3
Disabled Traveller takes a coffee break at Hotel
Although a very nice hotel, too many little things that concerned us prevented us offering higher marks, but it’s still a lovely building and area to go and visit.
(DO READ PART TWO AS WELL), for further details.
Our review is given as all our other reviews are, ( over 30 hotels reviewed) to encourage you to go and take a visit and see all the hotels we share with you, and all
of them are based on a short two hour or so visit, and enjoy refreshments with them
as you walk around and enjoy these various hotels. Of course, you can gain much information that may help you decide to take an overnight stay, and Some of the hotels are well worth doing just that, but our intention is to allow these hotels, as well as in this instance, Ellenborough Park hotel, to offer you their hospitality over a shared drink or two, while you enjoy the hotels for a short visit.
We will first of all start our review with a short history lesson of Ellenborough Park.
This 15th century English country estate, grade 11 listed Ellenborough Park hotel, is steeped in history, and lies in the Cotswold countryside, close to Cheltenham, and just a pleasant stroll of one and a half miles from the famous Cheltenham race course.
Thomas Goodman, a tenant farmer, seeing his former house falling into disrepair, began to construct a new home quite close to his old house, in 1485, and he transported the sandstone blocks with a horse and cart, block by block and as much material as he could muster.
Over the years, the house has been rebuilt, named as Southam house, and in 1520 it was sold to Sir John Huddlestone, and he completed building the house, and seeing his daughter marry a Kinnair de la Bere. The original front door, solid Oak, is still in use today, and it has a number of bullet holes still very much visible, and supposedly to have been fired by Oliver Cromwell.
In 1833 the first Earl of Ellenborough, bought the house, still known as Southam house, and work began to renovate many areas of the country house, or Manor.
Built in early Tudor style, the Great hall was built, along with other rooms, using Oak beams, stone fireplaces and stained glass, and additions were made in Gothic and Neo-Norman architectural style, and they used Cotswold Ashlar stone, a stone slate roof, and other Ashlar stacks were built, and now after 500 years it is still held in high regard by many.
In 1609, the Manor House was bought by Richard de la Bere.
During 1826 miss de la Bere lived in the house.
From 1906 Mrs Ratcliffe and daughters Lilian and Phyllis lived here, until 1927, and enjoyed a fulfilling life nursing wounded soldiers back to health, along with other interests.
By 1947, a private school for girls ran for 25 years until the school closed and was
sold to become the first hotel, de la Bere hotel, until that closed in 2008.
Ellenborough Park hotel then began another restoration in 2008, taking 3 years or more to complete. Then launched in 2011, and now owned by Shetlands hotels ltd, operated by Michaels and Taylor, the hotel management company.
But in 2017, further work commenced with an extensive refurbishment, which gained a new front entrance, but still using the old original door of 1485, and the two restaurants, The Horse Box, and the main Beaufort restaurant were given a complete makeover, and a reception area was then created.
The Horse box Brasserier serves lunch 12 till 2.30, with a reasonable menu, and afternoon tea 2.00 till 4.30, but you really need to take in afternoon tea in the main restaurant itself, 2.00 until 4.30, and receive that bit of pampering you deserve.
We arrived from the village of Ellenborough along the main lane towards Ellenborough Park hotel, and drove through a small walled entrance for the driveways into the park. You are then given a choice of directions, either left to follow the long driveway round the park areas, or as we did, to the right towards the obvious disabled parking bays. Bad choice.
(Photo 1) shows a delightful building as you approach, with a statue of a horse standing alongside the walled hotel. It is quite near to the famous Cheltenham race
course, and there is a path leading you for a pleasant mile and a half walk from the
front of the hotel to the race course.
There is a nice outside terrace area on the lawn (photo 2) and a few little round pods
that you can sit in as well as the tables and chairs. The drive continues round to the gatehouse (photo 3) with a beautiful backdrop. As you drive through, over to the left is an annexe with a few of the bedrooms. (Photo 4). Continue ahead through another walled gateway to the main part of the hotel. (Photo 5). Those pillars lead you to a small car parking area, with no disabled bays, which is opposite to the very attractive frontage of the hotel, (photo 6) and then there is a level pathway which leads into the reception, (photo 7) and the wooden door you go through is the original heavy Oak door, and on a cold winters day would be closed.
The reception area has certainly got character, but not inspiring, (photo 8) and from here you would be directed to the disabled parking bays, which we imagine would be close to your room.
(Photo 9) shows there are 11 disabled bays available, and there is a ramp, (photo 10) which only Adds to the confusion of finding the reception again. The signs seemed to lead you towards Woodland Court (photo 11) where we think the disabled rooms are. Access to the reception has a pull handle door (photo 12) but it is on the level, and you enter the passage. A very small lift (photo 13) is available, only just big enough for the wheelchair, then another little corridor leads you to the fitness centre and changing rooms (photo 14). A plain simple corridor leads you to the bedrooms (photo 15).
However, the actual way to the reception for disabled was to head back towards the gateway again, just follow (photo 16).
From the reception, you are led to the Horsebox restaurant (photo 17) if you would like lunch or a drink, not at all inspiring. To reach the bar and Cocktail lounge, there are two sets of steps to get down (photo 18) to a large pleasant looking bar (photo 19) and into the unattractive cafe looking cocktail lounge. (Photo 20).
Our final thoughts.
The exterior of the hotel is very pleasing and attractive to the eye, and welcoming.
For us, our visit was completely spoilt by the disaster of trying to find the reception from the disabled parking bays, with such a long walk following, and if it was raining it wouldn’t please you at all. And then to be shown into the Horsebox restaurant area was most off putting.
All in all, on this part one review of Ellenborough Park hotel, we would not recommend it to a disabled person, but do please read part two before making your mind over as regards visiting for a short coffee or lunch break.
Although a very nice hotel, too many little things that concerned us prevented us offering higher marks, but it’s still a lovely building and area to go and visit.
(DO READ PART TWO AS WELL), for further details.
Our review is given as all our other reviews are, ( over 30 hotels reviewed) to encourage you to go and take a visit and see all the hotels we share with you, and all
of them are based on a short two hour or so visit, and enjoy refreshments with them
as you walk around and enjoy these various hotels. Of course, you can gain much information that may help you decide to take an overnight stay, and Some of the hotels are well worth doing just that, but our intention is to allow these hotels, as well as in this instance, Ellenborough Park hotel, to offer you their hospitality over a shared drink or two, while you enjoy the hotels for a short visit.
We will first of all start our review with a short history lesson of Ellenborough Park.
This 15th century English country estate, grade 11 listed Ellenborough Park hotel, is steeped in history, and lies in the Cotswold countryside, close to Cheltenham, and just a pleasant stroll of one and a half miles from the famous Cheltenham race course.
Thomas Goodman, a tenant farmer, seeing his former house falling into disrepair, began to construct a new home quite close to his old house, in 1485, and he transported the sandstone blocks with a horse and cart, block by block and as much material as he could muster.
Over the years, the house has been rebuilt, named as Southam house, and in 1520 it was sold to Sir John Huddlestone, and he completed building the house, and seeing his daughter marry a Kinnair de la Bere. The original front door, solid Oak, is still in use today, and it has a number of bullet holes still very much visible, and supposedly to have been fired by Oliver Cromwell.
In 1833 the first Earl of Ellenborough, bought the house, still known as Southam house, and work began to renovate many areas of the country house, or Manor.
Built in early Tudor style, the Great hall was built, along with other rooms, using Oak beams, stone fireplaces and stained glass, and additions were made in Gothic and Neo-Norman architectural style, and they used Cotswold Ashlar stone, a stone slate roof, and other Ashlar stacks were built, and now after 500 years it is still held in high regard by many.
In 1609, the Manor House was bought by Richard de la Bere.
During 1826 miss de la Bere lived in the house.
From 1906 Mrs Ratcliffe and daughters Lilian and Phyllis lived here, until 1927, and enjoyed a fulfilling life nursing wounded soldiers back to health, along with other interests.
By 1947, a private school for girls ran for 25 years until the school closed and was
sold to become the first hotel, de la Bere hotel, until that closed in 2008.
Ellenborough Park hotel then began another restoration in 2008, taking 3 years or more to complete. Then launched in 2011, and now owned by Shetlands hotels ltd, operated by Michaels and Taylor, the hotel management company.
But in 2017, further work commenced with an extensive refurbishment, which gained a new front entrance, but still using the old original door of 1485, and the two restaurants, The Horse Box, and the main Beaufort restaurant were given a complete makeover, and a reception area was then created.
The Horse box Brasserier serves lunch 12 till 2.30, with a reasonable menu, and afternoon tea 2.00 till 4.30, but you really need to take in afternoon tea in the main restaurant itself, 2.00 until 4.30, and receive that bit of pampering you deserve.
We arrived from the village of Ellenborough along the main lane towards Ellenborough Park hotel, and drove through a small walled entrance for the driveways into the park. You are then given a choice of directions, either left to follow the long driveway round the park areas, or as we did, to the right towards the obvious disabled parking bays. Bad choice.
(Photo 1) shows a delightful building as you approach, with a statue of a horse standing alongside the walled hotel. It is quite near to the famous Cheltenham race
course, and there is a path leading you for a pleasant mile and a half walk from the
front of the hotel to the race course.
There is a nice outside terrace area on the lawn (photo 2) and a few little round pods
that you can sit in as well as the tables and chairs. The drive continues round to the gatehouse (photo 3) with a beautiful backdrop. As you drive through, over to the left is an annexe with a few of the bedrooms. (Photo 4). Continue ahead through another walled gateway to the main part of the hotel. (Photo 5). Those pillars lead you to a small car parking area, with no disabled bays, which is opposite to the very attractive frontage of the hotel, (photo 6) and then there is a level pathway which leads into the reception, (photo 7) and the wooden door you go through is the original heavy Oak door, and on a cold winters day would be closed.
The reception area has certainly got character, but not inspiring, (photo 8) and from here you would be directed to the disabled parking bays, which we imagine would be close to your room.
(Photo 9) shows there are 11 disabled bays available, and there is a ramp, (photo 10) which only Adds to the confusion of finding the reception again. The signs seemed to lead you towards Woodland Court (photo 11) where we think the disabled rooms are. Access to the reception has a pull handle door (photo 12) but it is on the level, and you enter the passage. A very small lift (photo 13) is available, only just big enough for the wheelchair, then another little corridor leads you to the fitness centre and changing rooms (photo 14). A plain simple corridor leads you to the bedrooms (photo 15).
However, the actual way to the reception for disabled was to head back towards the gateway again, just follow (photo 16).
From the reception, you are led to the Horsebox restaurant (photo 17) if you would like lunch or a drink, not at all inspiring. To reach the bar and Cocktail lounge, there are two sets of steps to get down (photo 18) to a large pleasant looking bar (photo 19) and into the unattractive cafe looking cocktail lounge. (Photo 20).
Our final thoughts.
The exterior of the hotel is very pleasing and attractive to the eye, and welcoming.
For us, our visit was completely spoilt by the disaster of trying to find the reception from the disabled parking bays, with such a long walk following, and if it was raining it wouldn’t please you at all. And then to be shown into the Horsebox restaurant area was most off putting.
All in all, on this part one review of Ellenborough Park hotel, we would not recommend it to a disabled person, but do please read part two before making your mind over as regards visiting for a short coffee or lunch break.
For additional detailed accessibility information, please contact: info@ellenboroughpark.com
