Sheer Delight at Colwick Hall
Recently I was invited to stay at the well known ancestral home of romantic poet Lord Bryon- Colwick Hall.
The country house mansion lies in over 60 acres of charming woodland, rolling countryside and lake and so I was more than happy to accommodate.
The venue has ample parking and a voluptuous fountain in the grounds before the front entrance, which immediately tempts you into feeling like you have stepped back in time for a moment and have entered into one of Byron’s fantasy worlds…
A warm welcome was to hand from the smiley receptionist, who took us through to the bar area of the aptly named ‘Byron’s’ whilst we waited for our room to be ready.
Once our key card was handed to us, we were shown up the wide, carpeted stairs to room 107 ‘Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’. First impressions of the room was WOW – powder blue décor, detailed wallpaper featuring cupids & maypole dancing, white wooden shabby chic furniture, heavy drapes at the windows, gold gilt frames, oversized lamps and unused fireplaces in both the bedroom and bathroom -bundles of character. Speaking of the bathroom, this was mammoth in size, featuring a roll top, free standing bath in the centre, a large walk- in shower, bidet and twin sinks- a relaxing bubble bath awaits.
After staring at the detail in amazement, we made our way down to Byron’s restaurant for dinner. We were seated by Will the head waiter who promptly brought over a bottle of Zinfandel on ice.
The menu was large and full of deliciously tempting dishes with an emphasis on vegetarian, which was very impressive and often rare.
I opted for the carrot and coriander fritters with halloumi for starter and a pea, mint and asparagus risotto with foccacia bread and a side order of caramelised parsnips for main- all were delicious, and the risotto perfectly cooked.
Dessert came as a tower of super sized profiteroles with fresh cream and chocolate, hazelnut sauce- which in the end beat me, but was well worth the attempt.
The service was fantastic, very attentative and the restaurant was small and intimate, which fit in well with the hall itself, having a nice relaxed bar area with settees, a fireplace and framed poems by Lord Byron donning the walls.
After a pleasant night’s sleep in a very comfy bed, breakfast awaited. Tea and coffee was served with a selection of fresh juices, a continental of Danish pastries, toast and jams, yogurts and fruit were on offer as well as a menu featuring various cooked options.
I opted for the vegetarian cooked breakfast which was very tasty and consisted of veggie leek sausages, beans, hash brown, toast, tomato and mushrooms sautéed in butter- yum!
Our stay was extremely enjoyable and I have to say there was nothing I would change, I would highly recommend to anyone wanting an affordable romantic stay/dinner, delegates after a beautiful, relaxed setting for work training or a meeting and to anyone simply wanting to get out of the hustle and bustle of the city for a couple of hours to enjoy good, high quality food or indeed to get hitched!
Colwick Hall offer RSViP members 20 % off in Byron’s restaurant, as well as various reduced rates on weddings.
Fiona Duncan, RSViP
