A 200-year-old renovated Staffordshire farmhouse has been given a new lease of life as a boutique country retreat.
Award winning village pub, the Fitzherbert Arms now offers accommodation, along with food and drink, after the opening of the Fitzherbert Farmhouse just a short stroll away.
Sitting in the heart of the historic village of Swynnerton, part of Lord Stafford’s Estate, both the pub and accommodation take their name from the Fitzherbert family, who inherited the Estate in the 16th century.
Affectionately known as The Fitz, the pub is famous for its ports, and said to offer more than any other pub in the country with 30 different varieties (https://fitzherbertarms.co.uk/).
And in a nod to that expansive port collection, all the bedrooms at the Farmhouse are named after Portuguese fincas, a rural estate or villa, and available as ‘Cosy’, ‘Comfy’ or ‘Roomy’.
Renovation of the building began in Autumn 2023, in collaboration with Lord Stafford’s Estate, with work undertaken to reveal the original brick exterior, while the interior was fully restored creating a reception lounge and shop area, along with the bedrooms.
Blending the traditional with modern, the Farmhouses’ 10 bedrooms have either a roll-top bath and/or shower, and feature garden or village views, with check-in and breakfast available at the nearby pub.
Welcoming its first guests at the end of April, it is the latest venture of Cheshire Cat Pubs and Inns, which also runs the Mainwaring Arms in the village of Whitmore, near Newcastle-under-Lyme, another historic Staffordshire pub with a reputation for good food and drink.
The launch of the Farmhouse follows news that the Fitzherbert Arms – which dates to around 1818 – was named the Staffordshire winner of the National Pub and Bar Awards for 2024, a title it also won in 2022.
Adding to the growing list of awards, Cheshire Cat Pubs and Inns have also just been named as the UK’s ‘best drinks offering’ in the 2024 Publican Awards, the industry’s biggest awards event.
Rooms at the Fitzherbert Farmhouse start from £140 a night, bed and breakfast.
More details are available at https://fitzherbertfarmhouse.co.uk/
For general tourist information about the area visit www.enjoystaffordshire.com
For more background, see A new and luxurious port of call in Staffordshire feature here.
Photos: Fitzherbert Farmhouse
