Tucked into the rolling hills on the outskirts of the historic town of Ludlow, the Fishmore Hall Hotel and Spa is a true Shropshire gem. The white Georgian house has been lovingly restored and is surrounded by beautiful green views.
Ludlow is renowned for its welcoming community with multiple events held in the town throughout the year. This friendly nature is echoed by the staff at Fishmore Hall, with the warm greeting upon arrival making us feel instantly welcome. Entering the hotel through the rather stately main door, the large foyer holds true to its Georgian history. The property has just 15 bedrooms but each has been carefully and tastefully decorated to remain true to Fishmore's heritage, the bar and lounge each add to the ambiance and provide comfortable places to relax, serving drinks and refreshments all day.
Our twin room featured two comfortable beds pushed into the centre of the room and contained everything required for a comfortable nights stay, including two soft robes and slippers waiting in the wardrobe and fresh milk in the fridge – homemade cookies are available upon request from reception.
The hotel’s main attraction is the SPAShell and this touch of luxury was reflected in our own en-suite bathroom, with its large comfortable bath, powerful shower and selection of Elemis spa products.
The SPAShell makes all outdoor buildings look like run-of-the-mill garden sheds. The beautiful Scandinavian-style retreat is nestled in the garden and offers luscious views over the surrounding countryside. Although small, space has been carefully considered and the spa offers two private treatment rooms that can open out to allow for couples treatments. As well a bright seated atrium, guests can spend their time relaxing or take advantage of the high-end sauna and steam rooms. The facilities, however, do not stop once outside on the spa’s walls. A number of outdoor loungers overlook the neighbouring fields, while the hot tub is a refreshing and relaxing place to float away the hours.
The spa doubles up as a wonderfully relaxing aroma cave and offers guests a range of services from facials and massages to scrubs and manicures, most of which use ELEMIS products. In need of a full body restore, I opted for the Garden of England rose restore massage. Lead through to one of the treatment rooms my therapist talked me through the massage stage by stage, altering it to my needs before I was able to settle between the comfortably heated blankets and drift off into a relaxed meditative state.
This luxury continued into the evening as we headed down to the restaurant where head chef Joe Gould and his team treated us an outstanding nine-course tasting dining experience. Using locally sourced produce, each plate of food that arrived at our table was not only exquisitely presented, but was utterly divine to eat. Considering every plate and flavour combination carefully, each dish provided proof of the quality of produce that Shropshire has to offer, from melt away veal, succulent chicken and beautifully cooked beef to the intensity of the fresh vegetables that accompanied. The fish course – Cod with chickpeas, bacon and clams – had to be one of my favourite dishes but the lemon meringue pudding served with an aroma of rosemary, gin and tonic, was particularly special.
Fishmore Hall offers rooms on a Bed & Breakfast basis and the quality of food offered the previous night, continued the following morning with a marvellous breakfast spread of fresh fruits, yoghurt and pastries, alongside a selection of hot plates. The alterations I requested were carried out above and beyond and it was the wonderful service provided by the staff that made our stay at Fishmore Hall a real treat.
Although having to catch a train the following morning back to London, there was still time to once again relax in the Spa, in both the steam rooms and hot tub, however, with so many gorgeous walks, cycling rides and local towns to explore, it was a real shame to not spend more time in the area. A weekend here is one of fresh air, beautiful views and relaxation and I would certainly jump at the chance to stay again.
For more information and to book your stay, visit Fishmore Hall Hotel and Spa
About the Author / Gareth Hargreaves
Gareth looks after all editorial content on 50connect. He is the Swiss Army knife of content ideas and production.
