Boys Hall is a beautiful nine-bedroom hotel and restaurant set in an old historic home on the outskirts of Ashford, Kent
Housed in a 17th-century Jacobean manor built around 1616 by the Boys family (whose name derives from the Norman “De Bois”), the house has passed through generations: legend even has it that Charles I once stayed there while evading Cromwell’s forces. After years in private hands, it was rescued in 2019 by Brad and Kristie Lomas, who undertook a huge restoration in collaboration with local craftsmen. The result was the opening of Boys Hall in 2022, giving the house new life while preserving its historical character.
We checked in on a dark Friday November night, when there’s nothing better than walking into a warm cosy lounge with a huge roaring open fire. They have done an incredible job on the interiors, and we loved that all the flower arrangements were fixed in autumn colours, with a few Christmas festive touches already starting to appear.
Our room was the Bishop’s Quarter, a huge suite featuring original 16th century panelling and stone mullion windows with views across the gardens. We loved the bed raised on a plinth, the window seating, and the brass roll top bath – perfect for a warming soak before dinner.
Downstairs there’s a small pub where we settled in for a pint before dinner, and the main restaurant, which is housed in a huge converted barn extension with big glass roof and sliding doors that look out onto the gardens.
You should begin, as we did, with a glass of Seventeen Sovereigns, an English sparkling wine made by Brad from a single vineyard in Kent. A fab wine and only £11 a glass. There’s also a very impressive selection of English wines across the whole menu, from Chapel Down to Simpson’s – don’t miss the later’s pinot noir which was very good.
Chefs Joe Watson and Alfie Jebb-Crouch have created a great menu that revolves around produce from their own kitchen garden and local suppliers within a 10-mile radius. Don’t miss the smoked Ashmore (a local Kent cheese) croquettes with chilli emulsion and the phenomenal treacle & oat soda bread with whipped butter and a naughty bacon crumb – you could have this again for dessert quite easily.
Starters were a little Jerusalem artichoke tart, stuffed with parsnip, chestnut, chicory and dill; and, our favourite, the Owley Farm mushrooms on a crisp celeriac and potato rosti with confit egg yolk and crispy capers. Many more dishes in this world should feature crispy capers.
Next you can choose from the regular “Mains” section or “From the Embers” – dishes cooked on the asador grill. We went for an excellent John Dory with clams, samphire, sea lettuce, black olives and white wine sauce and a half spatchcock chicken, with charred lemon and a tarragon butter sauce. Crispy potatoes with garlic and herb salt is the perfect accompaniment to both.
We couldn’t fit in dessert but there were some very tempting options, including an apple crumble and a sticky toffee pudding. We did however try a sweet cherry wine from Double Day in Kent, just for something different.
Breakfast is a treat too; we loved the duck hash with fried egg, spinach and kimchi, and the full English made with local Kent produce. A special shout out to the sourdough toast from Gilda bakery.
Brad and Kristie have done a brilliant job of transforming Boys Hall and there’s more still to come – work is underway on the walled garden, plus log cabin guest rooms, and even a natural swimming pond. It’s only a quick 40-minute train ride to Ashford too, so very easy from London, although if you want to explore other areas in Kent we’d still say driving is probably easier.
Definitely one to check out for an extremely easy getaway from the big city.
Boys Hall Rd, Willesborough, Ashford TN24 0LA
boys-hall.com
