Set in 38 acres of gardens and wooded parkland, fringing the banks of the River Weaver, Rookery Hall and Spa in Worleston near Nantwich enjoys complete tranquillity and the atmosphere of a bygone age.

The Hall can trace its history back to 1816 when it was known as The Rookery, Worleston. The home of the wealthy William Hilton Cook, it was subsequently owned by other rich landowners and members of the foreign aristocracy who added to the building in their own particular style until it became a hotel in 1979.

Starting its hotel life as a 12-bedroom luxury hotel, it has experienced constant growth in its facilities over the years and now boasts 70 bedrooms and an award-winning spa.

Drive up the winding wooded driveway, and when the first glimpse of Rookery Hall comes into view, you can feel that country house elegance. The front entrance looks across sweeping lawns to a small lake, while on the side of the hall there are views across timbered parkland to woods and meadows.

After parking the car in a pre-reserved space near the entrance, I couldn’t wait to begin my Rookery Hall experience. Check-in was leisurely. I loved the fact that guests sit at one of three oak desks in comfortable chairs – this gives a relaxed, leisurely feel from the very beginning of your stay and is an overture of what is to come.

After check-in, which was totally slick and seamless, a friendly and efficient member of staff escorted us to our room, one of two feature rooms in the hotel. Named January – very appropriate, as that was the month I met my partner many years ago – our room was located in the French chateau-style tower of the Old Hall and had large bay windows that overlooked the front garden and lake.

The room was light, and the warm colours of the period-appropriate décor and the contemporary and original features gave this room a special ambience and ultimate style.

The king-size bed was so comfortable I just had to enquire about the mattress and found out it was a Hypnos Lansdowne cashmere mattress – something I will be saving my pennies for in the future.

The seating area overlooked our view and had a soft, cushioned window seat, two very comfortable winged armchairs and a sizeable coffee table. The hospitality tray was superb and one of the best I have seen, with everything from miniature bottles of cocktails, biscuits, popcorn, savoury biscuits, crisps, chocolates, olives and even jelly beans, plus so much more, including a large fruit plate.

Tea and coffee-making facilities were hidden away in a large cupboard in the small hallway of our room along with other things like ironing boards, etc., and I loved the real tea cups on the tray.

This room was decadence unsurpassed and pure luxury in every way. It even had a complimentary drinks trolley. I learnt afterwards that this is very often used as the bridal suite – and I was not surprised, being the editor of a national glossy bridal magazine before moving back to the North.

The large bathroom had my favourite amenity, his-and-her sinks, which I so love, plus a separate double shower and a deep claw-footed bath and lighting that was perfect for applying makeup.
But we couldn’t linger too long and enjoy the amenities of our room, as we had a busy afternoon ahead.

I made my way to the spa which is situated in the old stable block. Awarded 5-star Bubble Spa status since 2008, this is the place for a relaxing experience. Swim in the large pool which sits under a glass roof and has a sauna, steam room and hydrotherapy spa pool.

This was a real oasis of calm before I indulged in a relaxing facial, which was sheer bliss, before spending time in the relaxation lounge.
In the meantime my partner had taken a walk round the grounds to relax after his long drive, and we met on the large terrace at the rear of the hotel.

What a wonderful space this is. It overlooks a large fountain and a lawn covered in flower borders. In the daytime it's wonderfully secluded, just the place for morning coffee, a light lunch, afternoon tea or a cheeky cocktail. But when darkness falls, it takes on a mantle all of its own with twinkling lights and is just the place to watch the sun go down or indulge in a late-night glass of fizz. This terrace has a really romantic vibe.

Soon it was time to descend the stunning oak staircase that says a lot about the history of the hotel, including stained glass windows and a large antique gong used in times gone by to summon guests to dinner.

We were eagerly looking forward to dinner in The Restaurant, which has a high reputation for its food and is popular not only with guests but also with the locals and ‘the Cheshire set’.

Under the leadership of Dion-Wyn Jones, Executive Head Chef at Rookery Hall, the restaurant has earned 3 AA Rosettes for its exceptional cuisine quality.

Dion has expertise and passion for modern British cuisine and a commitment to using the finest locally sourced seasonal ingredients. His menus reflect his love and use of British products.

He has an innovative approach to cooking and combines bold flavours and refined techniques, as we were about to find out.

Enter the highly polished mahogany-panelled restaurant, and it's like stepping back in time. The ceiling is a work of art and features a crest, coronets and a frieze of winged cherubs. A large mirror at one end of the room and large leaded light windows make the room very light and diffuse any darkness the mahogany panelling may cause.
Tables are well spaced, affording privacy, and loaded with sparkling glasses and highly polished cutlery.

Our dining experience started with an amuse-bouche – which means ‘gift from the kitchen’ and is a bite-sized complimentary hors d'oeuvre. The amuse-bouche was served with sourdough bread and Cholmondeley Estate Dairy cultured butter; so beautifully presented, they looked too good to eat.

The Amuse-Bouche

The amazing beetroot starter

When it came to starters, Dion’s expertise really shone. I opted for the beetroot. This was an imaginative presentation of a dish which included mustard seeds, gherkin, Ashlynn's whipped goat cheese and a herb emulsion. The taste was amazing – never did I imagine that the humble beetroot that my gran used to pick from her garden and pickle could taste like this!

My partner decided on the Scottish langoustine tart. Again, the fusion of ingredients made for a delicious amalgamation of tastes. The Jerusalem artichoke blended well with the tart, and the sea herbs added an extra subtle flavour.

For the main course there was only one choice for me: the Scottish halibut, my favourite fish. It is not often found on restaurant menus. It is a white-fleshed fish with a firm, meaty texture and has a delicate flavour.

The halibut was served with a mussel mousse and had a caviar sauce. A very large steak of halibut came with a generous portion of asparagus.

My partner opted for the Hardwick Lamb Loin served with carrot jam, sheep’s curd and a tangy mint jus. The lamb was tender and succulent and cooked exactly as requested.

We shared some side orders which were oceans away in taste, flavour and style from the usual ones. The Spring Greens were exceptionally tasty and flavoursome whilst we nearly came to blows about who would have the last remaining Rosti potato chips. Served with sour cream and chives, this made them even more appealing.

But it was the Tenderstem broccoli with the black garlic emulsion that still has my partner talking about it today. It was so crispy and had so much flavour.

Desserts were so mouthwatering it was hard to choose; my partner opted for the Medjool date pudding, pear whisky-iced parfait, and malt ice cream with an Estate Dairy toffee sauce. This was a real myriad of tastes which had been superbly blended together to bring out each individual flavour, and the bonus was you could really taste the whisky in the iced parfait.

My heaven on a plate was the banana cake, and having tasted this cake literally all over the world over the decades, I can say that Chef’s version was like no other. The caramel and pineapple added to the perfection of this dessert, as did the banana ice cream.

Our wonderful evening finished – guess where in the moonlight on the terrace, which was awash with twinkling lights that matched up to the stars above – a great place for an aperitif or two.

When we got back to our room, what a wonderful sight there was. I have experienced turn-down services in high-class hotels, villas and cruise ships over the decades, but this was amazing. It was like I had my own personal maid. As well as the usual change of towels and general tidying, my sweater was left on the armchair and jeans had been folded, my jacket hung up and my shoes placed neatly in a row, plus so much else. The turn-down fairy performed sheer magic.

But it's not only the turn-down fairy that performs magic – every member of staff you encounter during your stay – although it may sound like a cliché – has one aim in mind: to make your stay the very best. Nothing is too much trouble for them.

Next morning it was time for a quick walk around the grounds before experiencing the Rookery Hall breakfast – and what a feast it was, individually cooked with the finest of local products. But I could not leave without soaking up some of the atmosphere of Rookery Hall to take home with me, enjoying a morning coffee in the drawing room, which features original paintings and a marble fireplace.

But with our busy lives, soon it was time to say goodbye to Rookery Hall and head north after staying in what can only be described as Cheshire’s finest.


Rookery Hall Hotel and Spa, Main Road, Worleston, Nantwich. CW5 6DQ Tel: 01270 610016.
https://www.handpickedhotels.co.uk/rookeryhall