The Tawny STAFFORDSHIRE Rural Staffordshire welcomes a cleverly conceived ‘deconstructed hotel’ spread across the verdant gardens of the 70-acre Consall Hall Estate. Words: Matt Turner • Photography: © James Andrew
T
he site of a former colliery is perhaps the last place
Another 21 timber pods are also available exclusively to
you would expect to find some 70 acres of beautifully
guests of popular wedding venue Foxhill Barns, which sits
landscaped gardens, but that is what the former owner
at a discreet distance from the main hotel.
of Consall Hall Estate, William Podmore, created over a fifty-
“We have been inspired to create a collection of bold
year labour of love to transform the grounds surrounding his
eco-conscious structures with sleek, expressive interiors,
family home. Under Podmore’s stewardship, the mining pits
against a backdrop of stunning natural beauty,” explains
and slag heaps were replaced with a quirky and eclectic mix
Managing Director William Scott-Moncrieff. As a result, each
of secluded gardens, woodland walks, semi-ruined follies,
guestroom is influenced by its surroundings, sympathetically
lily ponds and lakes.
designed by co-owner Sarah Reeves with luxurious touches
Now under new ownership, the estate plays host to
that intertwine with the natural environment. The Shepherds
The Tawny, a cleverly conceived ‘deconstructed hotel’ in
Huts are cosy and welcoming with Scandinavian-style
the heart of rural Staffordshire. New owners – locals Fran
interiors, eco-friendly wool-insulated walls, log burners and
and William Scott-Moncrieff, and Ben and Sarah Reeves
stargazing skylights. Private decking areas accommodate
– embarked on a joint venture in 2018, working with CTD
outdoor tin baths for the single units, whilst a handful of
Architects to provide an economically viable and sustainable
double-brace huts allow the addition of a spacious living area
future for the gardens.
and indoor freestanding bathtub.
Today, that stunning landscape is the backdrop to a variety
The Lookout Lodges meanwhile take an elevated position,
of standalone accommodations including Shepherds Huts,
with floor-to-ceiling windows maximising the views
Treehouses, Boathouses, Retreats and Lookout Lodges, all
across the lakes and valley of the estate. Features include
overlooked by The Plumicorn – an imposing double-vaulted
freestanding baths in the main bedroom, outdoor hot tubs
Corten-steel structure that houses the main restaurant and
and al fresco showers sheltered from other guests with
bar. A smaller reception annexe is housed in the original
rough-hewn, crenelated timber.
manor house.
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The Treehouses also command imposing views over the
At the time of Sleeper’s visit there were 20 rooms
gardens, their lofty interiors exhibiting a natural, rustic feel,
completed and construction underway on a further 14 cedar-
while the Boathouses offer a more romantic and secluded
clad hillside Retreat cabins on the eastern side of the site.
waterfront location overlooking the lakes to the south of
