As an Essex girl through and through, I’ve always known neighbouring Bishop's Stortford and its surrounding hamlets to be the holy grail of country living. It makes total sense, then, that Down Hall Hotel - an estate with over 1,000 years of history - is tucked away in such a postcard-perfect setting. (If you visit, you’ll drive through Hatfield Heath, which has a distinct air of Hot Fuzz’s fictional village, ‘Sandford’).
I was thrilled to stay somewhere so close to where I grew up, especially one that famously hosted two seasons of The Great British Bake Off during the pandemic. Its history is just as captivating if you don't enjoy people baking cakes under pressure in tents: before becoming a luxury hotel in 1986, it served as a WWI hospital and later operated as a private girls' boarding school from 1932 to 1967.
The estate patio room (pictured).
DesignMyNight's Review Of Down Hall Hotel In Essex
Need to know:
- Address: Matching Road, Hatfield Heath, Bishop's Stortford CM22 7AS
- Area: Essex
- Transport: the nearest station is Sawbridgeworth, followed by Bishop’s Stortford. It’s easier to get a taxi from the latter, though I’d recommend driving if you’re able, by taking the M11 out of London.
Ambience & We Think Perfect For
- Atmosphere: to the left of reception, I spied a help-yourself iced tea station - an immediate sign that we were in for a wonderful stay. The building itself is grand and sprawling, with winding, carpeted corridors that lead past wedding suites, the Eden Spa, and stunning chandeliers straight out of a period drama. Far removed from any main roads, the gentle hum of traffic was replaced by live music, warm chatter, laughter, and the occasional friendly bark.
- Perfect for: a quintessentially British countryside retreat for two.
Service & Price
- Service: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Value for Money: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Cost: Room around £401 for one night for two and a puppy
Bruno's Bow package (pictured left), and breakfast on the lawn (right).
Room Quality & Comfort
Room: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
We stayed in an estate patio room, one of 98 elegant bedrooms, featuring a tall, custom-made headboard, Osborne & Little wallpaper, coral-coloured walls, and French doors that granted direct access to the patio. This was perfect for our puppy who was staying with us, and was equally as spoilt with a harness kit from Bruno Bows to sport dashingly around the grounds.
The decor was charming and elegant - what you’d expect from such a grand building. We stayed in the middle of the third heatwave, so the room was equipped with a fan, which admittedly did not do what the cool marble flooring in the bathroom could for my peaking internal body temperature.
Elderflower Collins and a sparkling wine (pictured left) and a Caesar salad (right).
Dining Highlights
We dined on the terrace for ‘Live On The Lawn’, a summer series where you’re treated to live music from a vocalist while you dig into classic dishes.
Food: ⭐⭐⭐
- Lemon and herb king prawns (£16.50) - admittedly, the prawns were a bit underwhelming. I’d hoped for them to be plumper, pinker, and more tender. While the sauce was pleasant, it lacked the depth of flavour that would make me want to mop it up with the lightly toasted sourdough.
- Chicken Caesar salad (£23) - I loved the perfectly golden, slightly runny eggs and the punchy, salty kick from the parmesan crisps. My only wish was for a few more of those crisps and a slightly more generous douse of dressing.
- Creamy mushrooms linguine (£28) - hearty and packed with umami, this dish did not skimp on the mushrooms - there really were a lot. The pasta had a great al dente bite to it, and the optional addition of chicken made it a thoroughly enjoyable main.
- Down Hall pavlova (£13.50) - the desserts were a true highlight. The pavlova was a snowy mountain of crisp meringue, its sweetness beautifully balanced by the zesty sourness of rhubarb from the estate’s kitchen garden. Paired with fresh strawberries and Chantilly cream, it was the ultimate British summertime finish.
- 70% Guanaja chocolate ganache (£13) - a glossy, indulgent bean-shaped scoop of ganache that melted in the mouth. Served alongside coffee ice cream on an earthy sesame crumb, it delivered a welcome little caffeine kick to wrap up the meal.
Drinks: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Elderflower Collins (£16) - a floral, gin-forward concoction featuring botanicals from the Down Hall garden, perfectly suited to the setting. It was a light, bright combination of lemon and elderflower that made for a delightful pre-dinner drink.
- Silver Reign, Brut, Kent (£12.25) - an English sparkling wine from Kent, bursting with crisp green apple, citrus, and subtle toasted brioche notes. Light, effervescent, and delightfully refreshing, it offered a sophisticated local alternative to Champagne.
The chocolate ganache (pictured left) and the pavlova (right).
Breakfast: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Breakfast was a buffet lover's dream. With no à la carte menu, everything was served help-yourself style, which could have been dangerous had my impulse control been any weaker, or had a nap been on the schedule instead of a long drive.
We tucked into rich scrambled eggs, toast, roasted tomatoes, smoked salmon - you name it. The lemon and poppy seed muffins looked immensely tempting, though I ultimately settled on some French yoghurt to satisfy my sweet craving.
Our Overall Experience At Down Hall Hotel Essex
DesignMyNight Review Out Of 5: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I had a lovely, revitalising time at Down Hall Hotel. The service was particularly of note, with staff providing a bedtime routine check where they get your room ready for the evening for when you return from dinner. And they clearly adored dogs there, with a tennis ball being keenly spared to keep our puppy entertained while we listened to a Michael Buble rendition, tucking into our mains. For an Essex girl returning home, it proved to be an utterly charming weekend retreat well worth the trip.
