 Look at how pretty this place is! 
A Relaxing Stay In Herefordshire
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Recommendation added: 03/06/2006 21:45
By: dewberry (YSUK rating +825)dewberry has been thanked 4 times for this contribution
"When my sister got married in Herefordshire in November, we booked into a guesthouse local to where the ceremony was to be held at Penrhos Court Hotel in Kington. The posh Penrhos staff themselves suggested The Old Vicarage, and coming from such a prestigious hotel it seemed a good enough recommendation for me.
Booking over the phone was a painless process, with the payment being taken from my Visa card with no problems – this is worth mentioning as I find a lot of the smaller guesthouses I've used will only accept a cash payment when you arrive, and I always like to pay my accommodation bill in advance of my trip to avoid any double booking problems.
Upon arrival, we were immediately shown to our room and asked if there was anything else we'd like. I asked for a jug of cordial for the children, and this was quickly arranged and brought to the room along with some biscuits for them.
Our room was fantastic. Because I'd told them we were bringing young children at the time of booking, we'd been given one of the few family rooms which has both a double bed and bunks. The room as a whole looked absolutely charming, the owners have kept the traditional look of the place and the décor is light and airy with a gorgeous old fireplace giving the room a real focal point. I loved the view from the large windows; gorgeous countryside as far as the eye could see – I couldn't even see a road from the window in our room, let alone be bothered by traffic. It was a truly pretty sight, particularly watching the sheep in the adjacent field which kept the kids amused! We had another small window in our room which looked out over the rooftop of the guesthouse (as we had the highest room in the building) and this was pleasantly unusual. In the morning it was through this window that my seven year old spotted a bird's nest complete with chicks and broken eggs.
There was a kettle, crockery and coffee, sugar and tea sachets in our room, as well as a selection of biscuits and a jug of milk. This was a most welcome addition as in the evenings we'd go for a walk, to come back and be able to make a hot drink (remember, the countryside in November is COLD) was ideal for taking the chill off.
Our room (like all the other rooms in The Old Vicarage) had a lovely en suite bathroom, which was a decent size and sparkling clean. The glass shower door had no sign of mildew or anything to suggest that the cleanliness of the owners was less that top notch. Good quality toiletries are provided, including an absolutely gorgeous handwash which I'd have definitely stashed in my suitcase had the owners of this place not been such lovely people!
The standard furniture of wardrobes, bedside cabinets and a chest of drawers was complimented by a lovely old mirrored dressing table which made getting ready for the wedding easy. The beds were wonderful, our double had the comfiest mattress I've ever slept on – even the kids (who insisted on sleeping together in the top bunk) commented on how comfortable the bunk beds were. And apparently they were “wicked” for bouncing on – but don't tell the owners!
The price of our room included breakfast, which was seriously delicious. As we entered the dining room we were told to help ourselves to cereals while our breakfast was cooked. A good selection of both adult and kid's cereals were provided, along with a choice of fruit juices. When we'd finished, our main breakfast was brought in. And boy… what a breakfast. My plate was piled with every breakfast food you can imagine; sausage, bacon, fried egg, tomato, mushrooms, hash browns and more! A toast rack was also brought to the table containing (you guessed it!) loads of toast, made from freshly made bread which was baked under an hour previously. This was washed down with gallons of brilliant quality sweet coffee – perfect after a bottle of wine or two in the room the night before! I've never eaten so much for breakfast…
The entire experience was a good one. Although I've concentrated on our room, the whole guesthouse is fantastic. There's a large collection of books in the dining room for guests who are having a longer stay than us, and also board games which you can ask the owners for. The place is spotlessly clean from top to bottom, and the owners and their family were helpful with nothing seeming too much trouble for them.
The grounds of the guesthouse are definitely worth a mention as they're so tranquil and pretty. A smart gravel parking area is completely in keeping with the traditional look of the guesthouse, and blends in beautifully with the well maintained lawns and shrub borders.
We paid £40 per person, per night for our family room with breakfast, with a total bill of £260 for three nights as they didn't charge us for the children's accommodation only an extra £20 to cover their food. Quite expensive, I suppose, but I find you really do get what you pay for when it comes to guesthouses – the service and surroundings were definitely worth the money.
Booking at The Old Vicarage is essential because, as this is a completely family run enterprise, the guesthouse does close occasionally – presumably when the owners decide they need a holiday of their own!
To find The Old Vicarage you need to be in a car as it's in a pretty remote spot. Located between Tenbury Wells and Leominster, you need to get yourself into Leysters and turn left if heading from Tenbury (or right if you're coming from Leominster). The crossroads where you need to turn is in the centre of the village, next to the Duke of York pub – you can't miss it. This will take you down a long, dark country road where the guesthouse is located beside an old post box set in the wall and a wooden gate. You'll probably pass the guesthouse as it's laid back from the road and camouflaged by trees and shrubbery – as you pass it you'll thump the steering wheel as you notice the gate, but just drive 100 yards down the road and turn around. You'll quite possibly pass it again because it really is well hidden, but don't let this deter you!
The Old Vicarage
Leysters
Leominster
Herefordshire
HR6 0HS
Tel – 01568 750208"
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