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Bishops Frome, Worcester, Worcestershire, England
Number of guests
Sleeps up to 26
Property description
Barrington House is a large Georgian house, formerly a rectory, in rural Herefordshire. You can book it as a group for a weekend with friends, a midweek corporate break, a girlie weekend (complete with visiting beauty therapist), a chocolate egg and spring lambs bonanza with the children over Easter, a few days of team-building, a film shoot or for a wedding party.
The house is handsome, the hospitality second to none and although let on a self-catering basis, owners Ben and Margaret Owen are on hand to help with anything you may need, from babysitting to outside caterers, picnic hampers to wine-tasting to pub walks. You can accommodate 24 guests, with space for a marquee reception for up to 150.
Fresh flowers, home made cakes, wine and chocolates welcome you as standard. In addition, various optional services are available to help ease the burden of planning a special occasion. A wide range of activities are available nearby, many of which can be planned and booked for you prior to your arrival.
As for the setting, it is the English countryside at its best. “Only enter Herefordshire”, say the Owens, “if you want your lungs filled with fresh air, your favourite colour is green and silence makes you smile!'
Location
In the village of Bishops Frome, in the Frome Valley, six miles from the nearest towns (Ledbury and Bromyard). A perfect location for exploring the Heart of England.
Airport: Birmingham
Station: Ledbury
Accommodation
The house stands in an acre of private gardens with well established trees and borders, not to mention a very large sweet chestnut tree. There is a lovely yew walkway, and the gardens are surrounded by open fields and glorious scenery.
Ben and Margaret Owen bought Barrington in 2001. In its day, it was a formal country property but having been restored in its original period style, it now enjoys an air of informality and relaxation which you are bound to enjoy. Returning from a long country walk to put your feet up around an open fire is a joy.
There are 13 bedrooms (six doubles, six twins and one bunk bed room), six bathrooms (one ensuite), two sitting rooms and one large dining room which doubles as a meeting room. The rooms are decorated with taste and style, with brass bedsteads, antique furniture, fresh flowers and crisp white linens. The Frome Valley is visible from all rooms with uninterrupted views across hop fields and apple orchards. The bathrooms have showers and baths, one of which is a roll top.
A beautiful large kitchen has been built by hand to offer a fantastic large range cooker, two dishwashers, a great selection of cookware and granite work surfaces. If you don't want to cook, the owners can supply ready-made gourmet meals using local produce, hampers for picnics and barbecues, recommend some great pubs and restaurants nearby or organise outside caterers.
The living rooms and dining room have blazing open fires, and leather sofas and chairs, giving a relaxed country feel and plenty of space for entertaining and relaxing.
Outside there are barbeque facilities and a games room. The gardens consist of around an acre of lawns and borders, surrounded by beautiful old trees. The only sounds to be heard are the birds and the occasional church bells from the historic Norman Church, St Mary's.
Facilities
Outdoor facilities include garden dining furniture, a barbecue and a games room (table tennis, snooker, darts, poker, board games and toys).
There is a choice of three good, local outside caterers who will cook for you with waitress service. Other in-house options include wine tasting, an Arty Party (learning to paint), a murder mystery weekend and a cooking demo. Visiting beauticians and masseurs are also very popular, and can be invaluable before, say, a wedding.
It is an easy stroll from the house to the church. An in-house wedding coordinator can help plan all aspects of the big day, and Margaret and Ben offer guests exclusive use of the house from Thursdays to Mondays, which allows family and friends plenty of time to relax before and after their big day.
Daily cleaning is available if you wish. There is also a one-off cleaning service you can opt for at the end of your stay.
The owners have a lovely babysitter from the village, who they use regularly for guests as well as for their own children.
Christmas is special at Barrington House, too (organic turkeys, home made Christmas puddings, champagne, festive hampers …). You can order your gifts online if you prefer, and have them delivered to this door ready and waiting for the 25th.
Team-building activities can be organised nearby – everything from army-style activity days in nearby Hereford and the Welsh borders to horseriding, canoeing, climbing, cycling or mountain grass boarding. And at the end of the day, the Owens can recommend local award winning pubs and restaurants, organise the caterers for you, or you can cook for yourselves – a team building exercise in itself!
If you are planning a conference you can either use the dining room or hire (for a small fee) the timber-framed village hall three minutes away, which has all the necessary facilities.
Area
Barrington House is ideally situated for various attractions in the Heart of England - the Cotswolds, the Malvern Hills, the Wye Valley, the Marches, the Welsh Borders and the black and white olde worlde villages of Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
There is an abundance of castles, National Trust properties, gardens and historic houses in the area, as well as art galleries, antique shops and farmers’ markets. The renowned Malvern Theatres and Malvern Show grounds are right on the doorstep.
Locally, you can spend all morning enjoying Bishops Frome's own fabulous delicatessen and craft and antique centre, or stroll past hop fields and fruit orchards to the award winning Frome Valley Vineyard. Afternoons for the energetic could include cycling around the delightful country lanes, riding, canoeing or a walk on the Historic Malvern Hills where you can sample Malvern Spring water (and take in the views!)
For younger children there are lots of farm parks, swimming pools, maize mazes, steam trains, forest walks and castles.
Prices
Prices start from £113 per person for a midweek break.
For a full quotation please contact the owners directly.
Contact the property owners
Phone: 0800 4581018 and 01886 812651
Fax: N/A
Please note that you cannot rent this property directly from The Big Domain. If you wish to rent Barrington House, or would like to enquire about availability, please click on the Contact the Property Owner button above, and use the form provided to contact the owner directly.
