Overview

This is a delightful hotel worth an afternoon visit, with beautiful grounds, two duck ponds, canalside restaurant, history, and cannot be beaten on a warm sunny summer day. HOWEVER, IT IS NOT WHEELCHAIR FRIENDLY. Sadly, we found it very difficult to get around, to many steps, slopes to fight, narrow doorways, and we must say, nearly all the staff were not interested in helping, so it was very disappointing for us, but at the same time, we still enjoy visiting this hotel as often as we can, it’s become a favourite afternoon visit over the years, SO DO NOT LET THIS PUT YOU OFF, it’s a delightful hotel in its own right, and we would encourage you to go and enjoy a visit here. You will notice that we have offered you three reviews, it is a nice place, so reading will help you make up your mind as to visiting. On this part one, we show you the hotel itself, and a little about its history. First of all, as you drive along country lanes bounded by farmland and open fields. and through Acton Trussell, the modern well kept houses welcome you after your short drive (having more than likely just come off the M6) you pass by many lovely modern homes with well kept gardens. The village of Acton, (Saxon name Actone, Ac the name for Oak, and Ton meaning settlement) is mentioned in the Doomsday book, and the village of that time, 1086, had just 18 holdings, with the Tenant-in-chief of the manor being the Bishop of Chester. Then a record of the 1300’s shows a John Trussell living in the Manor, and in 1320 timber framing has been discovered on a small mound of the property, and this manor remained in the family line until the 1500 hundreds. Driving through the village you quickly arrive at the small sign and driveway for the Moathouse, which you first see overlooking a lake and well kept grounds. For the disabled, it is best to drive immediately to the right on a driveway, and head for the old house and park up alongside the entrance for the hotel which has four disabled bays (photo 1). Ahead stands the delightful looking 14th century Manor (photo 2) but you will need to walk past the main door to reach the path and a ramp to help you get into the hotel (3) you can see the ramp on (photo 4) Then it’s in through a pull handle door and up to a large wooden reception desk. (5). Opposite is a lovely sitting area (6) which was very comfortable and pleasant area to sit (7) while my husband took a few photos of the hotel. A wide passage led towards toilets (8) with disabled in the centre (9) which was spacious, very clean and simply tiled in light colours (10) with grab rails and pull cord. Further passages showed the way towards the bar and restaurant (photo 11) passing a delightful and cosy looking lounge (12 and 13) and other corridors led to bedrooms (14). Now the annoying bit, after guiding his wheelchair along corridors, and bends to reach the bar, you are faced with steps, that no wheelchair user can get up, and had to come all the way back to reception desk, to go out of the entrance, down the ramp, along and uphill to the far end of the hotel buildings before struggling in through a pull handled doorway to get into the passage (photo 15) then pull handle doors again (16) which was very difficult to manage on his own, and had to get up out of chair, no staff willing to come and help, before checking out the bar (17) and a warming well lit fireplace (18) but now faced with having to come back all the way through corridors with pull handle doors, our to the pathway and ramps, up into the hotel entrance, struggle to use pull handle doors before getting back to reception desk to let me know we would have to do that walk again if we wanted a drink. It would have perhaps been easier if staff helped a bit more, but for most of our day we were ignored, and it’s because of the difficulty of getting around, and receiving very little help, that we would suggest you thinking carefully about making use of the hotel, and that’s a shame, because able bodied visitors would really like this place, it’s very popular.

Transport & Parking

Driving to hotel was a pleasure (well, after getting off M6) the village of Acton Trussell is very nice, and exciting to get first view of hotel. There are disabled parking bays available right by hotel entrance.

Access

That’s right, one star only, to get into hotel was difficult, you cannot get to bar or restaurant without facing steps, and it’s a long haul down ramps, up sloping driveway, round and through difficult pull handle doorways to get to bar area for hot or cold drinks, difficult ride again to get out so that you can go and enjoy looking over the delightful gardens and duck ponds. Very disappointing as it’s a lovely inn.

Toilets

There was a disabled toilet by reception and that was easy enough, very clean, nicely tiled, pull handles, and enough space to turn around in there. Toilet in the bar area was just ladies and gents and a lot smaller.

Staff

Out of all the more than one hundred reviews we have offered you, this was the least friendly or helpful place we have yet visited, no one seemed to be bothered, well not until we were going, but we were payed no attention at all, no advice offered to warn us of the difficulty disabled people are going to face as we moved around the hotel and grounds. The effort really hurt my husband, it was very difficult a ride, a bit easier when we both went together for drinks, but even that was not done without lots of grumbling, so as we stated, THIS IS NOT WHEELCHAIR FRIENDLY.

Photos