Brooks Country House, Pengethley Park, near Ross-on-Wye Herefordshire
Brooks Country House makes the perfect base for a foodie weekend away in Herefordshire. Stylish, welcoming and family-friendly.
Brooks Country House is near Ross-on-Wye and the cathedral city of Hereford
Last night I dreamt of Pengethley.
Of the crisp cotton sheets and a comfy bed. Of restful sleep and the beautiful view of the surrounding countryside upon waking. Of coffee and eggs Benedict for breakfast.
With walks across the fields to the church, a heated outdoor pool for a refreshing morning swim, and dinner with a glass of wine produced from the hotel’s own vineyard, Brooks Country House is a blissful place to unwind.
I found the staff to be both friendly and helpful making it feel like a real ‘home from home’.
Stay here and get inspiration from my Foodie Weekend Break in Herefordshire Guide which includes tasting tours of Chase Distillery and Westons Cider Mill.
Escape to the Country at Brooks Country House
Driving up the sweeping driveway to Brooks Country House, it’s the magnificent view that first captures you.
Then you see the house, a fine Georgian Manor House with large picture windows. Once inside, they frame the landscape beautifully and allow the light to flood into its spacious and tastefully-decorated rooms.
The hotel has recently been opened by Carla and Andrew Brooks who already own three guesthouses in Bath, Bristol and Edinburgh.
They’ve sympathetically restored the house from its previous life as Pengethley Manor Hotel, a former Best Western.
Relax with a pre-dinner drink in the bar
The elegantly furnished restaurant
Enjoy ‘Affordable Luxury’ in a Peaceful Setting
With rooms starting at £89 for the night, the Brooks team are opening up a country house experience to all with their clever concept of ‘affordable luxury’.
There’s a bar with comfy leather arms chairs and an outdoor terrace for relaxing with a pre-dinner drink. The former library is now the restaurant, its walls decorated with landscape paintings by Andrew’s artist mother, Mary Brooks (sadly, not for sale).
They’ve kept the evening dinner menu simple with 3 choices and a special of the day. Being in Herefordshire, you’ll find steak and chips on the menu, a perfect choice with a bottle of red when you arrive on a Friday evening after a long drive.
One of the double bedrooms at Brooks Country House
The heated outdoor pool is in the walled garden
Sleep in a Room With a View
There are 22 bedrooms split between the main house and the courtyard. Rooms are comfortable, decorated with restful Cole & Son wallpaper and antiques.
Some of the rooms are particularly spacious and come with great views, a four poster bed and chairs that can convert into an extra beds for children.
‘Affordable luxury’ means tea and coffee making facilities in your room but no bottles of water, biscuits or luxury bath products.
It does mean a very good choice at breakfast though (Full English, scrambled eggs and smoked salmon, and eggs Benedict, are all on the menu. Even better, at weekends breakfast is served until 11 o’clock.
Vines grow in a sheltered walled garden
The vineyard produces a delicious dry white wine
Drink a Glass of Pengethley Estate
Step through a ‘secret’ door and you’ll find the hotel’s pretty vineyard where Richensteiner grapes are cultivated.
The vineyard produces around 300-500 bottles of Pengethley Estate, a very quaffable dry white wine that’s available by the glass or bottle. Each year the grapes are hand-picked and taken to the Three Choirs Winery in Newent to be bottled.
There are several vineyards in nearby Wales including Ancre Hill and Sugar Loaf (both open to visitors). If you drive further to the Brecon Beacons, you can really get into the spirit of things by tasting Welsh whisky and Brecon gin on the Penderyn Distillery tour.
Tips
- Visit the Pengethley Farm Shop next door for locally reared meat and specialities from the region
- Pop in to Bailey’s Home Store for a slice of apple and cider cake in the Tabernacle Tea Room and to browse its fabulous collection of stylish homeware
- Brooks Country House is only 18 miles from Abergavenny so it’s a handy place to stay if you are visiting the Abergavenny Food Festival in September
Ready to Plan a Night Away?
To check availability and find the best rates available for Brooks Country House, we recommend visiting our booking partner, Trip Advisor.
Dogs
They tell me that I am very welcome to stay in the standard rooms in the courtyard.
How to Find Brooks Country House
Pengethley Park, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire HR9 6LL
The Foodie Travel Guide
Sally is the founder and editor of The Foodie Travel Guide. She travels around the UK and beyond in search of the best foodie days out, tasting experiences and delicious places to stay. She loves a glass of English sparkling wine, afternoon tea with friends and escaping London for gastronomic adventures.