Romantic venue ticks the right box

If you're of a romantic bent, you may remember where you were and what you were doing when you realised who you were going to marry.

Me, I remember where I was when I realised WHERE I was going to get married. Mainly because I was staying in it, and thinking, "Crikey, if I ever get married, it's going to be here."

Take a bow, Ullesthorpe Court Hotel, the taxi driver blinked and nearly missed the turn completely. Coming as it does just after a sweep of the road past a woody dell that all but obscures the building from view. In woodland about half a mile outside the tiny village from which the hotel takes its name, the hotel is simultaneously serenely peaceful, but also rather good fun.

Front of house, the restaurants and bar constantly bustle with activity and people socialising, but once you're in your suite, you can literally shut the world away and not hear a squeak from another living soul. Just the birds in the trees, and even they're being so good as to keep it down a bit.

To be honest, myself and my companion could happily have stayed in our vast, apartment-sized suite complete for the entire weekend. The bath was so large that it was actually possibly to float in and the TV screen was more of a home cinema. It is actually possible to play hide and seek in a suite at Ullesthorpe Court. But we figured we should do some exploring too.

We'd initially been booked in on one of the hotel's murder mystery events, something neither of us had ever done before, complete with afternoon tea. I must confess, not to the murder, but that we left at half time and so have no idea who the killer was, in order to explore the grounds and the local area.

We sauntered elegantly out into the bucolic surroundings to take in the kind of scenery that you just don't get in central Wolverhampton.

The golf course is absolutely stunning and decided to stroll to Ullesthorpe village for a pre-dinner snifter and mooch around – the walk takes you past fresh-smelling fields and is just long enough to build up the appetite without taking you miles out of the way.

Apparently Ullesthorpe has two pubs but we only had time for one, the rustic, friendly Man At Arms. The dinner bell beckoned.

All this rural loveliness is fine and dandy, but the hotel really comes into its own at dinner, offering up a hugely varied selection of starters and mains that is agreeably heavy on the seafood for a pescatarian such as myself. Best of all, perhaps sensing that we were both heartily stuffed and sinking in our chairs, the staff offered to deliver the dessert part of our prix fixe meal to our room, for us to enjoy at our leisure. How could we refuse an offer like that? The food that preceded it, by the way, was terrific.

Travel Facts

Prices at Ullesthorpe Court Hotel start at £119 for two people, with dinner, bed and breakfast

Frolesworth Road, Ullesthorpe, Lutterworth, Leicestershire, LE17 5BZ. Call 01455 209023

The hotel also has a gym, beauty salon and spa with relaxation and pampering packages.

Visit www.bw-ullesthorpecourt.co.uk for further details