NIGHT AT HAWKSTONE HALL & GARDENS

The other weekend before all this horrible virus and negative times, I made my way to Hawkstone Hall and Gardens which is only 30 minutes away from my home. Hawkstone Hall is a 43,400 square feet early 18th-century country mansion near Hodnet, Shropshire, England which was more recently occupied as the pastoral centre of a religious organisation for many years. It is a Grade I listed building.

As soon as we arrived we were instantly blown away by the building. The building is stunning, despite it being dark it still was a sight to be seen. Once we arrived we were greeted by a butler who helped us to the entrance of building. Once inside it was instantly breathe taking. Hawkstone Hall & Gardens offers the perfect combination of character, charm, natural beauty, and heritage; perfect for weekend special occasions or weekday getaways.

Once we checked in we were then taken up to our room. We stayed in the “Shelley” Suite, situated on the first floor. As soon as we walked into the room we were blown away by how stunning it was. The blue deco and stunning white bathroom really completed the room and made it into a more luxury hotel room. We genuinely didn’t feel like we were in a hotel room, but at home. We instantly felt so relaxed and ready to have a relaxing evening of wining and dining.

NOW let’s discuss the yummy food I got to eat while at Hawkstone! While there we were kindly gifted our three course meal and our breakfasts the following day! The main dining room called the “Saloon Restaurant” was honestly stunning, I looked like I was day dreaming as my eyes couldn’t stop staring at the walls and the beautiful art that surrounded me as I ate.

So for starters I opted for the “TEA SMOKED DUCK
SHROPSHIRE DUCK, BEETROOT, ARTICHOKE, PISTACHIO, PORT STARANISE REDUCTION” I love duck, it’s one of my favourite meats, I’d say it holds the solid 2nd place in my line up. And this duck was honestly amazing. Not to mention the presentation of the plate made it even more enjoyable. Then moving on to mains…”60 DAY DRY AGED SHROPSHIRE BEEF FILLET
OX-CHEEK SOURDOUGH SANDWICH, CARROT FLAVOURS, SEAWEED PUREE” I opted for the Beef as I was craving a warm meaty meal as it was very cold and windy. This really ticked the boxes, it was like a posh mini Sunday dinner but with a lot of class. Then finally the dessert, favourite part of a meal out of course? “RICE PUDDING
LEMONGRASS, ORANGE FLAVOURS, ORANGE DOUGHNUT” Was really looking forward to this as I hoped it would be a proper homemade rice pudding, sadly it wasn’t and wasn’t as nice as I hoped. However the donut was everything I needed and more. Over all for the food I’d rate the saloon a 8/10 amazing food I just wish I had more!

I wish I could of had two nights or even a week at Hawkstone as I honestly just fell in love with the whole building. Within the room, we had a walk in shower, a huge bath tub which god I wish I could have enjoyed. A mini bar which wasn’t so mini but medium with the larger than mini bottles. Another feature that made Hawkstone that little more extra and more catering to the guests, was that there was a pantry on the 2nd floor. So just above our room we were able to go up and go into the pantry and take snacks, and drinks to go and enjoy in our room. So of course after dinner, and a little walk of the building exploring we headed up there for a midnight snack.

The next morning we woke up to the most beautiful view of the Shropshire hills, despite the rain and dull sky it was still a beaut sight to be seen on a Sunday morning. we made ourselves a coffee from the coffee machine provided before exploring the amazing shower, I’ve decided I need that shower when I move out.

Once we’d woken up and gotten dressed we headed down to breakfast. we were starving and honestly could ate a horse so a full English was just what we needed. We walked into the Saloon restaurant once more and was greeted by a lovely lady who we had been speaking to the night before about the history of the building. She was such a delight and so helpful while we was there. we took our seats as we was then asked to pick from the menu of what cooked item’s we’d like. Along with a cooked breakfast there was also a range of self serve options such a cereal, toast, fruit and yogurt.

We both opted for the full English, sadly again I wish there was more! as it all tasted amazing there just wasn’t enough! I also opted for some fruit and yogurt to tide me over. Once stuffed and another coffee in we made our way back to our room, for one last chill before we headed down to walk the gardens, sadly the weather wasn’t great so it was a brief walk, but I know I need to head back in the summer to explore them once more. Despite the damp surroundings it still looked beautiful.

So what’s my over all review of my stay at Hawkstone Hall & Gardens? Well…I bloody loved it. It was a night away to relax and I instantly felt at ease while there. The whole place was stunning and I felt like I was in a dream. The only thing that could have made it better was a hammock the gardens to fully relax. My favourite place to get a hammock from is Hammock Giant and Tropilex! they have such an amazing range for every style you could want! I especially love the one with a stand perfect to move around the garden!

The food was amazing however I just needed more to fully satisfy me. While the venue is mainly known for hosting weddings and afternoon tea, I’d highly recommend it for just a weekend away with the partner, or a girls weekend away for pure relaxation. I’ll definitely be going back to Hawkstone Hall in the future may it be for a weekend away or hey event book my wedding there!