vividventures

Location:

The Coach and Horses is a delightful AA five star country inn located in the picturesque village of Bolton-by-Bowland in the Ribble Valley.  This scenic part of east Lancashire is centred around the prosperous market town of Clitheroe six miles away and is easily accessible from the M6 motorway with Lancaster being 18 miles to the north and Preston 17 miles to the south west.

Arrival and check-in: 

It was early afternoon when we arrived at the handsome stone built former coaching inn that takes pride of place overlooking the village green.  With a good sized car park to the rear we had no trouble finding a space and as we were early, left our luggage in the car as we weren’t expecting our room to be ready quite so soon.

The entrance hall leads off to a cosy bar on one side with the restaurant to the other.  There isn’t an actual reception desk but this wasn’t a problem as a member of staff was working behind the bar and expecting us.  Ramune was very welcoming and after checking with housekeeping, let us know that our room was ready so we popped back to the car to collect our bags.

She then accompanied us up to our room on the first floor offering to help with our luggage.  Each of the rooms have pretty names rather than boring numbers and our room, Rose was located at the end of a short corridor smartly appointed with grey walls, a green tartan carpet and Vanity Fair sketches lining the walls.

The Room:

Rose was an absolute dream of a room with its high exposed beamed ceiling, two original fireplaces and an extremely comfortable king size bed with huge padded bedhead and feather filled cushions.  It was so peaceful that we slept soundly without waking until 8.00 a.m. coming to life with the sounds of birds chirping outdoors.

The spacious room boasted three windows, one overlooking the village green with the others to the side of the inn and all dressed with beautiful thick velvet curtains.

A single step across the width of the room divided the sleeping area from the stunning bathroom with its magnificent copper slipper bath and a huge walk-in shower with electronic push-button controls.

With my favourite Molton Brown toiletries, fluffy bathrobes, thick towels, hairdryer and curling tongs, I wondered just how many baths I could fit into my stay.

A side table housed a Segafredo coffee machine and a kettle with a selection of quality teas and coffee and a little note informing us that jugs of fresh milk were available from the bar when needed.

Little touches make all the difference to our stay and rather than finding a small packet of biscuits, Hob Nobs baked in the hotel’s kitchen had been placed in a glass jar with a recipe card to take home inspiring us to make a batch ourselves.

The inn has seven rooms all different but equally beautiful, and along with Rose there is Henry, Pheasant, Feather, Mouse, Blue and Swallow.  I managed to get a sneak peek into Mouse which has a mezzanine floor ideal for families with a double bed in the main room.  I also caught a glimpse of Henry which was also gorgeous with a statement freestanding bath and separate shower.

Dining:

There’s something for everyone at the Coach & Horses with bar snacks and sandwiches available throughout the day served in both the bar and beer garden, a lunchtime restaurant menu and an extremely popular Sunday lunch.

The restaurant is attractively furnished with oak tables of differing shapes and sizes surrounded by chairs and wooden settles.  Hunting pictures adorn the walls and there’s a window through to the kitchen to observe the cooking process.

During the evenings the restaurant offers an à la carte menu and on Friday and Saturday an additional tasting menu.  It’s unusual to find a tasting menu on offer in a country inn as I’ve previously only experienced them in top restaurants, some having Michelin stars.  The six course tasting menu can be accompanied with an optional wine flight as Head Chef Ian Moss works closely with a local wine supplier in Clitheroe when creating his seasonal menus.

Opting for the tasting menu, a tray of appetising snacks arrived first comprising chicken liver parfait cones, smoked trout served on rice crackers and caramelised onion cheese custards.  These not only looked stunning but tasted sensational too with the flavours and textures complementing each other beautifully.  Next, we enjoyed wild garlic and old Winchester set custard with a spring vegetable salad followed by a fish course of chalk stream trout with delicious Jersey royal potatoes.  As each each course was brought out, either our server Ramune or Head Chef Ian took time to talk us through the dishes which added to the overall experience.

After a little break we moved onto mains of beef tenderloin with wild mushrooms and then rounded off our meal with two desserts.  The first, a strawberry and white chocolate cheesecake followed by an almond and raisin chocolate mousse with a crème fraiche sorbet.

The meal exceeded our expectations, was beautifully plated, well balanced, with perfectly sized portions and most importantly tasted delicious.

Breakfasts always taste best when you don’t have to make them yourself and our traditional cooked breakfasts were superb, setting us up for the day ahead.

The Facilities:

There’s a cosy bar with oak tables, leather chairs and a roaring log fire.  We both enjoyed glasses of Goldie, their golden ale which hit the spot nicely and is only available in-house.  The inn has its own on-site micro brewery with glass viewing windows from the lower section of the restaurant.  Known as the Four Mice Brewery, they brew Goldie and their own lager for their own use with English hops and Bolton-by-Bowland well water.

Dogs are welcome in both the pub and two of the bedrooms, making the Coach & Horses the ideal choice for walkers visiting the Ribble Valley.  We counted no fewer than four during our stay, all on their best behaviour and enjoying their outing.  Wi-Fi worked well throughout the inn and only needed to be connected to once but with such convivial surroundings we didn’t use it much.

The inn has a delightful beer garden to the rear with comfortable rattan seating, and tables.  It must surely be an ideal spot to relax with a pint and a bar snack on a warm, sunny day.  Around one edge of the garden are herb planters grown in readiness for the chefs to pick and use in their dishes.

The Coach & Horses is part of the Ribble Valley’s Walks With Taste initiative with printed leaflets of pub walks from numerous local hostelries.  We popped on our walking boots and followed the three mile walk which starts and finishes at the inn.  Leaflets include step by step instructions and an ordnance survey map of the route to avoid getting lost.

The walk took us across fields, over stiles and through a bluebell wood, all the time enjoying the outdoors and local countryside.

Out and About: 

Here are my suggestions of some of the lovely things to see and do whilst staying at the inn.

Clitheroe

Visit Clitheroe, a prosperous market town with a bustling high street lined with small independent shops and cafes that include include Cowman’s Famous Sausage Shop and D.Byrne’s wine merchants.  Call into Holmes Mill, a former textiles mill transformed into a food hall, deli, beer hall and Everyman Cinema.

Explore Clitheroe Castle which stands on an elevated position overlooking the town.  This medieval fortress has dominated Clitheroe for more than 800 years and now contains a museum which is located over two floors.  The museum has numerous interactive exhibits, a recreated office and a Victorian kitchen containing its original cast iron range and laundry.

It’s worth taking the time to walk up the flight of steps to the viewing terrace for some far reaching views towards Pendle Hill and onto Castle Street directly below.  It’s free to explore the castle ruins with standard admission to the museum £5.40. Clitheroe Castle Museum.

Browsholme Hall

Explore this Grade I listed historic house set within the Forest of Bowland.  It’s approached by a sweeping driveway and surrounded by extensive gardens and parkland.  The house was built in 1507 by Edmund Parker and has been occupied continuously by 16 generations of the same family.  One hour guided tours of the house £10.  Browsholme Hall

Forest of Bowland 

Explore the Forest of Bowland, an idyllic part of north east Lancashire covering 212 sq. miles.  Its deep valleys and peat moorland are an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Put on your walking boots for a hike or rent an e-bike and let the bike take the strain up the steep hills.  Ribble Valley E-Bikes are based in Dunsop Bridge, a picture perfect village famous for being the geographical centre of the United Kingdom.  It’s also home to the gorgeous Puddleducks Tea Room, a great spot for a well earned drink and slice of cake. Ribble Valley E-Bikes

Other ideas include spending time at the Bowland Wild Boar Park, walking up Pendle Hill and exploring the pretty villages of Downham, Waddington and Hurst Green, the latter being home to the famous Catholic boarding school, Stonyhurst College.

Overall:

I’ve stayed in numerous country inns recently all of which have been superb but the Coach and Horses raises the bar with its stunning rooms which wouldn’t look out of place in a top five star hotel.  Our tasting menu was a gastronomic delight and excellent value at £65.  I doubt it will be long before more accolades are coming to Ian Moss and his kitchen staff.

With a small, hardworking front of house team who are all genuinely welcoming and friendly, guests are ensured a perfect stay.  The inn’s philosophy is ‘great food, great wine and great service’ and they manage to pull it off brilliantly.

Details: Coach and Horses, Main Street, Bolton by Bowland, Lancashire, BB7 4NW.

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