Rowley Manor Hotel

In my opinion, the safety problems here are serious enough that the place should be shut down. There's a loose electrical socket, extension leads on the floor, huge cracks in the bath panelling, rotting window frames, and very dirty, dilapidated rooms. The entrance is grotty, the gardens are a mess, the adjoining building looks ready to fall down, and it seems there hasn't been a refurbishment for decades. There was no service, so it hardly felt like a hotel. The owner was shabbily dressed and seemed unaware of how bad things were. Meals were overpriced, too. Absolutely shocking. It felt like the love child of Bates Motel and Fawlty Towers. Wow. Shocking for this day and age.

The sandwich was excellent value, with three thick slices of Yorkshire ham, and the homemade cake we took home was delicious. We came along this afternoon for an Easter Fare and got a lovely welcome from the new owners and staff. There's clearly a lot more updating to do, but you can see the love and energy going into the place, and I think it could become beautiful. We'll try a meal next time. See you soon, Di, Jane and Dolly the dachshund.

The adjacent church has a thousand years of history and is worth taking a moment to think about. We stopped overnight at the Manor, with dinner and breakfast included, and it felt a privilege to stay somewhere with so much history. The owners gave us a heartfelt welcome and the food was excellent. We could have paid twice as much for more modern amenities, but character has its own value. We wish Lou and Si great success building up the business.

They pretended to run ghost hunts and took £80 from us. When I challenged them and said I'd call the police, they blocked me on Facebook and took their page down. Stay away from this place.