I arrived in the village of Trumpet, after three and a half hours of driving in the rain, the sun came out and I rejoiced at the name of the village.
Verzon House is a beautiful Georgian residence, built as a farmhouse in 1777, it is an imposing three storey building with some attractive original details, such as the rams head cornicing, sash windows and shutters.
I was met at reception and shown to my room, the Bloody Turk. The room, although well appointed, was less characterful than I had imagined it would be from what I’d seen in the shared areas. The new owners are working on a full refurbishment and I am sure they’ll make the rooms much more individual and fun. Much of the communal space has been completed with beautiful style and colouring, and as I type the decking and outside spaces are being revamped, along with fantastic plans to update the bedrooms, put down new carpets and hang a magnificent french chandelier in the galleried entrance hall.
Within the room there was everything I needed – a large mirror, two chairs, a desk, stool, wardrobe, bed and a mini bar. All very clean and well presented. The bathroom was a good size; plenty of space, plenty of decent toiletries, plenty of soft white towels and two large bath robes.
Tea and coffee were provided in the room in the form of coffee grounds and three types of tea: Earl Grey, English Breakfast and Peppermint, along with sugar cubes and dinky homemade biscuits. I was delighted to find fresh milk in the mini bar (next to the gin).
My room was at the front of the building, and the double aspect windows allowed me to keep one eye on the beautiful countryside, and the other on my little car!
The desk was perfectly positioned to enjoy the views, however the wifi signal wasn’t strong enough for me to get on the internet. The owners are fixing that, and the connection was pretty speedy in the bar, so it all worked out fine!
The food at Verzon House is excellent, and I mean excellent. Almost all of their produce comes from within a 30 mile radius of the hotel, and it’s beautifully prepared and presented. I did a LOT of eating at Verzon House! You really should pop over here and have a look at the lovely food and dining room.
I think the bed may have been in the top 3 of the most comfortable beds I’ve slept in. It was firm enough for me to not sink into it, but soft enough for me not to feel bruised. The feather pillows, feather duvet and soft white bedding were perfect. Sadly I could hear every word spoken by the bellowing raucous women in the room next door and it was gone 1.30am when they stopped slamming about and calmed down. I think they were exceptionally loud and heavy footed. The thunderous footsteps of one raucous woman actually shook my bed! The fire door on the landing also disturbed my sleep. I think some foam stoppers for the door, and perhaps some thicker underlay for the floors, would make a huge difference. As would a shot gun. I’m tired.
After the raucous women woke me up, I listed to the birds singing outside my window, before going down for breakfast.
I used my new tactic of sweet then savoury to allow me to fully benefit from the breakfast experience, so after the little warm Pain au Chocolate I ordered Eggs Benedict. It was flavourful without being overpowering and the eggs were beautifully soft. I also enjoyed a glass of local apple juice and my tea came with unhomogenised milk! That won’t excite everyone, but my mum will be very pleased to hear that I found somewhere with milk that still has the cream on the top.
The raucous women left, and peace was restored. The hotel has a very calm and relaxed feeling. Its a place for fun, a place to enjoy good food and wine. There were other guests milling about, taking it easy, talking about their well-stocked and now depleted mini bars, sharing breakfast, laughing and chatting. It’s a lovely place and the team are working hard to make it even more lovely. They are obviously very proud of what Verzon House has to offer, and rightly so.
I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at Verzon House and really couldn’t have been more well looked after.
Verzon House Hotel is situated in the village of Trumpet, just outside Ledbury in Herefordshire.
The rate for a Superior Room (like the one I stayed in) is £120 per night including breakfast.
Thank you to the lovely team at Verzon House for the most lovely stay, and delicious food. Hoping to see you again soon!