AFTER driving through pouring rain, the moment I arrived at Ston Easton Park, the sun began to shine – a positive sign of my forthcoming stay maybe?

A lovely receptionist showed me to my room - The Repton Room - which overlooked the back of Ston Easton Park and the beautiful river running alongside it.

The sound of the river and the birds singing was strangely calming and I felt completely relaxed as soon as I had settled into my room.

I also discovered, while browsing the leaflets left in The Repton Room, that there are a variety of beauty treatments available to enjoy during your stay, from facials to massages.

Before I got too comfortable, I decided to look around the grounds. There is a path that runs all the way round the hotel and down to the river, with views across the fields. It really reminds you of just how stunning Somerset is.

The path also leads to Gardeners Cottage, part of the hotel that is complete with a rose garden, in which many celebrities and even members of the royal family have stayed in. The cottage has three bedrooms, a lounge, dining area and kitchen.

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Back in the room I decided to try out the tray of fruit salad I was provided with, alongside a cup of tea. There was also water, biscuits, coffee - everything you would need in your hotel room.

The room itself is wonderfully grand, completed with dark furniture and a gold, almost royal, interior.

The bathroom is gorgeous. It is decorated with light white and cream colours with adorable pieces of artwork on the walls each with a differently designed freestanding bath. Yet there is also a fireplace in the corner which reminds you of the history and grandeur of this old country house.

There was a freestanding bath and double shower - of course I had to try out both while I was there. And it was so nice to be able to lie in a bath that was comfortable and big enough for me to lie in.

I then wandered down to dinner at 7:30pm. First, I was greeted by canapés in the dining room - a pork belly tempura with a chilli sauce - as well a large glass of dry white wine, which was lovely.

After being led to the dining room, I was treated to an onion foam amuse bouche which was very tasty and had a lot of exciting textures.

At Ston Easton, their head chef creates the dishes according to the ingredients grown in the hotels Victorian Kitchen Garden, and so the dishes are very seasonal and the produce full of flavour.

Aerolene Stephenson, head of sales and marketing at Ston Easton, said: “Ston Easton Park is special to me because of our culture, our ethos which is heavily focused on sustainability and our home-grown produce. Our chefs create magical food.”

To start I had cured salmon with textures of garden carrots, endive and cucumber beurre blanc sauce, which was delicious.

It had a variety of flavours and textures to accompany the salmon and so every bite was different. The carrots were full of flavour – you could tell they were home grown.

I tried the pan-fried cod with textures of cauliflower, pickled daikon, fresh crab, grapes and a crab bisque for main. Again, so many different textures all with delightful flavours. The cod was cooked beautifully, and the crab bisque was so tasty.

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For dessert (although I was full by this point, I am never one to opt out of dessert) I had the dark chocolate and passion fruit mousse.

The chocolate mousse was sweet and smooth with a tangy passion fruit centre and the passion fruit and mango sorbet was the perfect accompaniment.

The bed was comfortable, and I slept so well. After such a relaxing nights sleep what better than to have a bath and enjoy getting ready at the ornate dressing table.

At breakfast I was given the option of juices, cereals, fruit, yoghurt and pastries as well as a selection of hot items to order from a menu. After eating so much the night before I could only manage some toast and fruit and yoghurt. The yoghurt was thick and creamy with delicious fresh fruit. I also tried the orange juice, which was clearly freshly squeezed with just the right amount of pulp.

I must say, at every meal all the staff were incredibly friendly and made sure you had everything you needed.

The sound of the birds singing while I ate my breakfast was the perfect way to end my stay at Ston Easton Park.

Being only half an hour from both Bath and Bristol, I think sometimes people forget about the country house hotels that sit on the outskirts of these cities. But if you are planning a weekend break, a wedding, a business trip or even just to take some time out to get your creative juices flowing, then I can recommend Ston Easton Park. It is relaxing, beautiful and the food is delicious. To find out more visit stoneaston.co.uk