Review: Westbrook Court B&B, Herefordshire

As anyone will know who’s stayed in a B&B in the last five years, they’ve come a long way since the bedsit-style, chintz-festooned bedrooms and communal bathrooms complete with slimy sliver of Imperial Leather still to be found in the nineties and early noughties. And nowhere could the B&B’s transformation be more apparent than at Westbrook Court in Herefordshire, where five purpose-built chalets a short stumble from the main house have been individually designed and fitted out with the modern style maven in mind.

It was here that Family Nott spent a very agreeable weekend mini break in March, finding the perfect springboard to visit Britain’s wonderful town of books, Hay on Wye, which lies around seven minutes’ drive away. This delightful little town is a must-visit for any lover of books, literature, or simply pottering about taking in new sights.

Home to over 20 secondhand bookshops, not to mention the hugely popular Hay Festival (May 26-June 5 this year), Hay manages to feel relatively unspoilt by tourism, mixing chi-chi gift emporia (and those wonderful bookshops) with the sorts of shops locals actually need.

But back to Westbrook Court. Kari and Chris Morgan left London four years ago in search of a better work-life balance: and by golly, have they found it. The views to the back of the house, of Herefordshire’s gently undulating farmland, woodland and hills, are breathtaking. Meanwhile the house itself, a wisteria-clad 17th century farmhouse, has been painstakingly restored and updated to an envy-inducing level of elegance.

The guest experience is a bit special, too. During the week, a hamper is delivered to your door complete with croissants, yogurts, smoked salmon, boiled eggs, granola, juice and tea or coffee. At weekends, however, guests are invited to breakfast in the main house’s dining room – a whitewashed exposed beamed space with a single bespoke table that seats twelve.

Kari waxes lyrical about the provenance of the produce she cooks and serves – the butter, bread, honey, eggs, bacon, sausages, even the coffee and tea are produced by local companies. Supporting local businesses while also upping the green credentials are key for the Morgans, who also employed local builders and sourced local materials to restore the farmhouse and build the B&B’s rooms.

And what are those rooms like? Ours was a roomy, bright space with a high ceiling and stairs going up to a mezzanine bedroom. Children are welcomed at Westbrook Court, and cosy camp beds were installed on either side of our double bed. The look is minimalist Scandi chic, so nothing is there that hasn’t been carefully thought about – we loved the on-trend bookshelf wallpaper, breaking up the white and creating a homely nook for tea- and coffee-making.

Downstairs, there’s also a spacious bathroom with claw foot bath, walk-in shower and fluffy towels galore. Outside your own front door (a stable door, so you can open it halfway on sunny days), each room has its own decked patio with table and chairs so you can enjoy those dreamy hill views with wine glass in hand.

When it comes to eating out, Kari and Chris have plenty of suggestions – from cosy pubs to simple cafes via fine dining eateries, they know the local scene inside out. We plumped for tapas at Hay’s buzzing Tomatitos on Saturday night, and lunch at the café in Richard Booth’s incredible bookshop (it was Booth who got the whole ‘town of books’ idea going, and the bookshop that bears his name is a veritable literary labyrinth).

Kari and Chris are clearly living the dream at Westbrook Court – and for a day or longer, from £85 per night, you can have a little slice of that action too.

Westbrook Court Westbrook, near Hay on Wye. For more information visit www.westbrookcourtbandb.co.uk