Brockencote Hall
Words by Granville Orange, photography courtesy of Eden Hotel Collection
If you are looking for somewhere very special to stay when you visit Worcestershire and the Morgan factory in Malvern, then Brockencote Hall is the place. I can truly assure our readers that this is a wonderful venue offering a quiet, discreet, luxurious escape located in 70 acres of stunning parkland. I drove up the private drive on a sunny late autumn day and the leaves on the mature trees that lined the drive were at their glorious best…golds, yellows, reds and browns shimmered in the bright light…this was itself a joy, food for the soul, and an immediate passage from whatever your day might have been into a truly dream of a retreat.
Breathe in long and slow, take in the fresh country air, and relax. You have arrived. Drive on and you pass a small lake with wildfowl swimming around, dipping, ducking and diving under the water whilst others sat on the banks in their mating pairs enjoying the last of the sun’s autumn heat before winter sets in, and then you swing round and park up in front of the impressive manor house which is now a luxurious hotel. Leave your Morgan with peace of mind that it is secure and safe, grab your bags and check in with the extremely friendly, welcoming and helpful staff on the reception desk. Your retreat and visit to wonderful Worcestershire has commenced.
I met with General Manager Craig Routledge to learn more about Brockencote Hall which is part of the Eden Collection of 9 hotels. The hotel has just 21 bedrooms under five classifications, from “Classic” to “Feature Suite”, but there are no basic rooms…all are of the highest quality and all have excellent views either to the front or the rear of the hotel and across the spacious grounds and beyond. Morgan owners please note that if you would like to have a room with a view of your cars, then do request a front facing room. Also, if requested, cars can be parked in a special reserved area so visiting car clubs can line up their precious cars side by side. For those readers preferring to fly rather than drive, the hotel does have a helipad too.
Brockencote Hall has been awarded 4 Red stars and three Rosettes by the AA, and the Trip Advisor rating is 4.5 at the time of writing. Situated between the towns of Droitwich Spa and Kidderminster, and just 25 miles from Malvern and the Morgan factory, there are so many wonderful places to visit and things to do nearby. For example there is the West Midlands Safari Park, the Severn Valley Steam Railway, Shelsley Walsh and the Chateau Impney Hill Climbs, plus the Tardebigge Locks that we featured the October edition of MOG.
Craig emphasised that the hotel prides itself on quality of service and how this shines through in all that they do and offer at Brockencote Hall. The hotel works with the local community to source the very best of local produce, such as wines, cheeses, ales, meat and vegetables, including asparagus (Worcestershire is famous for growing the best asparagus in the world) and the hotel can order it in season from the farm across the road and within 10 minutes it is cut and in the hotel kitchen being prepared to be served.
The hotel is licensed, serves superb afternoon teas, and has ample comfortable lounge space for all guests. Craig was quite appropriately discreet when it came to talking about famous guests who have stayed at the hotel, save to say that they include well known entertainers and politicians. Indeed the local MP is the current Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Craig emphasised that readers of MOG should always book direct with the hotel for the best rates rather than via internet booking sites, and stated that they will not be beaten on price if you do book direct. Group discounts are available on a bespoke basis. The hotel can be contacted by calling 01562 777876 and their web site is www.brockencotehall.com and as Christmas is approaching, as a suggestion, the hotel has a link on their web site to a range of gifts that can be purchased, from Sparkling Winter Lunch or Afternoon Tea vouchers to exclusive overnight stays…something special and a little different to give this year. Merry Christmas from Christine and I to all our readers.