Ballywarren Country House

Diane and David Skelton’s hospitable country house is in a pleasant rural area of gentle farming countryside, just a few minutes’ drive east of Cong and Ashford Castle.

Large and well-proportioned, it has a welcoming feeling from the minute you arrive through the door into the classic back and white tiled hall.

Public rooms are furnished stylishly and include a spacious drawing room with a cosy open fire, and the lovely Garden Room dining room, where dinner is served to guests by arrangement - served at separate table, it’s a wholesome four-course meal (plus after dinner coffee and chocolates) based on seasonal local ingredients, organic where possible.

Good food is an important part of the experience at this lovely house and, over their long careers in hospitality in the UK and Ireland, Diane and David have received many accolades for their food. Individual diets, allergies and preferences are willingly catered for, and everything is home-made including all breads, cakes, desserts, and ice cream.

As admirers of French and Italian food, you will find these influences in Diane's cooking; however the ingredients will be mainly local - perhaps with the exception of poultry, which they like to source in France.

A small, carefully selected French wine list includes house wines from Languedoc and Roussillon which are available to guests throughout dinner, at no charge; and, in winter, an after dinner cheeseboard with complimentary port is served by the fire.

An oak staircase leads up to the three charming bedrooms, all with views of the surrounding countryside with its stone walled fields.

Each bedroom has a special king size bed - an English oak four poster bed, a French carved bed, and an unusually curvaceous Irish iron bedstead. All have luxurious, well-finished bathrooms with both shower and bath, beautiful towels and Crabtree & Evelyn toiletries. Thoughtful extra touches in the rooms include magazines, playing cards, chocolates and sherry - and all rooms have free Wi-Fi broadband access.

This would make a very comfortable base for a few days spent in the area and, although the road is rather close, it is not busy.