There is something significant about decelerating on the driveway sweeping you towards a country house hotel. Perhaps the slower pace allows time for drama to build, for the beauty and scale of a property to be appreciated. It could be the feeling of escape or adventure – or just an enforceable speed limit.
Brooks Country House is at the end of a short driveway off the A49 between Ross-on-Wye and Hereford. It is an imposing Georgian manor house that will, ultimately, offer 22 bedrooms in its main house and around a courtyard, and is part of a small chain under the Brooks banner (it also has boutique B&Bs in Bath, Bristol and Edinburgh). Conceptually, this is “affordable luxury” territory; physically, it’s in the wonderful Wye Valley, an area of outstanding natural beauty, with acres of National Trust parkland nearby.
The interior of the main house is grand though not austere. A staircase leads past tapestries and paintings to Room 2, where my girlfriend and I will be staying. But I’m drawn to the lounge, where muted wallpaper, rugged leather armchairs, colourful sofas and a sizable fireplace combine with superb valley views to reinforce an atmosphere of repose.
The restaurant – bookshelves, large wooden tables, countryside vistas – feels grown-up and tasteful, but it’s the bar that has the most inviting atmosphere. It has a country-club vibe, with shutters, chandeliers and faux antlers on the wall. Its yellow-orange walls give a sense of warmth and an air of intoxication – on a number of levels.
There is, however, a feeling of uncharted territory about Brooks Country House. I’m here only one week after its opening and staff are still feeling their way into roles, while breakfast and dinner menus offer either too many or not quite enough options. An outdoor swimming pool was unfinished for my trip but is due to be functioning before the end of July. A spa/treatment area won’t be in operation until October, and the vineyard has bags of charm but requires time to flourish.
Brooks also needs to put to bed the tepid reputation of the previous (unconnected) hotel on the premises: the Pengethley Manor, which according to staff was not well-regarded locally by the time it closed. As viewers of TV shows about troubled hotels and restaurants may be aware, good standing in your neighbourhood is essential. The brains behind Brooks are wise to this and when its restaurant opens to non-residents, I expect a focus on attracting the locals.
Those locals could be outside brandishing flaming torches and playing “rough music”, and I wouldn’t notice, so sound is my sleep. Our room, though spacious, is a little spartan: one armchair, no artwork, a clear plastic chair at a small desk and one gigantic wardrobe (no lions or witches). Those who like minimalist, though, will be in their element.
Breakfast is serve-yourself yoghurts, cereals and juices, plus cooked options such as meat and veggie fry-ups or lighter dishes: eggs benedict, eggs florentine, boiled egg and soldiers, bacon or sausage sandwiches. The ample but not excessive full fry is ideal fuel for country walks and window-shopping in Monmouth, Hereford and, a little further afield, Hay-on-Wye.
That breakfast deluge is in stark contrast to a dinner menu (two courses £18; three courses £25, drinks extra) offering just two starters, three choices of main (meat, fish, vegetarian) and three desserts. I usually prefer pared-back menus but this feels rigid and lacking in imagination. That said, my girlfriend’s silence as she ate her hake in tomato and chorizo ragout is itself a glowing review. My smoked chicken, fennel, mint and orange salad did everything a starter should, with its fresh taste and implied invitation to proceed with gusto to the main course.
Though it is a case of potential rather than perfection right now, Brooks Country House has many of the right ingredients for a tasteful, though not budget-busting, weekend. If it gets a few more details spot on, the cars dawdling on the driveway will be those of guests who can’t bear to leave.
• Accommodation was provided by Brooks Country House (doubles from £99 B&B), 01989 730211, brookscountryhouse.com
Ask a local
Jon and Louise Petrie, DS Music, Monmouth
• Eat & drink
Our Monmouth cafe favourite is Green & Jenks, a family-owned artisan gelato shop. Its lunches and coffee are great but it’s the freshly made ice-cream we love. For fine dining it’s The Stonemill in Rockfield village, which has great views and superb locally sourced food.
• Culture
The annual Monmouthshire Show, on 25 August, has been running since the 17th century and is a great family day out. Monmouth is steeped in history, so visit the Shire Hall and see the old court rooms, or Monmouth Castle and Regimental Museum. Monmouth is also famous for two recording studios, Monnow Valley Studio and Rockfield Studios, where the likes of Queen, Feeder, Oasis, and Black Sabbath have recorded. There’s currently a Rockfield Studios exhibition at the Nelson Museum showcasing lots of memorabilia and studio equipment including the original tape machines Queen used to record Bohemian Rhapsody.
• Do
Serious walkers should try the Offa’s Dyke trails, but there are also easier strolls along Monmouth’s rivers: the Monnow and the Wye. The Kymin, an 18th-century round house with a naval temple, also offers panoramic views of the Wye Valley.
