Kent’s Boys Hall to open this June following restoration

Boys Hall is set to open its doors this summer in Ashford, Kent, following a careful restoration. Set within three acres of gardens, the family-owned 17th Century manor house will reportedly transform into “the ultimate, boutique country bolthole”. Following its restoration, it will feature 10 ensuite bedrooms, multiple reception rooms and private dining spaces, a 70 cover oak-beamed restaurant with two outside terraces and its own wood-clad pub. There will be five grand suites which each have super-king beds, spacious bathrooms and features that include rolltop bathtubs in the room, window seats overlooking the estate and original four poster beds. A further three bedrooms will have ensuites, some with bathtubs and two other rooms will have en suite showers. The restaurant will be housed in a “capacious” dining hall newly constructed with local oak that was cut and shaped to size on site with a local carpenter. The menu will centre around seasonal, local produce, with daily changing dishes. The pub will feature original wood cladding, serve local ales and will be open to both the public and guests. In addition, a premium wine cellar with capacity for around 4,000 bottles will feature speciality vintages from English wineries as well as producers from around the world. The landscaped grounds, meanwhile, include a rose garden, herbaceous border, a formal front lawn, bee hives producing the hall’s own honey, an orchard and a kitchen garden for growing herbs and flowers for the restaurant and bar. Future plans are in place to further extend the food and drink offering in a few years time to open a bar with an outdoor pizza oven in the walled garden. Boys Hall will also curate a selection of experiences including local wine tours, pampering sessions in its garden huts, cookery courses and foraging walks. Boys Hall Jacobean Manor was originally built in 1616 and is now grade II listed. It has been renovated under husband and wife team, Bradley and Kristie Lomas. Bradley was the former operations director of East London Pub Co, and Kristie is the founder of Drink, Shop and Do, as well as Keystone Crescent members club in London’s King’s Cross. Kristie and Brad Lomas said: “We have loved every minute of restoring this timeless and beautiful period property and cannot wait to see life back into the venue; we want people to relax and enjoy themselves whether they choose a cup of tea in one of the reception rooms or a Gin & Tonic out on the lawns. “Located in the heart of Kent we are very lucky to have some incredible producers and suppliers work with us. It’s been such a privilege to be able to combine our background and love of home comforts and become a part of the rich history of this house and its evolving gardens. We want our guests to feel at home and for everyone who stays in the first year, a tree will be planted in the estate.”