Walking a line between grand Victorian mansion and light contemporary, Hampton Manor reinvents the classic country house break. Warmly informal, in fact they have even picked up a Michelin award for their welcome, the hosting Hill family tell a story of artisan craft that links the past and the present. Tongue-in-cheek, the Hills lay down the house rules with admirable joie de vivre. Make yourself right at home. Ditch the stiff upper lip. Don’t act your age.

Solihull, Birmingham is the postal address but Hampton Manor, in the village of Hampton-in-Arden, rests in what was Shakespeare’s magical Forest of Arden. Those enchanted woodlands hosted Shakespeare’s version of the Rom-Com where weary urbanites escaped the city. Lovers, both young and old, flourished with new-found freedoms. This is A Midsummer Night’s Dream territory but with a sophisticated cocktail list, classy wine-list and impressive Wi-fi.
Not that Sir Robert Peel, creator of the police force and one-time Victorian Prime Minister, would have seen his plot of land as a venue for frivolous frolics. Even after Sir Robert had fallen from his horse and died, his son Frederick created an austere neo-gothic mansion of Victorian lines: think soaring arches, vaulted ceilings and superfluous porches.
Whatever the time of day, it seems there’s a morning-room light aesthetic to The Pantry. Which isn’t a pantry but a collage of big sofas, deep cylindrical lights, glossy coffee-table books and a fashionably retro record player. Guests flick through the LPs; Amy Winehouse and Fleetwood Mac are popular choices. Even the Wasted Gin narrates a chapter of the Hampton Manor story; in every room there’s a grinder and beans for guests to take time to create their own coffee and a hands-on experience. Then the husks are distilled into a sensuous gin with notes of Kuhlua.

Frederick Peel would approve of the grand meal, a five-course tasting menu, served in Peel’s restaurant for the second night of guests’ stay. Chef Rob Palmer’s principles of high quality local and seasonal sourcing  are emphasised by a first course of beetroot, Driftwood goats cheese, pear and sorrel.
For the third course, on our visit, there was a choice. Turbot decadently served with a champagne sauce, Jerusalem artichoke and leek – or – duck accompanied by herby slices of sausage and a rich brown sauce. It is a dilemma that will have guests returning.
Increasingly, the Hills will be looking to encourage their guests to head out into the 45 acres of their Foodie Estate. Already, Fjona produces an illustrated map of the grounds and local villages, protected by a waterproof lanyard, for exploratory rambles. A range of wellies waits by the front door. Every quarter a Journal is published on the latest news at the Manor. It all makes for a unique country escape.
Hampton Manor is more than a country escape, it is a contemporary take on a new Arts and Crafts movement, a plea for artisan care and craftsmanship in a world of characterless mass production. Looking both to the past and forward to the future, the Hill family are developing their own manifesto. As Frazer Hill says, “We take a long-term view knowing we need to help forge a different kind of future for our children.”