Review: We stayed at Ravenwood Hall, in Rougham, near Bury St Edmunds, for dinner, bed and breakfast

What was once a hunting lodge for King Henry VIII set the scene for my night away at a country retreat just outside Bury St Edmunds.

Now under new ownership, Ravenwood Hall, in Rougham, has been sympathetically redecorated and there are even bigger plans to enhance it, including adding 11 lodges.

The stunning building dates to Tudor times and is set in picturesque grounds featuring a tree that is said to pre-date the hall, at 700 years old.

Having only visited Ravenwood previously for weddings and never overnight, I was interested to see what a stay at this venue, a stone’s throw from my home, could offer.

My husband and I were booked in last Friday for dinner, bed and breakfast in a superior double room – ‘the oak room’.

First impressions as we entered the hotel via the lounge were of a grand and comfortable setting, steeped in its long history.

We received a warm welcome from the staff and were shown to our bedroom, a dual-aspect room complete with four-poster bed.

The smell of fresh paint still lingered, but the slanting floor and character of the room nodded to its age.

A hamper of edible treats was a lovely welcome gift to enjoy as we got ready for our evening.

We settled in the lounge for drinks while we perused the dinner menu (we picked from the à la carte menu, but there was also a more reasonably-priced specials menu).

I chose a chargrilled asparagus and grilled goats cheese starter and slow braised lamb shank for main, while my husband opted for pork and chicken liver pate followed by chargrilled 8oz beef sirloin.

The food was excellent and we couldn’t fault it. The sirloin steak was perfectly medium rare, as ordered, and the sweetness of the red cabbage complemented the lamb perfectly.

This all went down with a bottle of Italian red, recommended by manager Samy, who looked after us attentively.

We finished our meal with tiramisu cheesecake with chocolate ice cream and honeycomb, and steamed homemade spotted dick with brandy custard.

The dessert portions weren’t too big as to overload us and – along with a glass of dessert wine – finished off the meal nicely.

Dinner was a triumph and I hope more people book to enjoy the food. I don’t know who the chef was, but compliments to them.

With a building with such an expansive history, those in tune with ‘the other side’ might expect there to be a lingering presence from the past, but we were assured there had never been any ghostly sightings in our room.

In fact, it was the temperature of the room, apart from anything else, that hampered our sleep (we only realised in the morning you could open the windows).

An early walk, after rising to the call of Cheddar the cockerel and the dawn chorus, took us around the grounds and through the car park to Blackthorpe Barn.

Spotting pairs of hares running through the woods was magical.

Soon we were more than ready for food and sat down to enjoy a traditional cooked breakfast, which came with smoked bacon, Suffolk pork sausage, mushroom, tomato, Bury black pudding, baked beans and a fried egg.

There is a toaster to do your own and also a table laid out with a continental buffet including cereal and fruit.

This impressive room looks like it has hardly changed (minus the mod cons) since the time of King Henry VIII and I could imagine him standing at the fireplace after a successful hunting trip.

What a special building, and I’m excited to see owner Brian Keane’s vision for it come to life.

It has such potential to be a real family destination and not just for weddings, but for the community to frequent for a meal or a drink.

There is also a pool – which wasn’t open during our visit – making the outdoor area particularly attractive during the summer months.

The foundations are certainly there for Ravenwood to be taken to the next level.