Lower Buckton Country House

Description

Country House Accommodation in Mortimer Country – Award winning AGA cooked breakfasts and delicous dinners in fab old house off the beaten track in secluded, hamlet on the north Herefordshire/south Shropshire borders where England meets Wales. A tranquil, rural idyll of quietness, peace and relaxation………

Marmalade Festival Gold Award for Best B&B Marmalade 2009
Winner of Flavours of Herefordshire Breakfast Awards 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009
Midlands Winner of Best Farmhouse Breakfast Award 2005

The Food – Henry and Carolyn Chesshire specialise in cooking and serving local, seasonal and organic food which is either home-grown and produced or locally sought, bought and caught. Lower Buckton is a multi-national supermarket-free zone: any food shopping is done in its local market towns of Ludlow, Leominster and Knighton thus supporting local, independent small producers and suppliers and the local community as a whole. Henry and Carolyn are members of Slow Food and Carolyn was one of 30 cooks representing the UK at Slow Food’s Terra Madre2006 in Turin. She has appeared on USA Next Trip Radio, BBCR4 Farming Today, & UKTV’s The People Cookbook.

The House – There has been a dwelling and mill on the site since Domesday and the present house dates from early 1800 though its foundations are firmly placed many centuries earlier.  Its historic corn-mill & stream are at the bottom of the garden and the meandering river Teme just beyond the horses’ paddocks.  There are un-spoilt views of unchanged open country and on clear nights the stars shine uninterrupted by light pollution.  The drawing room and dining rooms have blazing log fires, squishy sofas, collections of antiques, pictures, family portraits and books.  There are sparkly glasses, shining silver and crisp linen on the huge oak dining table.  Carolyn’s the cook and Henry’s the butler and together they create a unique hospitality and are very happy to share their in-depth knowledge of the area with all who stay at Lower Buckton.

The Bedrooms – The three rooms have beds made up with featherdown quilts and pillows, luscious linen/cotton and vintage Welsh blanket-throws.  They all have radios and collections of DVDs & CDs for the in-room players.  Housed in antique cupboards are tea and coffee pots, loose leaf teas, ground coffee, various herbals, bottles of our own natural water, also homemade biscuits and fresh fruit.  There’re always vases of fresh garden flowers. The bathrooms have soft towels and robes and bespoke locally-made pure and natural/organic smellies, sea-salt scrubs and baskets of useful “essentials”.  If you forget your bedside reading there are plenty magazines and books to borrow and all the rooms have sofas or armchair.

Wild nature in the raw is all around: the kites regularly give air displays, the buzzards soar overhead and ravens blacken the skies.  Many species of garden and hedgerow birds inhabit the grounds and the dawn chorus is often “deafening”!  If the self-catering shepherd’s hut or tipi are unoccupied, they make perfect “hides” from which to study the local wildlife.  There are otters and mink in the river across the field, a pole-cat lives in the wood shed and the outside-ginger-cats prowl menacing!  A public footpath leads past an ancient marl-pit in the middle of which is a heronry, a spring-time home to many pairs of breeding herons and a magnificent sight to behold.  Lower Buckton keeps rare-breed, free-range Berkshire pigs which roam in the old farmyard – delicious with apple sauce for dinner.

Bring your own boots, bike or horse – we have maps to borrow, cycles to hire and stabling with grazing always available. Come and explore this quiet corner of Herefordshire.  There masses of walking paths, bridle paths and tracks, including the Herefordshire Trail radiating from Lower Buckton in every direction.  The Mortimer Trail and Offas Dyke are a “hike” away and transport to and from drop off/pick points are easily arranged.  For horse-riders the Mytton Way is easily accessed You’ll rarely meet another soul – world class walking and riding all on the door step.  Three counties and two countries in a day!

Herefordshire House Parties – are a speciality and Lower Buckton is open all year including Christmas/New Year – “any excuse for a break”.  The perfect place for small family or friends’ gatherings, celebrations and anniversaries.  Also perfect for hen party getaways; as a business venue for board meetings and bonding; Private lunch or dinner parties also arranged.  The dining table seats 20 and there’s a tent for the lawn for outdoor eating.  Plenty of parking…….

Cooking Good Cookery Courses and Herefordshire on a Plate Food Safaris – inspirational cooking courses with local, seasonal produce and food tours exploring Herefordshire’s food and drink heritage. Day or stay – the choice is yours.  Lower Buckton’s breakfasts are so brilliant that Carolyn even runs courses for bed & breakfast owners on how to “do breakfasts”!

Things to do………places to see……..

Local market towns to visit:-
Historic Ludlow across the border into Shropshire (ten miles/15 minutes): masses of small-scale food shops specialising in local seasonal produce and the famous Local to Ludlow food market.  The castle is a must-see and the whole town is famed for its Georgian architecture which has grown from its mediaeval roots. There’s also a good selection of vintage clothes shops too. The Spring Food Festival, Ludlow (arts) Festival, Ludlow Food & Drink Festival and Winter Mediaeval Fair are just a few highlights of the year.  We have a VB four star/gold award self-catering cottage in Ludlow www.ludlowholidaylets.co.uk.

Leominster, firmly in Herefordshire (15 miles/20 minutes): a Mecca for fascinating specialist antiques shops, farmers’ markets and a good base from which to follow The Black & White Village Trail.

Knighton, the town on Offas Dyke (seven miles/12 minutes): an ancient border town in old Radnorshire (now Powys) with its feet in both camps, neither English yet hardly Welsh. For genuine, country atmosphere visit the live-stock market; shop in Harry Tuffins, the area’s only privately owned “supermarket”; take a tramp along Offas Dyke to the north of the town for the most dramatic scenery and views.

Presteigne, once the county town of Radnorshire (8 miles/12 minutes): a delightful town with quirky shops, antiques and second-hand books.  A visit to the fascinating museum, The Judges’ Lodgings is an excellent way to spend an afternoon.

Castles, churches, historic houses and gardens: way too many to mention all by name and visitors have been known to “disappear for days” beneath the piles of printed information and books available to read about the area’s rich architectural and historical inheritances.  National Trust, English Heritage, ecclesiastical masterpieces, private stately homes, NGA Open Days, specialist plant nurseries and so on and so on, they’re all here just waiting to be explored.

Rollicking good days out can be had at The Races, either Ludlow, Hereford or Worcester and even closer to home are the various hunt Point to Points, two of which are held “at the bottom of the garden” on the famous Brampton Bryan course.  A racing certainty and highlights of the year!

Recent guests’ comments from our visitors’ book…….

“Thank you, Henry and Carolyn for a lovely stay in your unique house”.  Richard and Emily, Bristol
“We have so enjoyed our stay in your beautiful house and thank you for your hospitality”.  Emma & Jamie, London
“Wonderful breakfast – the choice is amazing and the service excellent. Local food and drink is very evident, congratulations.  Sorry I did not try your sausages!”.  Breakfast Judge
“Thank you for a wonderful few days of riding and eating.  The vegetarian food was inspirational”  Jeanie and Mike, Wiltshire”
“Merci de votre hospitalite!  Bravo pour repas.  We’ll never say again that you can’t eat well in England!”  Isabelle & Marc, Monaco
“Weekend to remember for all the right reasons – it was brilliant”.  Marian, Solihull
“Surroundings, food, riding, company unforgettable in the very best sense!”.  Pamela, Bridgnorth
“Beautiful surroundings, comfy beds, thank you, thank you” Elif & Kerem, Instanbul
“A true culinary artist. Diolch.  Thank you for your wonderful hospitality”. Edna & David, north Wales
“Wonderful Breakfast Course.  Enjoyed every moment of our stay. Wonderful hospitality.  Great, great food.  Thank you so much, hope to come again”. Ian & Helen, Yorkshire
“Cookery Course!  Relaxing, funny, tasty and hilarious!”  Alice and Jane, Cheshire

Never mind what the others say – come and stay yourselves and experience Herefordshire food and hospitality at its best!

Facilities

Facilities Key

• Air conditioning
• American Express accepted
• Baby listening service
• Barbecue
• Building of historic interest
• Central heating
• Chemical toilet disposal facilities
• Children welcome
• Children's indoor play area
• Children's outdoor play area
• Christmas programme
• Cleaning service
• coach parties accepted
• Colour television
• conference facilities
• credit cards accepted (no fee)
• Cycles for hire
• Disabled access
• disabled toilets
• Dish washing facilities
• Dishwasher
• Dogs/pets by arrangement
• Dogs/pets not accepted
• Drinking water
• Drying facilities
• Electric hookup
• Electric shaver points
• Euros accepted
• Evening meals
• facilities for groups
• Fishing
• Foodshop nearby
• Freezer
• Games room onsite
• Garden
• Gas cylinder exchange or refill
• Gay/lesbian friendly
• gift shop
• Golf onsite or nearby
• Hairdrier
• High chairs available
• Ironing facilities
• Laundry facilities
• Laundry service
• Leisure club onsite or nearby
• Licenced
• Linen provided
• Microwave
• Night porter
• Parking space next to pitch
• Passenger lift
• picnic site
• Pony trekking/horse riding onsite
• Private parking
• public toilets
• Radio
• real log/coal fires
• Residents' Lounge
• Restaurants
• Satellite television
• Senior citizens reduced rates
• Showers available
• single sex groups welcome
• Snacks/afternoon tea
• Special diets available
• Tea/coffee making in bedrooms
• Telephone
• Telephone (public)
• Tennis onsite or nearby
• Vegetarian diet available
• Video/DVD
• Visa/Mastercard/Switch accepted
• Washing machine
• WiFi
• Working farm