A slow weekend UK staycation at Combermere Abbey
This weekend was gifted by Combermere Abbey, Docket 33 and Wild Shropshire.
At the bottom of a winding drive that would rival that of Downton, nestles Combermere Abbey and her guest cottages.
The plan was to escape for a slow weekend in the countryside with my best friend Jess. Spending more time with my friends was on the vision board I created back in January and when Combermere asked me to come and stay, I knew it was the ideal opportunity for us to spend some quality time together.
Before you recoil at the thought of a staycation (I used to do the same), I’d urge you to consider the positives. No passport control, no need to check if you’re covered for insurance and no eye watering airport prices. A staycation is also a more sustainable way to travel. If you’re reading this as a potential UK visitor, I beg you not to spend your entire trip in London. The UK has so much more to offer.
Jess and I packed our cases, piled them into the car, called in at the shops for some snacks and headed out on our road trip.
Combermere Abbey sits between Cheshire and Shropshire and dates back to the 12th century when it began its life as a monastery. Since then it has enjoyed a rich history, having been dissolved by Henry Viii and acting as an evacuees girl’s school during the second world war. Many renovations later it is now a beautiful backdrop for weddings and holidays.
The UK has come a long way in terms of staycation possibilities. Gone are the tiny pools of grotty bnbs to choose from and here to stay are the refurbished luxurious options. When we arrived at cotton cottage our home for the weekend, we were asked to adopt 5 small steps during our stay for big impact.
1.Reduce, reuse, recycle by limiting purchases and separating our rubbish
2. Stay local, buy local, eat local, see local by walking and enjoying the history of the architecture
3.Reduce the carbon footprint by spending time on the estate and giving the car a holiday too
4. Chill out and switch off
5. Follow the countryside code
And so our staycation began.
Determined not to rush a second of our weekend, our hours were simple. The priority was to enjoy our weekend and relax. We lit a fire in the quintessential country living room, tucked into the hamper that had been left for us and settled into our cosy cottage. The kitchen was ideal for eating in providing you brought your own food as there were no restaurants or shops within walking distance. As part of our trip we were treated to two slow food experiences that I’d highly recommend for foodies.
Tucked away down a cobbled street, this cosy restaurant is flying the foodie flag in the north. Underneath warm cosy lighting you’ll enjoy the creations of a chef who clearly views food as art. The experience was a slow one which we enjoyed. Our seven course taster menu just kept coming but at a pace we could enjoy. We never felt rushed. I’ve recently made a switch to a vegan diet and Jess is dairy-free but this wasn’t a problem for the chef, Stuart. We both appreciated how the ingredients were explained in detail as each plate was put in front of us.
We left feeling, full, satisfied and inspired after chatting to Stuart about his approach to food. He told us how he’s made a conscious switch from a la carte to a taster menu to reduce waste. It’s always reassuring to know you’re supporting a business who’s values match your own.
Our second evening was spent in an old farm building where the chef, James created a taster menu to suit our vegan and dairy-free diets. When we pulled up and saw the windows glowing with candle light, we couldn’t wait to get inside. I loved that 99% of the ingredients were sourced from James’ family farm in Shropshire. Wild Shropshire is a restaurant passionate about food, zero waste and reducing carbon footprint where possible – James even makes his own miso so he doesn’t have to fly it in.
The atmosphere was cosy and intimate with an impressive seven courses. I loved how James took the time to speak to every table at some point in the evening and how the ingredients weren’t revealed until the end. The food was so creative and inventive there were times when I had no idea what I was eating. It made for a fun guessing game until all was revealed at the end.
When we weren’t sampling local taster menus we spent the weekend doing what best friends do best – enjoying each other’s company. We slept in, slumped on the comfy sofas and watched Enchanted, Cars 2 and Strictly come dancing. We read our books (Bad feminist and Becoming), spent hours talking, made lots of cups of tea, went for a walk in the woods and explored the grounds. Dogs were welcome in the cottage we stayed in but we left ours at home this time. Both of us thought Combermere would be great for dogs because of all the walking on the doorstep and how far away from the road it is.
It was one of those blissful weekends to remember.
Big thank you Combermere for gifting our weekend stay and to Docket 33 and Wild Shropshire for the gifted taster menus. If you’d like to find out more about this beautiful place and book your own getaway you can find out more on their website.
