The Vicarage Freehouse & Rooms

We treated ourselves to a DBB package in a suite in the historic section, and it was quite a treat. The room was huge and sumptuous, with every amenity, while the massive bathroom had a gorgeous roll-top bath and luxury shower. The food was good. The menu isn't huge, but they've stuck to what they do well, which deserves praise. I loved the industrial decor, it's current and top quality. Good location with masses of parking, and it would make a fab wedding venue. Thank you, Ian and team!

I only came for lunch, didn't stay at the hotel. The staff were fantastic and the food was excellent. The restaurant was clean, nicely laid out and very pleasant.

The building has a lot going for it, and the nut roast and vegetables were quite nice, but our Sunday lunch visit was let down by the service. We had booked, yet waited a long time and had to ask several times for most things. Getting tap water took three requests. We’re vegetarian and asked for the bacon to be left off the Caesar salad, which came with chicken. We said we didn’t want it, so one person in our group ended up having only soup. She requested butter when ordering, but it never arrived, and then waited five minutes for a spoon. The vegetarian roast was okay. The Yorkshire pudding and roast potatoes seemed as if they’d been cooked earlier and reheated. My partner found the beer undrinkable. He politely told the server, who thanked him and took it away, but didn’t offer another drink. It stayed on the bill, which we paid because we didn’t want to make a fuss. No one checked whether things were okay, though it must have been clear we were unhappy. We left without raising it because it was so hard to get anyone’s attention. We only ate here, we didn’t stay overnight. The venue could be really good, but the service needs work.

Such a beautiful place, and we were welcomed warmly by good staff. The meal was a letdown, though, especially at that price. The food felt pretty average for what we paid.