Matfen Hall

The Shooting Gazette Good Hotel Guide 2007

BUILT IN THE 1930s by Sir Edward Blackett, Matfen Hall in Northumberland is just 10 miles out of Newcastle. Winner of Large Country House Hotel of the Year in 2006, it provides an excellent service to people requiring comfort in wonderful surroundings.

A perfect collaboration of old and new, the privately owned, four star hotel has earned a reputation amongst shooting circles as an ideal place to rest one’s weary head after a day’s sport.

And with spa facilities, an excellent 18 hole golf course, conference rooms, 53 spacious and individually decorated bedrooms and an award winning restaurant the hotel is well-equipped to ensure a thoroughly relaxing stay.

The establishment is able to store away shotguns and ammunition securely, and prepare game you have shot that day and serve it up as your evening meal.

The food is all well thought out and reflects the growing nationwide trend towards more and more game. The Library and Print room restaurant has two AA rosettes while the Great Hall is a superb private dining room. There are also good pub bar meals in the Keepers Lodge.

If you enjoy swinging a golf club as well as a shotgun the course here is superb and an hour’s lesson with the professional is time well spent. Like shooting we all think we know best but a good teacher can make a lot of difference in a short space of time. This is an excellent example of the versatility of pastimes on offer at Matfen.

The spa here is famous all over the country, with the sheer scale of luxury and pampering on offer – suffice to say the ladies do not go wanting.

Matfen Hall certainly lives up to its reputation and with a plethora of decent shoots in the area, it is no surprise that teams of guns come back year after year.


Tel. 01661 855708
www.matfenhall.com