On Wednesday night I booked a stay at The Old Nurseries Stathern, it is just a few minutes away from where my best friend lives in Granby so was perfect for an overnight stay for me!
Deb and Mike run The Old Nurseries and it is located in a small picturesque village in Leicestershire but is also close to both the Nottingham and Derbyshire border making it perfect for those working within those areas.
Driving down to find it I have the must country experience I could imagine when I had to stop to allow the cows to cross the road! Not something we see everyday where I live. I also found out a fun fact about these specific cows :
For cheese to use the name “Stilton”, it must be made in one of the three counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire and use pasteurised local milk.
By September 2016, just six dairies were licensed to make Stilton – three in Leicestershire, two in Nottinghamshire, and one in Derbyshire[11] – each being subject to regular audit by an independent inspection agency accredited to European Standard EN 45011. Four of the licensed dairies are based in the Vale of Belvoir, which straddles the Nottinghamshire/Leicestershire/Lincolnshire borders. This area is commonly seen as the heartland of Stilton production, with dairies located in the town of Melton Mowbray and the villages of Colston Bassett, Cropwell Bishop, Long Clawson and Saxelbye. Another Leicestershire dairy was in the grounds of Quenby Hall near the village of Hungarton, outside the generally accepted boundaries of the Vale of Belvoir. Quenby Hall restarted Stilton production in a new dairy in August 2005 (the old dairy dated back to the 18th century) but the business folded in 2011.[12] Information from Wikipedia
Every days a school day! And if you love Stilton do check out some of the local farm shops in the area
The Old Nurseries Rooms
I booked a double room as it was just me for the night and the room was beautiful. Decorated in grey tones with a subtle foxy theme running throughout and a large TV on the wall.
When you enter the room there is a small table which overlooks the courtyard, with a folder bursting with useful information to ensure you make the most of your stay (and the all important Wifi password of course!) including local places to grab some food, walking routes and even taxi numbers. There is a kettle, everything you need to make yourself tea and coffee (including some peppermint tea, my favourite!) a bottle of water and lastly Deb also leaves you some of her homemade baked goodies, today was fruit topped flapjack which was delicious.
The bathroom was stocked with Shampoo and Shower gel in wall dispensers along with hand soap, fresh towels and a bath mat. There was even a small sewing kit for those little emergency fixes. The room is heated with underfloor heating which was cosy.
The bed was super comfy and I had a great nights sleep. It was absolutely silent in the area which made a pleasant change from having the traffic whizzing past as we often get in chain hotels.
The double room is located on the ground floor but they also have a Family room available which sleeps 4 on the upper floor.
Parking is available right outside The Old Nurseries and more round the back if needed or if you are travelling by Train there are several stations around 20 minutes away.
It is also a popular stop over for those with Weddings or events at the nearby Belvoir Castle (Which was used for the Windsor castle scenes in Season 3 of The Crown!) and also for those brave souls who are taking up Sky Diving which is done over at Skydiving Langar or for those who are seeking a more peaceful retreat there are plenty of local walking or cycling routes to enjoy.
Breakfast at The Old Nurseries
Breakfast was a whole spread of deliciousness with choices of a full cooked breakfast, cereal, yoghurts and fresh fruit – you certainly won’t leave hungry! Made even better by Deb’s stories of her travels, if you have time to sit around for a chat you won’t be disappointed, I could have stayed all day.
I really enjoyed my visit and I will definitely be back (Maybe I’ll bring the husband next time) Deb is one of the most welcoming hosts and really does just complete the whole experience.
You can find them on Facebook here or book directly through their website here.
ChrissyJ xxx