Stately style

Well, after a recent weekend break near literary haven Hay-on-Wye, I have discovered that you can do just that. But if you think you will be subjected to a chilly mausoleum with antiquated bathrooms and creaking staircases, you could not be further from the truth.

At Moccas Court you certainly will not be coping with the privations of yesteryear - the plumbing, furnishings, food and very warm welcome are firmly rooted in the 21st century.

And that warm welcome comes from the owners of this gorgeous stately pile, Ben and Mimi Chester-Master, who decided that becoming a very individually-styled guest house was the best way of preventing their beautiful family home from falling into rack and ruin.

Moccas Court is breathtakingly impressive. In its idyllic location beside the meandering River Wye, deep in the heart of the Herefordshire countryside, it is an imposing red brick Grade I Georgian house.

Endearingly, Ben defers compliments about its size and grandeur: "It's just a big ring doughnut," he laughed. "The central part of the house is empty, taken up by the staircase to the upper floors."

But what a house, and what a staircase! It spirals upwards, uncarpeted, so that you make a pleasing clatter as you trip grandly up and down it. Huge portraits of the Chester-Masters' relatives adorn the walls, and the furnishings and fittings echo the Georgian period. Many of them aren't original (one ancestor sold off much of the contents to meet his gambling debts), but Ben's late father's connections with the antiques trade meant that he was able to pick up replacements - so Moccas looks the part.

And its setting is magical, within metres of the River Wye. When we visited in April the surrounding Capability Brown-designed parkland was dotted with sheep and daffodils, the peace only broken by the insistent baa-ing of newborn lambs.

The weather, as it seems to do so often when I take a weekend break (!), was pretty miserable, but within the welcoming walls of Moccas, it didn't seem to matter that much.

There are five individually designed guest rooms. This may be a historic house and the rooms reflect this, but guest facilities are cutting edge.

We stayed in the lovely River Room, looking out over the Wye and the gardens, where we watched the rabbits nibbling the lawns. Moccas has five rosettes for accommodation, and the huge comfortable bed, lashings of hot water from the monsoon shower, gorgeous scented candles and thoughfully provided bathrobes are proof positive of this.

Its attractions haven't escaped the organisers of the Hay Festival of Literature, who each year reserve the guest rooms for their speakers.

"We have had a number of celebrity guests staying," said Ben, "and many return as they are so impressed."

There were no celebrities in residence the weekend we stayed, but our companions were a friendly bunch anyway. A Moccas break is run along the lines of a country house party, so be prepared to mingle with the other guests over pre-dinner drinks before the roaring fire in the library, and while enjoying dinner in the beautiful Round Room.

There can be few more romantic dining rooms than this. The hand-painted 17th-century wallpaper and embellished ceiling are illuminated by candlelight. Ben prides himself on his three-course dinners, which use the freshest seasonal locally-produced food. On the two nights we stayed the meals were excellent, and the company convivial. Ben and Mimi are totally hands-on' hosts, welcoming and fun - they were happy to join the guests for post-dinner drinks and chat.

After a restful night, a Moccas breakfast is on the menu. All the guests dined together in the Round Room at 9am, chowing down on fruit juices, cereals, croissants and the full English.

And so to the locality, which is charmingly rural Herefordshire. At Moccas you need to do little more than don a pair of sensible shoes and stride off along the riverside path, but if you want to range further afield you will soon find yourself in Hay-on-Wye, where you can while away a good few hours in the bookshops, followed by a cream tea or something stronger in one of the pubs.

We drove to Leominster for a mooch around the antique shops, and then to the National Trust property Berrington Hall, which looks remarkably like Moccas Court - in fact, Ben told me his family had connections with Berrington too.

Every time I visit Herefordshire I am always struck by how many trees are festooned with balls of mistletoe. It is everywhere - I think there must be something in the air that makes this Christmas essential thrive! The annual mistletoe sales take place each December at Tenbury Wells.

The county town of Hereford is definitely worth a visit. The cathedral is impressive and holds the Mappa Mundi, a unique piece of Britain's medieval heritage. It reveals how 13th-century scholars interpreted the world in spiritual and geographical terms.

If you prefer relaxation of the retail variety (like myself), then Hereford has a great shopping centre in which to browse and buy. Then enjoy a spot of lunch in one of the pubs, bars or cafes.

All too soon, like ourselves, you will find your weekend break is over, and its time to return to the daily grind. But when you have stayed somewhere as grand as Moccas Court, I bet it will not be long before you return.