WALLETT'S COURT COUNTRY HOUSE

Hospitable country hotel and spa near Dover's white cliffs

HERE'S THE PERFECT OVERNIGHT ROOST en route to Le Continent – though it’s a shame not to dawdle at Wallett’s Court, a characterful 17th century Kentish manor house just three miles from Dover. Saved from near-dereliction 30 years ago by the Oakley family, it has been nurtured back to life in some style, and now offers a warm and welcoming base in the Kentish countryside.

Time has seemingly left Wallett’s Court behind and what a blessing that is. The rolling  farmland surrounding the hotel is blissfully calm despite its proximity to Dover’s to-ing and fro-ing ferries. The house is mentioned in the Domesday book and many historic figures have stayed here, including William Pitt.

Baronial hearths, carved wood, exposed brickwork and wall paintings add to the sense of history, while gardens giving way to seven acres of rolling fields pile on the charm. Bedrooms come in an array of sizes and styles – choose one that’s richly four-postered in the main house, or cool and contemporary in the newer wings.

Channel hopping

As Channel hoppers looking to start off our continental jaunt in style, we rather wished we had arrived for a lazy long weekend rather than  simply a night’s stay. The crackle of a wood fire  from a cosy inglenook fireplace greeted us in the hallway, and we collapsed into a plump leather sofa with an aperitif.

Dining in the oak-beamed restaurant, with its tapestried chairs and cosy lamps, is a must. So is leaving the diet behind. This is dining worth waiting for, and we tucked into sea bass in an almond crust, the most mouth-watering Aberdeen Angus beef we’d tasted with Jenga chips, a devilish Valrhona chocolate fondant and mounds of cheese.

Seasonal menus major on what’s good and what’s local. We could have plumped for caramelised Rye Bay scallops, roasted Deal cod, Kentish partridge, Sussex venison, Romney Marsh lamb or delicious Dover sole.  Menus change daily and much of what was on our plate had been locally sourced – mostly from in the hotel’s own kitchen garden.

After an ace dinner we resisted the temptation to kick back by the fireside with another tipple, and wandered in the cool of the evening through the beautifully kept  English garden, where statues are hidden between the trees.

With cooking this good, there’s all the more reason for a workout in the gym or a set of tennis next morning. You can revitalise in the spa, with its Romanesque pool, steam room and pampering treatments, go jogging, or play boules. We splashed around in the hydrotherapy pool and melted gently in the steam room before contemplating a bracing walk along the cliffs.

There are two kinds of room at Wallett’s Court. Traditionalists will love the olde-worlde vibe of  rooms in the house, while we loved our more contemporary suite above the spa. With floor to ceiling windows with a view out over courtyard and countryside, exposed beams, a wrought iron bed, plush purple velvet sofa and deliciously deep free-standing bath it was hard to tear ourselves away.

You’re in White Cliffs country here, so make time for clifftop walks and an idle day on the beach. Leeds Castle and Canterbury are also within easy reach. Walk along the chalky white cliffs, head to St Margaret’s Bay to watch the sun rise or set, loaf about in the spa or book a treatment in one of the treatment cabins in the grounds. Nothing’s-too-much-trouble staff are the icing on the cake.


Wallett’s Court Hotel was reviewed for Room for Romance by Laura Barnhouse

Click on any picture to enlarge it and move through the gallery.

Dining in
The restaurant at Wallett’s Court is the beating heart of the hotel. Restaurateur Gavin Oakley and head chef Steve Harvey aim to bring you great British cuisine using both local and seasonal ingredients. Tuck into chargrilled fillet of  Speyside Aberdeen angus, Rye Bay scallops and wild rabbit medallions. Finish off with a strawberry sable served with clotted cream.

Dining out
If you fancy eating in the sea breeze, head to the beach at St Margaret’s Bay where The Coastguard will provide you with a fine portion of traditional English fish and chips.

See & Do
White Cliffs Country has a legacy of castles, historic monuments and interesting places to visit. Dover Castle is splendidly situated on the cliffs above the sea, the nearby seaside town of Deal is worth a visit and a few miles inland is the cathedral city of Canterbury.

Spa
Energise and relax in the sauna, steam room and hydrotherapy pool. Enjoy a deluxe therma stone massage or multi-vitamin power treatment in your own cabin in the woods. Afterwards dip into the indoor swimming pool, feel the force of the counter-current swim trainer and hydrotherapy jet or invigorate with a gym session.

Shop
The superstores of Calais are only 20 miles away, so why not jump on a ferry to stock up on wine and cheese?

Play
Evenings are a time for delicious meals, skinny-dipping (if you’re brave) and listening to the owls. Take your pick!

Dates
August
Get down to St Margaret’s Bay over the August Bank Holiday for a fun-filled day at the seaside.

GETTING THERE

Location
St Margaret's Bay, Dover, Kent CT15 6EW

Parking
There is free guest parking

Trains
Dover Priory station – three miles

Taxis
GBP 8 from the station.

Airport
London Gatwick – 70 miles.

ESSENTIAL INFO

Rates guide
GBP 130 - 250

Open/closed
Closed over Christmas

Check-in
2pm

Check-out
11am

Minimum night stay?
Two nights at weekends.

Breakfast
Breakfast is served until 10am. Treats include chef Steve Harvey’s Omelette Arnold Bennett, a chargrilled fillet of Aberdeen Angus beef with a fried egg. For something lighter try the scrambled eggs with oak-smoked Hebridean salmon and chives.

Room service
Available from 7am.

Children
Welcome

Pets
No

Air conditioning
No

Languages
English

Wedding license?
No

Your contact
Ian Wells – general manager