Accommodation Guide
Bluntswood Hall, our wedding venue, is located near Buntingford, which is about 20 miles from Bishop's Stortford. We have highlighted a selection of accommodation that is based around Bishop's Stortford, as we want to offer our guests the opportunity to use the free bus that we will lay-on to and from the event. We would also like to encourage guests to attend our open house lunch we are holding on the Sunday. By staying closer to Bishop's Stortford we hope that you may be more likely to pop in!
All the hotels on the bus pick-up route are either located in Bishop's Stortford or in Birchanger, a village 2 miles north of the town. This makes them conveniently located for Junction 8 of the M11 and the A120 Stortford ring road, and therefore hopefully easy to find. It also renders the pick up and drop off points for the bus less complicated. However, they are also prime locations for travellers through Stansted Airport and unfortunately the prices will reflect that somewhat.
The hotels are listed here in the order of price, lowest first.
The
Waggon and Horses
135
Stansted Road
Bishop's
Stortford
Herts
CM23 2AL
Tel
01279 757111
Fax
01279 864753
Web:
www.thewaggonandhorses.co.uk
This hotel is an annex to an edge-of-town pub perhaps 20 minutes walk or so from the centre of Stortford, on the Stansted Road. There are 10 rooms (6 doubles, 4 twins), all situated in an external annex set off to the side of the pub. The annex is clearly visible on the right-hand-side of the picture on the home page of their website. Car parking seems sufficient. We haven't seen the rooms, but the annex is quite new, so the rooms are probably in quite reasonable nick. The room rate is normally £59.95 per room per night, with an additional £2.95 (per person) if you want a continental breakfast delivered to your room. However we spoke to the Landlady, Elaine Gilbey, who said she would offer a special rate of £50 per room per night over that weekend for people who booked, specifying that they are with the 'Bevan' party. So give them a ring if you want to book a room, but beware - they are a bit lax answering the phone, and they don't have an answerphone, so you may need to try a few times before you succeed in getting through. Or maybe try Fax.
Welcome
Break (Days Inn) Birchanger Green (M11 Junction 8 Service Station)
Tel
01279 656477
Email:
stansted.hotel@welcomebreak.co.uk
Web:
www.welcomebreak.co.uk
This is your standard 'Alan Partridge'-type travelling-salesman travel-lodge-ish place (get the picture?). It is conveniently located on the M11 Junction 8 service station. The hotel is currently under the 'Welcome Break' banner, but we were told that in October it will be refurbished to become a 'Days Inn'. We were allowed to see a room as it is now, and it was Spartan but clean and neat, with a double bed and a sofa bed which could sleep a small child (<8 years). They can also offer a 'zed-bed' and inflatable bed if needed, for extra children. They said that each room could accommodate 3 adults, or 2 adults and 2 children. Their Fri/Sat/Sun room rate in March will be £69 per night. This doesn't include breakfast. However, there are a large number of eateries within the (modern) main service station area, including BK, KFC, Red Hen, Coffee Primo, and a canteen with hot main course, Pizzas, Salads, Sandwiches and Bakery. For wireless nerds, both the hotel and service station have BT Openzone WiFi! Overall, the hotel lacks personality, but offers convenience.
The
Cottage, Birchanger
Tel:
01279 812349
Fax:
01279 815045
Web: www.thecottagebirchanger.co.uk
Now this RAC 4-diamond hotel looks really nice! We were shown around by the proprietor, Angela Hodge. The Cottage dates from the 17th Century, and is in a quiet location on the main road in Birchanger. It is at the opposite end of the village from the Stansted Manor hotel (see below), but still fairly close to the M11 J8. Unfortunately Angela would not offer us a special 'group rate', but she would allow our guests to book rooms at 2004 prices, which are £58 (single occupancy) and £75 (double) Bed and Breakfast. They have 5 twin rooms, 8 doubles and 2 singles. Parking is supposedly not a problem. There's a nice friendly and cosy atmosphere. Book early to avoid disappointment!
Stansted
Manor Hotel
Tel:
01279 859800
Fax: 01279 467245
E-mail:
info@stanstedmanor-hotel.co.uk
Web:
www.stanstedmanor-hotel.co.uk
This is the sort of hotel your Executive-types would book into if they were flying into or out of Stansted Airport. It is only a couple of years old, and is under the 'Best Western' banner. Everything is very clean, smart and plush, although it perhaps lacks somewhat in the 'atmosphere' department as compared to, for example, 'The Cottage' hotel (see above). The rooms have two double beds, and so they would probably easily cater for families. Again, nerds would like the wired broadband Internet access in the rooms (maybe costs extra). The grounds, at the A120 end of Birchanger village, are spacious with plenty of parking, although outside they do suffer a bit from road and aircraft noise from the M11 and the airport. They have a hotel restaurant, so you don't need to go to the service station to get a bite to eat!
We're not sure what the normal room rate is, but we spoke to one of their management staff, Angela Rivett, who promised to put aside a certain number of rooms (until 20th February 2005) at a discounted rate to guests of £85 per night B&B if they quote the 'Bevan' group booking or the reservation number 010513. She said that if there are still some rooms that have not been confirmed by 20th February, then they will be cancelled. This then means that if any further bookings are needed it will be on 'availability only' (whatever that means). So book early, to avoid disappointment.
Other options............
If you can't get into one of the preferred hotels above, or just don't fancy them, then you might save some money by getting on our bus back to Bishop's Stortford, and then getting a taxi from there to your hotel. To that end, here are some alternative hotel options in the Bishop's Stortford and Harlow areas:
George
Hotel
Tel:
01279 654042
Fax:
01279 655135
This
old coaching inn is particularly good for those who may be travelling
by train, because it is right in the centre of Bishop's Stortford.
It's not so convenient for car drivers though, as the hotel doesn't
have its own parking (although they claim ample parking available
throughout the town).
Lancasters
Also
right in the centre of Bishops Stortford.
Tel: 01279 501307
Mobile: 07801 812800
Harlow
Moat House
Tel:
01279 829988
Fax:
01279 829906
Web:
www.moathousehotels.com
Down
in Harlow, about 10 miles south of Bishop's Stortford. But close to
M11 Junction 7. Has plenty of rooms.
If you would prefer to consider B&B type accommodation or to be closer to Bluntswood Hall, and are happy to drive to and from the venue, or to drive there and get a taxi back, you could try the following nearby options (from a list provided by our hosts at Bluntswood Hall):
Sue
Cannon, Hyde Hall, Sandon, Buntingford, Tel. 01763 271 331
Pricilla
Grist, The Threshing Barn, Cottered, Buntingford, Tel. 01763 281 422
Irene
Murchie, Southfields Farm, Throcking, Buntingford, Tel. 01763 281 224
David
Hodge, Buckland Bury, Buckland, Buntingford, Tel. 01763 272 958
Vicky
Hodge, Cumberlow Green Farm, Cumberlow Green, Buntingford, Tel. 01763
281 223
Sleep
Inn, Baldock, Tel. 01462 832 900
There are loads of other large hotels and small Guest Houses to be found on the East Herts District Council website, by following this link:
http://www.eastherts.gov.uk/tourism/index.htm#accommodation
Alternatively, try phoning the Tourist Information office in Bishop's Stortford:
Bishops
Stortford Tourist Information Centre
Tel:
01279 655 831
Fax:
01279 653 136
Please feel free to contact us if you wish to discuss other options in the area.
Taxi
telephone numbers:
If
you know that you will need a taxi we would advise that this be
booked in advance. We can not recommend any specific taxi firms but
here for reference are several taxi telephone numbers (the first on
the list was provided by our hosts at Bluntswood Hall):
Smiths
Minibus Hire - 01763 271 516
Penfold
Private hire - Buntingford - 01763 272 298
Abacus
Cars - Bishop's Stortford - 01279 508 777
Associated
Taxis - Bishop's Stortford - 01279 655 666
Kwickcars
- Bishop's Stortford - 01279 505 555
Premier
Taxis - Bishop's Stortford - 01279 466 000
Hills
taxis - Thundridge - 01920 467 713
This
page last edited 2004-10-24