Callow Hall is set in the shelter of its own woodland facing a gentle stream and, beyond that, looks over the Dove Valley, where Izaak Walton himself used to fish. Callow Hall is also that rare and special thing.
This is a hotel you would come to for the food alone. The chef trained at the Lygon Arms (Country Life, March 24 2005). We feasted on mussels, quail and duck, and home-made prune and cognac ice cream (the serving supervised by Miss Spencer). The style of food is certainly modern English, with an emphasis on local game and home-cured meats, but imaginative-everything felt just right.
This is a small, 16-bedroom hotel of a type to be especially treasured when travelling the more peaceful corners of Britain.
