Dewsall Court, Hereford - travel review

Dewsall Court appeared like magic out of the gloom and fog. Rising before me as I went up the winding drive.

And the magic continued inside as I stepped into the mellow and welcoming house for a supper club and overnight stay in one of it's spacious bedrooms.

It is a beautiful building and while it may be a 'court' there is nothing stuffy or pretentious about it. Although relatively grand, it has a homely feel as soon as you walk through the door. Dewsall, just south of Hereford, is currently used as an exclusive use venue for private weekend parties, celebrations and weddings - in fact I can think of few more genuine venues to celebrate special occasions and especially weddings.

Dewsall is also now a venue for supper clubs where celebrity chefs cook a gourmet meal and you can also take advantage of staying for the night to make the evening even more enjoyable.

But let's take a look at the history of Dewsall.

The house was built in 1644 by Richard Pearle, who lived with his family at Dewsall for over 100 years. It was the birth place of the colourful 1st Duke of Chandos (1673 – 1744), who was stupendously rich and a great patron of the arts. He was a major patron of the composer Handel and the poet Alexander Pope who wrote a satirical poem about him. He also became Paymaster General but later in life, due to a very indulgent lifestyle, he lost all his money and went bankrupt.

This had a major impact on the fortunes of Dewsall Court. It was owned by Guys Hospital for over 300 years. As a result, one of the treasures of the house – a painting called The Judgement of Paris in the manner of Lely, which was mentioned by Pevsner – now hangs in the boardroom of Guy's Hospital in London.

It's said that important paintings from The National Gallery were stored at Dewsall for protection during the Second World War.

The house fell into disrepair and in the 1960s it was bought by Sir Charles Clore, who applied to have it demolished and actually removed the roof. Thankfully this was refused by the local authorities and Sir Charles Clore was told to put the roof back on – a tin one!

The next owner was the Prudential, though under their stewardship the house fell further into ruin and the only improvements were to the farmland. Local folklore says that the derelict Dewsall was used for the local SAS to practise on for the Iranian Embassy siege.

It was briefly owned by a couple who allegedly bought it by candlelight and planned to turn it into a field study centre but this never came to fruition. This sad period of neglect was about to come to a happy ending.

The Robinson family – Joe, Jane, Samantha and Joseph – bought the derelict house in 1989 and spent a decade restoring it from an uninhabitable house into a lovely family home. The very limited details from the estate agent highlighted on the beautiful sunsets over the Black Mountains because very little could be said about the dilapidated house itself at the time. They were right – the sunsets are spectacular! The Robinsons were the first family to own and live in the house since the reign of Queen Anne.

Dewsall was a very happy family home, where Samantha and Joseph grew up with dogs, cats, ponies and chickens – and legendary parties, which set the tone for what was to come in the future. Sadly in 2007 Joe died and in 2009 the family decided to move out and make the house into the exclusive use venue it is today.

"We loved growing up here and now it is good to see it being used for these special events," explained Samantha, who runs the business with mother Jane, as we enjoyed a pre-dinner drink before a roaring open fire.

The present day Dewsall Court is very much a family concern and that in no small way contributes to its magic.

Celebrity chef on my visit was former Masterchef winner Ping Coombes who created a Malaysian evening reflecting her background.

After checking into my room, spacious with an equally spacious bathroom and so calm and peaceful, we started with a Malaysian inspired cocktail followed by a sumptuous eating experience.

Chargrilled Chicken, Crispy Duck Egg, Kohlrabi and Apple Slaw with Proper Peanut Sauce set tastebuds alight to begin followed by a stunning dish of Malaysian Mutton Curry, Turmeric Rice, Chargrilled Spring Onions, Pickled shallots and green chillies. Next to clear our palate was Lychee and Kaffir Lime Pop and to finish a rich Gooey Chocolate Brownie, Banana Spring Rolls and Peanut Butter.

Ping was no secret chef in the kitchen as she mixed with guests and explained each of the courses to the guests - several of whom are regular visitors to the supper club.

You can select wine from the cellar or opt for a pairing. The pairing on my night, chosen by Champagne house Pol Roger, was perfect starting with Robert Sinsky Abraxas vin de terroir 2013, then Joseph Drouhin Laforet Bourgogne Rouge 2014, Pol Roger Rich Champagne and ending with a Tokaji Aszu 2000. There is also a 'bar' in the library but not one you might imagine. This is like being out for dinner at a friend's house – albeit it a rather large one!