Fans of identical-twin Scottish folk-rock acts, and which of us, hand on heart, is anything else? will lovingly recall The Proclaimers 1988 hit I am gonna be.. I would wark five hooondred miles, chorused Craig and Charlie Reid in their rich Highland brogue, and I would wark five hooondred mooore just to beeeee the man who warked a thooousand miles to fall down at your dooor.
Thee was always something slightly disturbing about the twins, but however far they wish to travel in pursuit of romance is their own business. The question today is this: would you drive 500 miles just to be the man or woman, who ate dinner at Bovey Castle? You should not. I speak from painful experience, having done so a couple of weeks ago. Five hours down the M4 and M5, another 4 hours back.. a total, as the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics will confirm, of nine hours at the wheel, followed by three days crippled by the inevitable bas back, for a meal of mesmerising mediocrity.
Bovey Castle is, I would guess, a delightful place to stay. Peter de Savary bought the property, once owned by Greeat Western Railway, last year and tarted up the Victorian building to a state of splendour. Seldom have we encountered a more child friendly hotel, and for those with young families, plenty of dosh and a taste for fishing, golf and fine cigars, it may well be paradise on earth.
For those with taste buds, on the other hand, it is purgatory. The large, rectangular diningroom is prety enough in an Edwardian way - all palm trees and blue Chinese wallpaper - and could double up as a location of Poirot. But the lighting is wrong, contriving tobe both too low and, with the Chandeliers ouptu bouncing off the mirrors, too intrusive. The service, meanwhile, especially from an endearingly fey sommelier and a jolly nice girl who recently graduated in politics from Nottingham, is chatty and friendly.
Whether or not that is to all tastes, the food most certainly is not. While a wine list as verbose as the staff avoids taking liberites (we had two good bottles - a chablis and an Aussie merlot - at £27 and £40 respectively), the menus pricing policy is asking for a slap. Charging £45 for three courses is fine if all the ingredients are expensive. The night we wentr, a vegetarian would have had to pay that for a feta and tomato salad followed by deep-fried Somerset brie and a pud.
We began with a salad of warm chicken livers and mushrooms frowned in balsamic vinegar. A bouillabaisse terrine with a saffron dressing looked good, but the piece of white fish I tried was so tasteless it might have been supermarket chicken. My cream of leek and potaot soup with flaked haddock had a good texture, but you would have wanted the Hubble telescope to find the haddock.
We had waited just under 45 minutes for that lot, and for this the half-Scottish manager apologised very sweetly (not a word of regret, however, for his comedy tartan trousers). The main courses arrived more promptly, but were all lukewarm. Roast leg of lamb was well seasoned with garlic and rosemary, and the chef had done brilliantly to make the mint sauce so indistinguishable from Tescos. As for the roast potatoes, the cry of Black & Decker power drill to table 11 went up when conventional cutlery failed to penetrate their granite exterior. The nicest thing about her seared fillet of turbot with truffles, my wife said, is the beetroot. And I really do not like beetroot, while the only flavour discernible from my veal in Madiera cream was chicory.
A fiver or even six star hotel serving food that would do no credit to a Harvester is luxury caterings equivalent of having a bath with your socks on, and Peter de Savary urgently needs to sort out his kitchens. On this form, you would not drrrrive five hooondred yarrrds.
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Matthew Normans account of his recent visit to Bovey Castle restaurant. Bovey Castle is in Dartmoor National Park
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Bradgate Park Leicestershire
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Bradgate Park in Leicestershire is a well known and much loved visitor attraction. The Folly in the Park can be seen for miles around and the park is typical of an English country park where urbanites can escape the hurly burly of city life and breath som
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Brighton & Hove has always done things differnetly. Rather than using a cathedral as it's focal point this city on South England's Coast has the Royal Pavillion, built in 1815.
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Bristol a city built on its maritime past. An article by Jenny Spetter.
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A history of Cliffords Tower for the English Travel Guide. An essential guide to this English Heritage attraction in York.
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Croyde North Devon Village not far from Barnstable
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Derby is compact city at the centre of England, full of history, art and – reputedly – ghosts
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England has seen a high rise in tourism. Its main cities as well as its main coastal resorts have all benefited from this high rise...
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England has some of the best traveling the world. This travel guide highlights all the best travel resources from travel associated with the countryside to city travel. Mix with English people, English folklore and travel in one of the finest....
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English Travel Guide.com has been designed to provide a definitive easy to use travel companion for all your English Travel needs.
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English Travel Guide and Jurys
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English Travel Guide, the fastest growing Travel and Leisure website for England welcomes Jurys hotels to its growing family. Coupled to the English Travel Guides expanding list of attractions and features the leisure traveller and tourist can plan their
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Cornwalls oldest surviving Tin mine, now a popular tourist attraction.
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The effects on travel in England of a few heavy thunderstorms.
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HOLIDAY HOMES WITH A DIFFERENCE
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An apparently normal family will arrive by open boat at a rented holiday cottage in Britain to find there is no hot water or electricity... and the only lighting is a box of candles. Amazingly, they’ll be delighted.
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London Tourist Information
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London the capital city and major tourist attraction. A first stop on any travel, this major cosmopolitan city of the English speaking world. Population of just under eight million. This guide to the various sites to see is a must read in conjunction with
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Matthew Norman s review on Luc s Brasserie London EC3.
Sunday Telegraph Magazine 21 November 2004.
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North York Moors National Park
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A Visit to the North York Moors National Park
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Elfreda Powell article from The Sunday Telegraph magazine 28 November 2004
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Information on Penzance including hotels restaurants, attractions, museums and local points of interest. This market town is the Capital of west Cornwall and is a popular tourist attraction.
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One of the wonders of the world. This ancient stone circle is managed by Englsh Heritage and is truely a must see site for any visitor to the UK.
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Set in the far North Eastern corner of England this beautiful county borders Scotland to the North and the Industrial North East to the South. It has been designated an area of outstanding beauty.
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Rye one of the Cinque port towns on the Sussex
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The Battle of Hastings 1066
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Fought between Harold, King of England and the Norman French under William at Battle in East Sussex. The battle occured on October 14th 1066. The Battle Abbey near Battle provides information on the event.
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The Lion King - Lyceum Theatre
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Story of the Disney musical the Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre London. Search London Theatres for bookings.
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Plan a visit to this spectacular forest and enjoy the peace and tranquility and wonderful scenery of this exquisite forest.
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Article on The Close, the Organs and Bells of Winchester Cathedral
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