Blandford Forum

Castleman

Chettle, Dorset

The Castleman is ceasing as a hotel and restaurant, and will be operating solely as a whole house self-catering property from October 14th 2022. More

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Good Hotel Guide Review

The Castleman is ceasing as a hotel and restaurant, and will be operating solely as a whole house self-catering property from October 14th 2022. In a perfect estate village in the foothills of Cranborne Chase, this hotel and restaurant occupies the dower home of Chettle House, a magnificent baroque building. Owners Niki and Jez Barfoot ‘have made a fantastic job of creating a comfortable and welcoming country hotel’ while preserving the house’s eccentric charm. Fires burn in two ‘beautifully furnished’ drawing rooms, one with ornate Jacobean carved oak. Each bedroom has its own character. Room 3, with antique four-poster, ‘decorated in deep, warm burgundy’, was ‘spotless, with fresh coffee and a cafetière, a torrential rainfall shower over a deep, claw-footed bath’. Chef Liam Boxall’s creative dishes are inspired by home-grown ingredients. Maybe black-garlic-stuffed chicken Kiev with crushed potatoes, broccoli and walnuts; or for vegans, roasted carrots with red lentil dhal, toasted seeds and carrot-top salsa. ‘We really enjoyed all three courses, and the home-made rolls with butter, oil and balsamic vinegar.’ At breakfast there was ‘fresh and beautiful orange juice, a perfect poached egg’. Service is friendly and efficient.  ‘We have another favourite hotel!’ (Jill Cox) NOTE: As the Guide went to press, Castleman announced that it was ceasing to trade as a hotel.

Hotel details

Address

Chettle
Blandford Forum
Dorset
DT11 8DB
England

Telephone

01258 830096

Bedrooms

8. 1 family room.

Open

all year, except 25/26 Dec,  31 Dec/1 Jan, lunch on Sun only.

Facilities

lounge, snug, bar, restaurant, in-room TV (Freeview), 2-acre grounds (stables for visiting horses), riding, fishing, shooting, cycling nearby, public rooms wheelchair accessible, adapted toilet.

Background music

low-level at dinner, ‘matched to the feel of the evening’.

Children

all ages welcomed, cots, extra bed £20.

Dogs

allowed in 3 bedrooms and  1 dining room (£20 a stay).

Credit cards

Amex, MC, Visa.

Prices

B&B doubles from £120, singles from £110. À la carte £40, supper Mon–Wed from £20.

Good Hotel Guide articles about
Castleman

The Express: Best hotels, pubs and B&Bs on a budget
The Sun Online: UK’s best hotels for £100 and under
The Independent: Ten of Britain’s best value hotels

Comments about Castleman

The staff ‘make’ the place a success. The brother and sister who run the place are so good at hospitality ,and the other chefs and staff follow their example. As pointed out in the Guide it is a restaurant-with-rooms. The room that we had was rather ‘tired’ and needed some TLC. However, the rest of the experience was so good wcould overlook anything! Regards, - Kenneth Moore - April 2019

It is good value as long as you remember that It is a restaurant-with-rooms where perhaps the rooms take a rather poor second. Our two-night stay at this quirky hotel was rather marred by the room we had. But the staff were efficient, helpful and friendly, and the food was excellent. The large lounge with a log fire had masses of comfy sofas but could have done with a re-arrangement of the table lamps to give some more pools of lighting for those of us who like to read before dinner. - Roy Coates - April 2019

In this unspoiled village, the philosophy is that 'everyone helps each other'. This extends to The Castleman where many of the villagers and their children provide their guests with a comfortable and homely experience. If you're looking for a trendy boutique hotel, The Castleman is not for you! It pampers its clients more as friends, and captures an age of country house hospitality which has been lost in so many areas. You start your day with freshly squeezed orange juice, and ask for what you want - it will be cooked for you! Bread is homemade as is the preserve. The extensive dinner menu is changed daily. You wait with baited breath as it roles off the press at about 7 pm. The quality of the food ,often featuring local produce, is outstanding and superb value for money. Wines have a very reasonable (£10) mark up). - Bob & Jean Henry - June 2017

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