Homely heaven in Herefordshire

Redacre is posh. English-manners posh, in the style of Queen Anne. Yet it never stops being cosy. Maybe it’s the warmth of the furnishing, the log fires, the toasty Aga. Or maybe it’s just the fun you’ll have playing pool, or tennis, or piling into the hot tub. Head to Herefordshire and have a ball in a homely heaven.

Come home to Herefordshire

Redacre Hall stands tall and proud, absorbing the views of the rolling Herefordshire countryside and the Malvern hills. It’s a monument to good taste in the style of Queen Anne, a tribute in brick to good living, civility, manners and all the things that make England matter. It’s commanding, colossal, yet somehow cosy.

Maybe it’s the warmth of the soft furnishings, the homely touches, the way Redacre Hall looks lived-in. Maybe it’s the bookcase that’s bursting, the logs for the fire that come at no extra cost, or the Aga that keeps things toasty. Maybe it’s because you can bring your dogs. Or maybe it’s just all the fun you can have here on the Eastnor Castle Estate.

Get into the games room for pool. Pile into the six-person hot tub. Wine and dine al fresco out on the gravelled terrace. Kick a football around the giant lawn. Play your music on the Bluetooth. Catch a movie on the full-HD Smart TVs. Is there a tennis court? Of course there is.

All this is yours for the duration of your stay. Ultimately, whether you’re looking for friends-and-family fun, a staggeringly good stag do or hen heaven, Redacre Hall feels like home. That’s provided, of course, your home is a nine-bedroom, nine-bathroom baronial mansion in the rolling hills of the Welsh borders. Enjoy.

Gardens and grounds

This could be the most majestic garden of all. Redacre Hall seems set in a bowl, with the giddy peaks, beacons and ridges of the Malverns rising all around. From the back of the house, with its breeders, orchard, mature trees and lawns, it’s all yours to admire and explore.

On site, Redacre Hall pinches four acres of the grandeur, taming it and shaping it into terraces, lawns and landscaping. Kick a ball around on the lawn. Let the dogs loose. Play a little tennis. Raise a glass on the gravelled terrace. Sear some steaks in the sunshine. Head for the hot tub at day’s end and stare at the stars.

Living spacesLiving spacesLiving spacesLiving spaces

Living spaces

Redacre is the kind of late-Georgian house that should sport a smoking jacket, keep gun dogs and have its slippers monogrammed with its initials. It should wear corduroy and use wax to seal its handwritten letters. Make no mistake, this is the crisp white linen of country houses. So how come it feels so much like home?

Maybe it’s because Redacre Hall is awash with rugs, carpets, thick curtains and plush furnishings. There are logs to be lit. You can bring up to three dogs. And four reception rooms make life seem grand, yet easy. The large laundry room makes the perfect space for removing wet clothes and rubbing down wet dogs after a long walk. There’s a cloakroom too with boot room for muddy boots and hanging space for mucky coats.

Get together all you like for movies around the fire on the full-HD Smart TVs, or duck out and enjoy the space and silence. Raid the full bookcase and escape to the snug. Find the games room and lose a few hours to pool. Gather in the drawing room, put your phones down and play heads up. Or let the kids loose for a game of hide-and-seek that might never end.

Cooking and dining

Herefordshire’s overflowing with fine produce: soft fruit, apples, hops, cider and potatoes. Do them justice with the toasty four-oven Aga with the five-ring ceramic hob, electric oven and combination microwave oven. When you’re done, pile the pots into one of the two dishwashers and put a pod or two in the Nespresso.

If you’d prefer to be pampered, we can help. Call up our experts from Clive and Emma’s Distinctive Catering, Tracey Lipton, Emma Pushman or A2Zest Events for buffets, barbecues, pig roasts, big pan paellas, canapés, vegan or vegetarian. Eat in the dining room, where the table needs its own postcode, or out on the gravelled terrace in the sunshine.

Call out for a tempting takeaway to the Sitara Indian or Raduni, washed down with red or white from Hay Wines. Options abound for eating out. Hearty pubs around Ledbury include The Feathers, The Verzon, The Horseshoe Inn and the Talbot. Kids will love a trip to Ask Italian, Prezzo, Pizza Express or Zizzi’s. Anything with a double-z, in fact.

For more grown-up fare, try The Olive Tree or All’angelo for pasta and pizza, The Malvern Hills Hotel or The Cottage in the Wood for traditional British. Try some destination dining at Bib Gourmand-winning The Inn at Welland. Or maybe go all out at Lumiere in Cheltenham for a 3AA Rosette award-winning dining experience.