There's something very special about the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. It is the perfect place in which to kick back and rejuvenate mind, body and soul. The sound of doves softly cooing, lawnmowers droning in the distance and the ethereal sound of windchimes floating down the valley imbue you with a somnolence that makes you think time has finally figured out how to stand still.
There's no better place in which to let nature refresh you - and nowhere more fitting to do so than at the Lords of the Manor Boutique Hotel, Wedding & Conference Venue just past Mooi River.
The Lords of the Manor is a stately, turn-of-the-century manor house. It looks for all the world as though somebody beamed it whole from the misty shires of the Cotswolds in England to the rolling green hills of the Midlands - complete with magnificent oak and fir trees, and wall-to-wall ivy clinging determinedly to the stonework.
Set in the lush heart of the Midlands farmland, the manor is surrounded by dams and rivers.
The manor is owned by Durban-based businessmen Brad Caulfield and Terry Gormley who, every now and then, dispatch truckloads of objets d'art to the manor to add to the already burgeoning walls adorned with a myriad original artworks, old photographs and pictures, pencil sketches, a top hat and all sorts of other quirky ornaments.
At the entrance to the manor stands a full suit of armour and it's hard to resist taking a peek inside to see if there's a knight inside.
Manager husband-and-wife team Brian and Louise Robinson welcome you as though you pay them a visit every year. They have been running the manor since August last year and are no strangers to the hospitality industry. They once owned a well-known Howick restaurant for many years, retired, and then decided they couldn't get the hospitality industry out of their blood so went back in.
The manor has only 11 suites - additional units adjacent to the main building are being refurbished at present. Some of the suites sport names such as the Lord Pauncie Room and the George Room, and all are decorated in keeping with the manor's English theme - wooden floors in the bathroom, old-fashioned gold taps and large windows which can be opened at the top and to the side. Some rooms are larger than others - there's a family room, for instance - but all have TV (with DSTV), kettle, bar fridge, a safe, bath, shower, ceiling fans and some very welcome electric blankets.
Needless to say the manor comes complete with reported sightings of its very own ghost, which is supposedly a lady in white who haunts room number 6, but judging by the looks of the faces of No 6's occupants at breakfast, there was no evidence to suggest that they had experienced anything other than a jolly good night's sleep.
The breakfast buffet is in a class of its own. Freshly squeezed OJ, guava juice, a variety of cereals and yoghurt and the most deliciously moist scrambled eggs you're ever likely to have the pleasure of eating - you can taste those farm eggs a mile away.
The kitchen gets its pork sausages from the Dargle Valley pork producer - and, boy, are they the tastiest sausages ever!
There is a sinfully sumptuous array of miniature croissants, crumpets, Baby-Bel cheeses, cold meats selection, and of course, home-made marmalade, strawberry jam and honey.
There's a very extensive dinner menu and freshly caught trout is well featured - you wouldn't be in the KZN Midlands if there wasn't trout on the menu.
One of the dinner specials of the day was a mouth-watering tangy cheese souffle starter and, for mains, a rack of lamb, done to perfection. The menu caters for most tastes and is compatible with Durban restaurant prices.
The manor is known as a charming wedding venue and excited brides are ferried to the quaint little chapel on the premises in an open, horse-driven carriage.
There's a wonderful conference room, sporting that characteristic English stonework on its inner walls which helps to maintain the ambiance of the manor even while discussing business. You might want to suggest it at your next conference planning meeting. . .
For sports enthusiasts there are, fly fishing, scenic walks, golf, spa treatments, horse-riding, canopy tours, game viewing and quad biking.
There's a delightful little pub where you can have a drink or three, and neighbouring Midland Saddle and Trout timeshare guests often pop in for drinks or to sample the delights of the manor's menu.
Duty manager Byron Jones doubles as the barman and makes sure everyone's glasses are full.
A pub lunch menu is available, and your lunch is served in the adjacent lounge where there's an open fireplace, as there is in the lounge and dining room, so no one needs to suffer winter's chilly grip.
Children under the age of 12 are not allowed.
Smoking is not permitted anywhere in the manor.
If you go...
- The manor is barely an hour and three quarters out of Durban. There are two toll roads from Durban: Mariannhill Plaza (R7 for an ordinary vehicle) and Mooi River Plaza (R30).
- For further information visit www.lordsofthemanor.co.za or email [email protected]