Bridleways Guest House & Holiday Homes — Hotel in Mansfield

We stayed at Bridleways Guesthouse for 12 days in August, a wonderful and surprising vacation. It was a surprise because we had initially booked a private townhome a few miles away only to have the owner never show up at the prescribed time to let us in. I'm grateful to Bridleways proprietor Emyr for answering his phone at 6:30pm on a Sunday and for having a single available room and quickly preparing it for a family of three. I could see as we drove down the country lane toward the guesthouse that the setting and lodgings were quite nicer than the scruffy townhouse I had booked online. And the pleasant surprises kept coming.

The "family room" in the Bridleways Guesthouse was rather luxurious. The massive wall art of a local lake set the tone at once that we were not in London or New York, but in the English countryside. Emyr took the time to introduce my son to a couple other guests who would be attending the same archeology field school (Mercian) the next week as him and helped him arrange a ride with them, so he wouldn't have to take the bus. (We were without a car). It was now 8pm and Emyr patiently explained options to call for takeaway, as my son was hangry by then.

We slept well and awakened to the next surprise -- the Bridleways breakfast. There were coffee presses for both regular and decaf, really fresh fruit and berries and perfect poached eggs (or scrambled, etc.) Every morning, Emyr and his staff remembered our favorites and brought me a chamomile without asking. The dining room was cutely decorated with a nice view of the garden and the coolest painted fireplace bricks ever. Emyr and Tracey were very patient with us, explaining bridleways hiking/cycling routes through Vicar Country Water Park (we had no idea such a place was awaiting us since we had expected to stay closer to Mansfield) and walking us through use of the locks, clothes washer and dryer and drying rack. (Devices work different in North American. That's our excuse, anyway:) We were happy to have the washer as we had expected one at the failed rental house.

We knew that we'd have to leave the guesthouse for one night, since it was previously fully booked. Emyr found a great place in Edwinstowe and took care of the booking for us, another excellent customer service by Bridleways. He held our extra luggage and had it waiting in our room when we returned.

I had noticed Bridleways when I was researching the area months earlier, but I didn't book it because it looked to be a bit too far of a walk to the bus stop for the 14/15 route. It does feel rural, with old farmhouses and the bridleways paths meandering past, but actually, it is less than a 10-minute walk along the dirt lane to the nearest bus stop. To get groceries, we made the lovely 15-minute walk through the leafy arch to the Vicar Water Country Park to Clipstone. It was easy to catch the bus to Edwinstowe and Mansfield to see the sights. And to visit Lincoln and Warwick, we used Uber, which is readily available in Nottinghamshire and quicker and cheaper than three seats on the train.

For the last week of our visit, we stayed in Skylark, one of the holiday houses. I had spent enough summer holidays as a kid in my grandparents' camper van to not be overjoyed about squeezing into a caravan for a week, but it was what was available on short notice. Well, I really underestimated Skylark. It had just been updated and upgraded; it was comfortable and nicely upholstered and fit our family well. It was a little warm when we first moved in as it had been closed up, but there are many windows, and soon the breeze cooled it perfectly. We enjoyed being surrounded by nature, hearing the birds and squirrels chitter in the trees around us and grilling a few dinners on the barbecue. Rather than the cookie cutter suburb we booked in, it felt like a vacation in a Beatrix Potter book. It brought back childhood memories that I didn't know I missed and was just the vacation in Nottinghamshire that we didn't know we needed. Thank you again to Emyr and Tracey. Ten out of ten stars...

I honestly don't feel like I have the right words to truly summarise how wonderful this guesthouse is. |Upon arrival my partner and myself were greeted by Tracey as she tended to the flowers surrounding this beautiful building. We were shown to our room and informed of all amenities available, given information on the heating/cooling system and given information regarding breakfast. Check in was very quick and pleasant. We informed the owners that we were planning to order a takeaway for our evening mean and Tracey let us know that we were welcome to eat our meal in the dining room - when we entered the dining room they had very kindly set the table for us to enjoy our meal. ||The room we stayed in was stunning. It was beautifully decorated, immaculately clean and smelled lovely. It is clear to see that Emyr & Tracey have great attention to detail - many things often not provided in other places are thought of by these very thoughtful owners. The room was very comfortable, especially the recliner chairs were a lovely treat for a cosy night in. |I found the mattress to be a bit too firm and uncomfortable for me - however this is only personal preference and this is not a reflection of the owners. My partner found the bed very comfortable. ||The breakfast at this guest house is stunning. Emyr was lovely to chat to in the morning & always had a smile on his face. On the second day of our stay we didn't even have to order - he had remembered our order from the morning before! The food quality was superb, everything was cooked fresh, hot and tasted wonderful. ||This guest house is situated in a beautiful area, very quiet, peaceful and away from the hustle and bustle. My partner particularly enjoyed listening to the variation of birdsong outside of our bedroom window! ||Unfortunately I completely forgot to take any photos - but photos very often don't do justice. This guest house absolutely stunning inside and out. Will very highly recommend to anybody & everybody, and we already cannot wait to come back! Thank you so much Tracey & Emyr for a lovely, relaxed...

Beautiful guesthouse & fantastic hosts!

The guest house is superb & clean. Nothing is too much trouble. The beds are very comfortable! You get an eye mask & ear plugs provided which we felt was a lovely touch.

We arrived later than normal check in time but were still welcomed with open arms. We were not rushed & still shown our room.

We had forgot to book our daughter a bed but nothing was an issue & the room was quickly swapped to accommodate us as a family.

Breakfast was amazing every morning. The hosts always greet you with your name & remember your order & how you like your coffee. My two year old was looked after well with a surprise paw patrol cup! & a extra boiled egg. I have never seen my two year old so excited for breakfast every morning!

I changed my order to scrambled eggs one morning but the host flagged it up about the cow milk. I am lacto intolerant & this would have put a damper on the weekend for us!

The hosts also like to share their knowledge of the area and take a real interest in having a conversation with you that doesn't feel forced.

The friendly & home from home vibe is creating by just how nice the hosts are to everyone.

I have stayed at many hotels & guest houses around the world … this is definitely a 10/10.

I am already planning on booking us in for next year’s annual visit to glow worm...