Simon Wittenberg heads to the luxurious four-star country house hotel for a two-night summer weekend getaway in Nelson’s County.
Overview
The luxury Dunston Hall Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort sits just south of Norwich in Norfolk, on the A140 arterial road, which provides a near-direct link with the historic city. Today, Dunston Hall along with its 150 acres of grounds, belongs to the QHotels Collection, after the group acquired the former De Vere-branded estate in 2014. The company has subsequently invested more than £2 million, upgrading the rooms and leisure facilities, amongst other areas.
On arrival at this magnificent location, guests are greeted by a long sweeping driveway that winds its way past the beautifully kept 18-hole, 6,275-yard, USGA-rated layout golf course. They are then welcomed with a central stone fountain that graces the front of the spectacular red brick Manor House—the main attraction of Dunston Hall Hotel.
Housing a plethora of ornate chimneys amongst its pitched roofs, the Manor House is an Elizabethan-style Grade II listed property where construction started in 1859 – the same year that Charles Darwin’s The Origin of Species was published for the first time, before being completed nearly 20 years later in 1878. Changing hands over the years, Dunston Hall has since been expanded over time to host a number of function rooms, along with 169 ensuite bedrooms and a sizeable pool and spa.
Rest and Relaxation
There are four different “Houses” hosting the accommodation, with three that sprawl outwards from the main “Manor House”. As such, it’s a bit of a maze finding your room, but a plus point is, is that reception fortunately equips you with a handy fold-out map and clear directions to help you navigate your way through the myriad of corridors.
We stayed on the ground floor of Chessell House – one of the newest parts of the hotel, which takes its name from architect John Chessell Buckler, who was responsible for penning the design of Dunston Hall at the request of Robert Kellett Longe nearly 200 years ago.
Visiting with a small child, our allocated sleeping quarters was a spacious Superior Family Room (costing around £350 per night), and being on the lowest floor, we had access to a small terrace with a table and chairs overlooking a well-kept raised lawn area – the perfect location for little ones to stretch their legs, and to enjoy a snack and the complementary beverages from the minibar on a warm summer’s day.
The room was well-appointed, with two large beds dressed in crisp white linen, plenty of comfy seating, a writing desk, and some tasteful artwork. The ensuite bathroom offered both a bath and shower and came furnished with nicely fragranced Prija dispensers of shower gel and soaps. Being away from the main part of the hotel, it was relatively quiet, except for some murmurs from a nearby wedding party and a musical event on the nights that we stayed.
Food and Drink
As well as “The Tea Snug” and the “Bunkers Bar”, which we didn’t have the opportunity to sample during our visit, the main eatery on site is the circa 200-seater “Brasserie” overlooking the pristine grounds at the rear of the Manor House.
Delivering friendly and attentive service throughout, this establishment serves British-style cuisine and has a good amount of choice on the main à la carte, with very reasonable prices and some of the usual favourites on offer, such as steak and burgers.
For my entrée, I tried the Burrata and Heirloom tomato salad (£10.50), where the soft and creamy cheese, decorated with a dash of balsamic glaze, was perched on a bed of rocket and pesto for an added touch of flavour, alongside the tomato quarters. My wife decided on the truffled mushroom tartare (£10.50), which was more of a nutty pâté than what is essentially described as marinated raw mushroom. It sat on a slice of sourdough bread with pickled onions to add a bit more substance to what was quite a small dish.
Serenaded by the sounds of a live pianist, I tucked into a generous portion of penne pasta, topped with melted mozzarella and a subtle tomato sauce, plus a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese (£14.50). My other half similarly enjoyed the roasted duck confit salad (£19.50) – a nicely prepared serving of meat carefully balanced on orzo pasta and finished with sundried tomato and a tangy pomegranate and beetroot dressing. The little one had his appetite appeased with a kids’ meal in the form of raw vegetables and a pot of hummus, followed by a small plate of fish and chips (those under four eat for free).
Skipping the starter the second evening, I opted for the baked fillet of sea bass (£23) covered with a helping of samphire – a salty marine vegetable. Served alongside some herb gnocchi, a large portion of chopped leaks, and Bearnaise sauce as a vegetarian substitute for the regular saffron cream and mussel jus, this dish was a little bland and underwhelming, meaning it was not as enticing as what we had sampled the night before.
My wife went back to all things veggie, and tried the parsnip wellington (£22.50), which consisted of a baked crispy puff pastry casing encompassing a nicely concocted curried interior, with kale and mash forming the other principal ingredients. With the mains, there are various sides on offer, but the portions are of a good size, so were not really needed. For those with some room left, there is a separate dessert menu, listing the likes of crème brûlée and a cheese board.
Accompanied by a scenic sunrise, the breakfast buffet back in the Brasserie is more than adequate, and there is an additional menu of hot and cold options, such as porridge and a cheese plate, to supplement the many delicacies on display.
The buffet takes in the likes of the essential ingredients of a cooked breakfast, as well as a plethora of different pastries, cereals, yoghurt, a range of fruit, and toast-your-own sliced sourdough bread to start your day with a full stomach.
The trick here is to go down to breakfast early if you can, as this venue can fill up quickly if there are large wedding parties staying, like we experienced.
Swim and Spa
There’s a good-sized 15-metre pool at the health club, where you can put in some short lengths, plus there’s a Jacuzzi for those who enjoy relaxing amongst the bubbles. For guests who merely want to sit back, there’s a decent menu of spa treatments, with the renowned Elemis product range being front and centre, and my wife indulged in a couple of these during our stay.
The first was the “Wellbeing Massage” (costing from £94), where the therapist tailored the experience to her individual preferences, and she certainly felt a positive difference as the skilled therapist worked her way down the shoulders, back and legs, before proceeding with a head massage, where she used carefully selected oils to reduce stress and aid with sleep.
The second treatment was a pedicure (costing from £40). The session started with my wife’s feet soaking in a warm foot spa. She then chose the colour of the nail polish from the extensive range available, which spanned from subtle pinks to bright and glittery, meaning there was something to suit all tastes and occasions.
The foot massage, which included a gentle nail file and buff and the removal of dead skin, rounded off another memorable experience in the calming confines of the Dunston Hall spa.
In summary…
Dunston Hall Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort is well-situated to explore some of the popular attractions of the scenic county of Norfolk. Plus, with plenty of amenities on-site, you can also just focus on enjoying what this QHotels property has to offer and have a relaxing time away from the daily grind, whether it’s a weekend escape or celebrating a special occasion with others in stunning surroundings.
Dunston Hall Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort – Where and How?
Dunston Hall Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort is located on Ipswich Road, Norwich, Norfolk NR14 8PQ, United Kingdom.
For more information or to make a reservation, visit www.dunstonhallhotel.co.uk.
See the Luxurious Magazine Instagram page for highlights of our stay.
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