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SUFFOLKHINTLESHAM HALL
For those of us who live in London, a 75-mile trundle along the A12 is all we need to bring us to the tall wrought iron gates in the middle of the village of Hintlesham. Wafting down the long drive towards the Georgian façade of a handsome country house is exactly the sort of exercise my elderly Rolls-Royce enjoys. And so does her driver. And although we are here but a few miles from Ipswich, Hintlesham Hall at once imparts a sense of peace and seclusion. Probably its 175 acres help – plus the splendid building.
I have mentioned its 18th century front. But walk around the back and then explore the interior and you will find work of earlier times – with enough Tudor, Elizabethan and Stuart to satisfy the most demanding architectural historian. It could be a muddle, but – in its setting of lawns and trees and hedges – it somehow manages to achieve a delicious harmony: the quintessential English house. No surprise, then, that a stay in one of its 29 rooms is a very English experience. One or two of these rooms are modest in size, but mine was a ‘large principal double’. And when the folks here say ‘large’, they mean large.
I estimated Zoffany (all the apartments at Hintlesham have names) at 20 feet by 20 feet. This, of course, was the bed-sitting room. There was also a proper hallway, off which were the dressing area, the bathroom and the separate loo. The colour scheme was entirely to my liking: yellow (for the wallpaper and curtains), turquoise (for the sofa and the stripes on the curtains) and fawn (for the carpet). Good pieces of Georgian mahogany furniture – like the highly polished secretaire chest of drawers – and excellent lighting – from a combination of spotlights and table lamps – imparted an atmosphere of comfort and luxury. And I loved the pieces of porcelain and the various nick-nacks, which made me feel so at home. Clearly, a lot of thought has gone into this accommodation.
Zoffany is on the first floor of the converted stable-block, so – from my four windows – I had good views of the gardens and of various sporty souls making their way to the spa and to the golf course. My thoughts turn more naturally to dining rooms and cellars. And Hintlesham is a fine place for both. I passed a most pleasant afternoon in one of the public sitting rooms (which are both numerous and inviting), with a pot of Earl Grey and several slices of rich fruit cake, pouring over the wine list. It is worth some attention, for its prices are friendly, its tasting notes are intelligent and its scope is wide. Good to see 60 half-bottles and a dozen wines offered by the glass. And I was impressed to find some of the best super-Tuscans – like 1998 Tignanello (£65) and 1999 Sassicaia (£96) – and some very tempting clarets from highly rated vintages: 1983 Mouton Rothschild (£195), 1983 Haut Brion (£170), 1985 Pavie (£77) and 1988 Palmer (£108). Of the bottles I tried myself, I must recommend a Spanish red with a lovely, hot, earthy nose and lots of cassis in the mouth (Valdepenas Gran Reserva, Pata-Negra, 1995) – a snip at £21.
I dined in the larger of the two dining rooms, the Saloon. With its high ceiling, large well-spaced tables and Corinthian columns, this is an impressive setting for chef Alan Ford’s food. And well-cooked and well-presented food it is. Poached asparagus with a light herb butter sauce, roast loin of lamb with tapenade, braised shin of veal with a tomato and basil broth, mango and white wine parfait with baked pineapple, poached peaches with a lemon balm infused savarin – I enjoyed them all. Yet my finest dish was prompted by the invitation on the menu card to ask for any of the mentioned ingredients to be cooked simply. I requested fried foie gras with seared scallops. The kitchen executed this superbly. To eat this combination of tender, luscious tastes and textures was a joy. Although, because of the expensive liver and shellfish, it attracts a supplement, you should not leave Hintlesham without trying it.
Service in the restaurant (as throughout the hotel) was friendly and polished. When I left the table for a moment, my napkin was replaced. This was a good sign – as was the request to switch off mobile telephones in the hotel’s public areas. For these evidences of good taste (and many others) we must thank Tim Sunderland, the charming and long-serving manager. Another significant contribution to my own comfort and well-being was the absence of a breakfast buffet. As I perused the paper, to my table was brought good coffee, excellent mushrooms on toast with bacon and a plate of juicy pineapple, mango and melon. Delicious.
Thus fortified on the day of my leaving, I wandered out for some fresh air. And what should be just arriving? Nothing other than an immaculate example of the most beautiful motor car ever made – the 1950s Bentley R-type Continental ‘fastback’. I looked from it to my own 1963 Silver Cloud. Beautiful machines in a beautiful setting. No doubt about it – Hintlesham Hall had left my fancy well and truly tickled. | ||
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© Francis Bown 2003
Hintlesham Hall really takes my fancy. Some hotels have such a heart-warming combination of a glorious building, a beautiful setting, a convenient location and a superbly judged style of accommodation and hospitality that they immediately become almost like old friends. I make bold to predict that, if you follow my example and spend a few nights at this marvellous place, you too will look on Hintlesham Hall as an old friend.