Milsoms

Roll up the drive to the ivy-swaddled manor that is Milsoms and prepare to be surprised. While all the hallmarks of this Victorian country house have been lovingly revived – from ornate floor tiles to arched windows and soothing views across landscaped gardens, the look and feel is bang up to the minute. Cue director Geraldine Milsom, who has infused the place with contemporary design, art and playful spirit.

In keeping with the intimate 15-room vibe of the house, the welcome is genuinely warm. The team are informative and attentive but never intrusive. Right at the heart of Milsoms is the all-day brasserie and bar.

Just a short hop away is the fetching village of Dedham itself, all pastels, pretty tea rooms and pubs on the proud banks of the River Stour. Here you can wander, paddle or cycle through the landscapes Romantic landscape painter John Constable committed so skilfully to canvas some 200 years ago.

Garden-facing rooms

Bringing together historic features and cutting-edge design without missing a beat, the high-ceilinged rooms are spacious and silent with calming garden views. Bespoke fabrics, plaids, modern chandeliers, oversized mirrors and lamps and framed charcoal sketches of birds and country animals lend interest to a muted palette of creams, caramels and blacks.

All of the little luxe touches that elevate a stay are here, from an espresso machine to make that first cup of morning coffee to a mini bar with complimentary soft drinks and luscious Jo Loves toiletries. The king-size beds are very comfortable and invite lie-ins, possible given that breakfast is until 10:30am.

Great outdoors

Shaded by a towering, 250-year-old sequoia, the immaculately kept gardens framing Milsoms are a joy to wander, with quiet nooks, attractive planting, a brick well and woodland walk. Should you wish to venture further, staff can arrange bikes and canoes for you to head deeper into the Dedham Vale AONB.

The village is a 20-minute toddle away through woods and meadows (wear solid shoes as it can get muddy). Constable loved Dedham and its water meadows, church steeples and stands of proud oaks are like a landscape painting come to life. Hugging the banks of the willow-lined River Stour, the four-mile, 2½  hour walk to Flatford Mill via Willy Lott’s House, which featured in Constable’s 1821 The Hay Wain, is a beauty.

Prefer to just relax? Milsoms sister hotel, Talbooth House & Spa is a 10-minute walk or minutes’ drive away. Book one of their luscious Elemis treatments, which range from pro-glow facials to lava shell massages, and you get access to the spa’s heated outdoor pool, fire-warmed lounge and deck with outdoor hot tub and infrared sauna. It’s particularly peaceful midweek.

Brasserie dining

There’s a great buzz in the split-level brasserie, which peeks out across the gardens and opens onto a sail-shaded, heated terrace for alfresco dining in summer. The mood is incredibly relaxed, with wood floors, cheek-by-jowl tables, framed Beatles album covers and charcoal sketches of swallows in flight hanging on the walls.

The menu puts creative spins on brasserie classics, with nods to world flavours. My salt-baked heritage beetroot salad with burrata, pickled walnut purée and caramelised walnuts was a refreshing prelude for a spot-on main of Goan prawn curry with pilau rice and coriander naan. Other signatures include duck tacos with mooli, cucumber, spring onion and hoisin sauce and Dedham Vale steaks cooked to perfection. Desserts have a seasonal touch, from peach melba pavlova with lemon balm to mille-feuille with local strawberries and Chantilly cream. A bottle of house red comes in at a modest £27.

If you prefer fine dining, a chauffeured car can drive you over to nearby Talbooth Restaurant, one of the highest regarded in Essex, delivering imaginative British food in a gorgeous timber-framed Tudor house on the banks of the River Stour.

Back at Milsoms, breakfast is a leisurely buffet, with fresh fruits, cereals, pastries, cured meats, sourdough bread and smoked salmon. And should you fancy a full English with Suffolk bacon and sausages or eggs Benedict before a bracing stomp in Dedham’s water meadows, just say the word.

The Details

Milsoms, Stratford Road, Dedham, Colchester, Essex, CO7 6HW, England.

Tel: +44 (0)1206 322795

Website: www.milsomhotels.com

Email: milsoms@milsomhotels.com

Dedham is around a two-hour drive from London. Turn off the M25 at Brentwood onto the A12. Continue on A12 towards Ipswich, bypassing Colchester. Take the left exit signposted Stratford St Mary, Dedham and Higham and turn right at bottom of hill to Dedham, go over the bridge and the hotel is approx. 300yds along on the right-hand side.

Frequent trains run from London Liverpool Street to Colchester, with a journey time of one hour. From Colchester, it’s a 20-minute taxi ride to Dedham. Manningtree is an alternative. If you drive an EV, there are four e-vehicle charging points on site.

Type of Hotel:  4-Star Country House Hotel

Number of Rooms: 15 rooms (classic, superior, deluxe and executive); Wi-Fi is complimentary.

Price Band: Medium. Classic double rooms start from £169 per night for two sharing including breakfast. Starters in the restaurant average at around £12, mains £25, desserts £10. A vegan menu is also available. Check the special offers page on the website for deals.

Insider Tip:  Families are warmly welcome, and children’s menus are available in the restaurant. The hotel is also dog friendly.

Fact Box: To book a spa treatment at nearby Talbooth, call +44 (0)1206 806102 or visit their website.

Milsoms has two event spaces for meetings and private dining: The Library, overlooking terraced gardens and seating up to 14, and Mr G’s, seating up to 24, with a kitchen and double doors opening onto a private garden.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10/10

Author Bio:

Kerry Walker is an award-winning travel writer and guidebook author.

Photographs courtesy of Milsom Hotels