If you’ve been around my blog for a while, you know that I love writing about things that make me smile.

Well, the very beautiful Hogarth’s Stone Manor was such a delightful experience, it certainly caused me to smile when we visited recently.

We are regulars at Hogarths Solihull (read about their amazing fish finger sandwich here) and so I knew a little about Stone Manor and had even glimpsed a few photographs in a brochure. However, nothing had prepared me for just how beautiful this hotel actually is.

Set in 27 acres of picturesque landscaped grounds and unspoilt woodland…

…you feel as if you’ve just walked onto the set of a period drama.

Which is unsurprising as the original Stone Manor dates back to the Doomsday Book. It was rebuilt in 1926 after a fire, became a private members club in  the 1960’s and eventually became a hotel in the 1970’s. The Hogarths became the new owners in 2015 and the refurbishment began.

Inside, the hotel has been furnished to an extremely high standard with some of the rooms having four poster beds and spa baths. It is a popular venue for diners, fairytale weddings and conferences.

The restaurant too, is beautifully designed – the perfect mix of classic with a modern touch.

They serve 2 or 3 course fixed price menus as well as a seasonal A La Carte menu which includes their speciality flambé dishes. On this occasion, as it was a gloriously sunny day we decided to opt for afternoon tea on the terrace.

Served between 2pm and 6pm, afternoon tea starts at £5.95 with options including traditional afternoon tea at £18.00, with a cocktail at £23.00 and sparkling afternoon tea priced at £28.00. They also serve a monthly themed afternoon teas for £23.50 – which is what we decided to have.

Behold…the Best of British.

The afternoon tea was served in two parts, with the savoury selection first. This was a tasty selection of ‘British’ classics; a BLT, cheese and pineapple on a stick, a variation on a fish finger sandwich and the most delicious homemade pork pie EVER.

Then after a suitable breather (and a glass of wine!) a delightful collection of desserts arrived.

This carnival of confection included a rich fruit cake and a light and creamy Pimms Cheesecake.

The most incredibly refreshing gin jelly.

And sugar topped scones complete with the usual jam and clotted cream but with the added delight of Stone Manors very own lemon curd.

I’ve written before about how afternoon tea will always make it on my ‘perfect day‘ list, but I honestly can’t think of a nicer way to spend an afternoon than enjoying wonderful food in such a beautiful setting.

Hogarths Stone Manor was a beautiful surprise that deserves to be discovered by everyone in search of a hidden gem.

Hogarths Stone Manor Hotel

Stone

Kidderminster

Worcestershire

DY10 4PJ

This meal was not complimentary and I did not receive any reward for this review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own and all photographs were taken by me unless otherwise stated.