iron and ironing board they were delivered to our door within minutes, which we were quite impressed by.
For a country house with just 22 rooms, it puts many much larger hotels to shame with the amount of leisure facilities on offer. If we had arrived earlier we would have enjoyed a few hours in the games room playing table tennis, table football & darts.
The country house is located a few minutes drive from the historical towns of Hereford and Ross-on-Wye, there are also lots of attractions nearby. We drove 15 minutes to Symmonds Yat which is a beautiful spot for walking, biking and kayaking. The Forest of Dean family attractions are also on the doorstep including Puzzlewood, Perrygrove Railway, the Sculpture Trail and Dean Heritage Centre. Check out our reviews of these four popular attractions here – Tried & tested family attractions in the Forest of Dean.
Review Brooks County House – Things to keep in mind
If you want to make full use of the facilities visit in the summer as the heated outdoor pool is open from 1st June to 1st October.
If staying in Georgian manor home itself doesn’t interest you, check out the fabulously quirky Vintage Horse Boxes which each sleep two people and have an en-suite with bath and shower.
So do we recommend?
Yes absolutely, Brooks Country House is a gem of a place. I would love to return in the summer for a childfree weekend, (sorry boys!) to experience the barrel sauna, enjoy relaxing drinks with hubby in the cosy bar and take a tour around the grounds on a Segway.
The website describes the country house as “A perfect retreat to escape modern urban life… where affordable luxury meets country house glamour” and I would say that this is absolutely spot on.
Need to know: Rooms available from £59 to £169 per night. For further details check out the website – Brooks Country House.
Pin for later – Review Brooks Country House, Hereford
Disclosure – We were provided with a complimentary stay and breakfast in return for this honest review.
Copyright – All photos copyright Travel Loving Family.
What a wonderful place to stay :)
It looks beautiful, I would definitely be tempted to leave the children at home (sorry kids) and try out the horsebox, but as a family the Country House looks wonderful
So beautiful and looks like the perfect place for a family getaway xx
That looks so gorgeous – i am tempted by the horse boxes too. And I’m glad It’s not just my daughter who does that with bowls ;)
What a beautiful hotel, just the sort of place I’d love to stay.Plus such a great area to explore. That breakfast looked amazing! #MondayEscapes
I would love that breakfast right about now. It looks like an amazing place to stay Lisa and you were really spoilt!
What a beautiful country retreat and it sounds really well placed for exploring the area. Harry making himself at home made me laugh! #MondayEscapes
This looks utterly fantastic! No wonder you’d like to go back :)
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I rather fancy staying in the horse box, although no room for the kids in there! I love that part of the country, we have a (camping) weekend booked there in a couple of months. #Mondayescapes
Love country houses and the rooms look great. The breakfast looks yummy too! Would be a great place for a kid free escape! #MondayEscapes
Looks good; I could eat that English breakfast right now! #MondayEscapes
It looks beautiful, I love the suite and an outdoor pool is a real bonus too. Its great to find somewhere in the UK with an outdoor pool x
What a lovely place with everything you need for children I think I would be tempted by the horse box! Thanks for hosting #MondayEscapes
Breakfast looked amazing! I love the idea of the carriage house suite. Such a luxury to have some space when traveling as a family :) #mondayescapes
This sounds a really lovely place to stay and I like the idea of those quirky horse boxes!
This looks amazing! Love the unique style and the public rooms in particular look gorgeous. I’m laughing at Harry slurping from his bowl.
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He is such a typical boy Trish!
What a place! It looks like a fantastic place for a luxury break. I love staying in a smaller hotel too as they seem to have a lot more character. Hope you get back again in the summer! #mondayescapes
what a great house! love the outside and the inside space:) #mondayescapes
I love the fact that you can stay in a horse box if you feel the house itself is too grand! What a place – how marvellous to wake up to those incredible views. The suite sounds perfect for a young family. It’s nice to be close to the little ones, but I always like to have a bit of space, too. #MondayEscapes
The pictures look amazing, so cozy. After reading this review I totally want to go! I can easily see why the area would be classed as ‘Outstanding Natural Beauty’. We really have to visit your part of the world sometime soon! #MondayEscapes
It looks like my kind of place – I can really see myself cuddled up by the fire with a nice glass of wine and a book or playing chess/scrabble with the kids. Breakfast looks superb too.
What a charming place to enjoy a nice time
It looks like a lovely get a way for a short break with a family or as a date break with some lovely countryside around. Those Horse boxes are a fun idea too. #MondayEscapes