Tudor Farmhouse

Rooms

20 bedrooms are spread across the original 17th-century farmhouse and the outlying hay barn, cider house and cottage. They come in all shapes and sizes. Some have tall eaves, others are low and snug. Some have an ancient arrow-slit window or a high Velux; a few have no views. All share the same smart livery: natural fibre carpets, snow-white duvets, poultry-themed art, white walls with ancient beams or a breast of exposed stone.

Gorgeously refurbed bathrooms boast deluge showers and/or claw-footed tubs on pretty tiled floors or under-heated slates, plus fluffy robes and Bramley products to reinvigorate. Other thoughtful extras include hypoallergenic pillows, homemade shortbread and, for our son, complimentary binoculars with bird book.

We stayed in the Hen Family Room, which has a cosy but windowless bunk-bedded den attached to the double bedroom; they share a compact shower room and free-standing bathtub.

For couples, we loved The Loft, a spacious suite under a tall timber A-frame, with its own sitting area and a choice of clawfoot tub or walk-through wetroom. Reached by steep, wonky steps in the farmhouse, room 2 (Cockerel category) is another romantic option, with a handsome four-poster bed and deep-set windows.

But you don’t have to splash out. Entry-level Hatchling rooms are still a decent size (15-18 sq.m.), with a small but bright shower room. Larger rooms tend to have queen beds or zip-and-link king/twins.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Hairdryer
• Minibar
• WiFi

Eating

Dinner is one of the highlights at Tudor Farmhouse. There is a superb 20-mile menu, using local meats cooked to perfection and innovatively garnished. In winter you might get game terrine with pear chutney; then Welsh lamb shoulder with black cabbage and bronze fennel, or roasted Cotswold pigeon with Madeira sauce. My braised ox cheek was deliciously tender, falling apart along the fault lines, with juicy chanterelles and a dollop of sublime celeriac puree (not words I often use together).

There’s fish too, and a few vegetarian options, though it’s the meats which stand out. Do leave room for dessert - caramelised apples with spicy toffee cake (outstanding), or vanilla panna cotta with elderflower and anise hyssop (smooth and minty). If you’re celebrating something special, pre-book the 5-course tasting menu with wine flight - guests tell us it’s outstanding, and very fair value.

Breakfast is no less impressive, with a rich buffet (including tangy red berry compote, delicious almond-apricot jam, and 5 varieties of apple juice), supplemented by the full gamut of cooked options. Our smoked salmon came with scrambled eggs laid that morning by their own hens.

Features include:

• Bar
• Organic produce
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby
• Room service

Activities

• On your doorstep are Clearwell Caves, a mile of prettily lit caverns where iron ore and ochre have been mined since Roman times; seasonal events include illustrated stories, brass bands and Santa’s Grotto, or you can don overalls and headlamp to try caving in earnest
  
• Just beyond is Tolkien-esque Puzzlewood where ancient iron-ore clefts overgrown with moss and twisting yews have created a hidey-hole habitat for Hobbits
  
• 10 minutes’ drive west is the majestically meandering Wye Valley: canoe downstream, stopping for a meadowside picnic or swim (the hotel can help book kayak rental and return transport)
  
• Or hike a section of Offa’s Dyke , which runs almost past your door; there's great mountain-biking too
  
• The endless oaklands of the Forest of Dean lie to your east: budding Tarzans can zip and swing through the treetops at Go Ape, while lazy Janes can take a Forest Segway or lakeside amble
  
• Staff can book you a fantastic foraging tour with the eccentric but expert Raoul; or there are brewery visits, cheese-making tours, award-winning vineyards and a brilliant cookery school nearby

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Birdwatching
• Foraging
• Hiking
• Kayaking
• Mountain biking
• Plantlife / flora
• Wildlife

Kids

This is a great spot for outdoorsy families - with kid-friendly caves, forest adventures, cycle hire and river canoeing.

Best for:

Children (4-12 years), Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

The Hen Family Room has a cosy but windowless bunk-room attached to a double bedroom, sharing a compact shower room and free-standing bathtub. The Nest (Suite) has a separate sitting room with a double sofabed which can sleep 2 younger children or 1 older. A more spacious family option is the upstairs-downstairs pairing of rooms 22 and 23 - both can be double or twin-bedded - so long as your children feel comfortable in their own separate room. For couples with 1 child or baby, most Hen-category and bigger rooms can take 1 extra bed or cot.

Distances:

• Hospital: 6 miles (Lydney)
• Supermarkets: 6 miles (Lydney)

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Tudor Farmhouse is in the village of Clearwell, between the Forest of Dean and the Wye Valley, in Gloucestershire, England.

By Air:
Fly into Bristol (1 hour's drive), Cardiff (1 hr 15), Birmingham (1 hr 30) or London (2-3 hrs). Once you land, we'd recommend hiring a car. The nearest rail station is Lydney (10km).

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.

More on getting to the UK and getting around.