Let me start with an obvious drawback to this hotel - it is a little tired in terms of the rooms…read more So why the four star review? My wife and I return to Blackburn once a year or so and typically stay in one of the areas hotels. Our needs differ from the average traveler as we are often hosting family and friends as they come and go to visit us. On this particular occasion we arranged a birthday party for various members of the family. This is where the Foxfields shines. Trying to coordinate these things from our home in the US is never easy but the hotel staff were incredibly easy to work with. Nothing was too much trouble. The buffet they put on for us on the night of the party was first class, but here comes the kicker. We had booked a local magician to help entertain the various attendees and in particular our 8 year old daughter. She couldn't have been more excited but unfortunately the guy failed to show up. The lady in charge of looking after us kept checking in through the evening and wanted to know if there was anything else they could do. My wife jokingly asked if she could find a magician in the next 30 mins? Five minutes later she was there with the number of a local guy she had seen someone use at the hotel previously and 30 mins later he was there performing. Just incredible service! The hotel is under new ownership and I am absolutely certain the aforementioned problems with the accommodation section of the hotel will be resolved in double quick time. In the meantime, the room standards are absolutely fine and the service as mentioned already, is fantastic. The quality of food in the hotel in general is also excellent. We ate breakfast each day and several other meals throughout the week. These people really deserve to succeed and I'm sure they will.

Myself and my partner spent New Year's Eve at the Foxfield hotel. We were made aware that it's…read moreunder new ownership, so weren't sure what to expect but both the accommodation and the food were good. The service, particularly from the manager, the owners and the hotel reception team was great. Nothing too much trouble. The food, despite it being New Year's Eve was good and we both enjoyed the entertainment. The rooms are huge and comfy though the TV is a bit small! Breakfast was a full hot and cold selection and service was excellent, especially considering we were late down and they were trying to prepare the room for lunch! Looking forward to seeing how the hotel changes further as the new owners settle in.

Lovely little boutique hotel. Amazing collection of gins in their bar, friendly staff and nice roomsread more

Zero stars if I could give it! My husband and I booked this hotel through booking.com to stay one…read morenight while we were in town for a wedding. We arrived to the area before the room was ready and since my husband had some usher duties at his childhood friends wedding we decided to head over to the grooms house to see what we could help with and get ready there. We let the hotel know we would be checking in late after the wedding has finished, we were told to come preferably before 12:30. We realized we would be later and I called and spoke with a man at the front desk around 12:00 am I asked him if it would be ok to come in a couple hours as the wedding party was going strong. He said no problem see you when you get hear. My husband and I arrived at the hotel just after 1:00am to be greeted by a man who was incredibly rude to us. He said you were suppose to check in before 12:30 we explained I had called and I'm pretty sure I spoke to the same guy who was giving us attitude! He didn't care about what we were saying I went on to say my husband DJ'd at his friends wedding and we had to stay till the end and said again I did call to warn we would be late. He proceeded to tell my husband off and explain how he should have organized his entire day different to be here for 12:30 check in. He was so rude! We said are u intentionally being rude here trying to prove some point and he said yes!!!!! We couldn't believe the treatment we were getting and just walked out to go find another hotel which ended up a 3 hours search for a room, driving around completely exhausted because all the hotels in the area were fully booked. Thank u for such delightful costumer service avenue hotel!

Terrible food that's way over priced especially given the local competition. I had a turkey dinner…read morewhich was bland with both over and under cooked veg. My guest had fish and chips that was so drenched in oil it had to be sent back. ..terrible soggy batter. Give it a miss if it's lunch your after

I stayed at this hotel for 3 nights back in October and had a wonderful time. The hotel is a…read morelovely old home and our room was large, spacious, and located on one of annex wings. The room was clean and traditionally decorated. We really enjoyed the dinners in bar area (the staff was friendly and funny) and the buffet breakfasts in the morning. When you check in you have an option to purchase the breakfast and we opted out. We ended up changing our minds and the staff accommodated us immediately and even honored the discounted price we were initially offered at check in. The hotel is in an excellent location and close by to many great places to visit. I found my entire visit pleasant and relaxing. I certainly will be coming back to stay the next time I'm visiting the area.

On the outside the Dunkenhalgh looks amazing and to be fair the first impression of the rooms and…read morethe rest of the grounds seemed alright. However, upon closer inspection this was all a façade. The reception staff was overwhelmed and somewhat rude. We were told that we could check in as early as noon which was a welcomed relief since a spa appointment was booked for 1:00. Not only was the room not ready but we were informed that the room would not be ready until 3:00 which seemed a bit strange since check out is 11:00 and they specifically told us to come at 12:00. After the spa appointment we each had a small but very expensive cocktail at the bar. Still having time to kill we decided to tour the local area. We returned at 4:00 and were told the room still wasn't available. Noticing the look on my face the receptionist immediately put us in a room that was available. Next we were told that breakfast would be served until 10:00 in the restaurant. At 9:35 we went down to have breakfast with a few friends that were already eating. The very rude host told us that the restaurant stops serving at 9:30 and we could not join our friends. He told us that a buffet was set up in a meeting room where we could get something to eat. After sitting down we were told that toast and coffee would be brought out shortly. The coffee came just as we were finishing and the toast never appeared. The rest of our trip was great since we resourced the pub guide for all of our next bookings.

TL;DR - An absolute gem of a pub in the Lancashire countryside…read more My first time at the Shireburn Arms was for a friends' wedding, and since then I've been a few times for lunch. Every visit has been a near perfect experience. We drove up on a Saturday lunchtime and, given the remote location, expected it to be fairly quiet but we were so wrong. The place's reputation clearly precedes it, and there was along wait (well over an hour) for a table... but we got lucky because there was space for two and they squeezed us in! We only had a cup of tea and a sandwich, but it was out of this world. Sparky's roast pork sandwich was, in his own words, the finest he has ever eaten. I had a steak sandwich on sourdough which was also lovely, and a side of fantastic chips. Service was spot on, everyone was friendly and it's a cracking place to spend some time next to a warm fire. Dog friendly too. There are a few parking spaces at the front and a bit of a car park at the rear. It's a bit out of the way in Hurst Green but definitely, definitely worth the trip. Just make sure to book a table before you set off!

Stunning little Hotel, attended my best friends wedding in May 2014…read more The staff were extremely attentive, couldn't fault them. The bedroom was recently been refurbished and is of excellent quality, lovely new bathroom suite. The food - all excellent! And well priced.

This is a brilliant hotel i came here when my house was getting refurbished…read more I had to look for a hotel which did not charge me a lot and also was good in value as well.I managed to find this after a friend had told me this was a good place to come to.I came here and got a room straight away. The rooms were very clean here and also it had a television inside the room as well.The room overall did look modern overall. I found this hotel to be good for value and also in terms of pricing its a good hotel to come and stay over at.

I have visited this hotel / house once in my life but I wouldn't mind going back!…read more I took my mother here for a Mother's Day meal. Upon entry I was happily impressed with the class and style of the interior. All was very clean and the staff were more than helpful. The food was lovely, rich and full of taste. And not too expensive.

Middle of nowhere, casual dress, Michelin-starred…read more My husband and I went out of our way to eat and stay here. Was it worth the 3 hour journey from London (2-hr train ride, 1-hr by car) to make our reservation from 6-months earlier? Absolutely. Courses are small, but plenty. Staff are immensely courteous and thoughtful (they made a custom menu for our dietary needs and even had the chefs sign it before we left). And the setting couldn't be more idyllic. I'd suggest getting the wine pairing as it really completes the meal. Go ahead and stay the night as breakfast is included the next day. Just make sure to work out your travel from the train station to the restaurant. It really is out in the sticks.

An absolutely fantastic experience enhanced by the charming and beautiful countryside that The…read moreBlack Swan at Oldstead is nestled within - an area that I wouldn't have visited otherwise but am grateful for having done so. Make sure to make a small detour to Kilburn to see The Kilburn White Horse which stands firmly in the hillside. The Black Swan is a beautiful picturesque old pub full of warmth and charm. Upon arrival you are welcomed into the bar area for aperitifs where a log fire crackles and glows. Make sure to notice the Robert Thompson mouse carved into the bar. Great selection of small batch gins - I enjoyed a glass of Sir Robin of Locksley from Sheffield with tonic. Amuse bouche are served here before moving upstairs to the restaurant. The Smoked Eel and Apple Tartlets were light and well balanced in their flavours whilst the Chicken Dumpling was rich, satisfying and would sit well on the finest of dim sum plates in Hong Kong. The restaurant is more modern in decoration with an "open kitchen" where some of the dishes are prepared with a clear artistic love and attention to detail. Service is friendly, knowledgeable and attentive without being intrusive. Good selection of wines for most palates and wallets. I had the 10 course tasting menu which, at £85, felt like a bargain compared to the price of Michelin starred food in major cities. To start, a Mussel with Oyster Leaf canapé - so perfectly decorated that it felt wrong to eat it, but so tasty. Next up Langoustine with Caramelised Whey, served like a lollipop with a twig to hold it with - lovely textures and cooked to perfection. Venison Tartare followed - a small dish but rich in flavour and beautifully prepared and decorated. Sour Bread and Sour Butter was distinctive and a good filler in preparation for the main courses. The Monkfish with Asparagus and Onion, although delicious, was probably the weakest dish. The sauce tasted like heavy sweet soy sauce and was a bit overpowering in its saltiness for the delicate flavour of the fish. Still very enjoyable though. The Slowly Cooked Crapaudine Beetroot was the star of the menu. Cooked in beef fat (I believe), the beetroot takes on a heavier composition and is chewy and almost glutinous with all of the accompanying decorations providing broad and bold flavours. Absolutely fantastic! Scallop Cured with Rhubarb was another standout with the smoothness of the slightly charred scallops countering the tartness of the rhubarb, all tied together with a rich and balanced sauce. Herb-Fed Chicken with Wild Garlic from this Year and Last was another amazing creation with a blanket over the chicken in the form of a garlic leaf. The chicken was more warm than hot but extremely tasty. The first dessert was ice cream (or iced yoghurt?) Lollipops which were wonderfully innovative with their unique flavours. The Sheep's Milk with Douglas Fir Oil was also an memorable dessert with natural tastes of the season. The final dessert, served with coffee was Cake made from Artichoke, Chicory Root and Thyme. The combination worked well although the chicory root (?) was slightly bitter. A great end to a fantastic meal and experience. For most who visit The Black Swan at Oldstead, a significant journey will be involved but don't let that put you off...It's well worth the effort and will be one of those great food experiences.