Caynham Court, Ludlow, Shropshire

Caynham Court is a grand building but it has a relaxed atmosphere and feels very much like a family home. Available for exclusive use by groups of between eight and twenty people. Self-catering or fully-catered options.

We have nine large double bedrooms and a single bedroom, all with modern en-suite shower rooms, a boot room, a walk-in gun room (for shooting parties), laundry room, kitchen, dining room, huge reception room and sitting room, it is ideal for shoot parties during the season or other parties throughout the year.

Caynham Court, located just 2 miles from Ludlow town centre, was listed in the Domesday Book as owned by Ralph de Mortimer in 1086. It has been re-modelled many times since but has sat at the heart of Shropshire society for 900 years. The building today is predominantly Georgian brick, following a re-modelling in the 1790s, but it overlays a much older stone structure.

Accommodation is informal. The house is big, with large rooms and modern en-suite facilities attached to all bedrooms, but it is not fussy. Downstairs, the wooden floors and rugs are dog and welly-boot friendly. Efficiently warmed by oil-fired central heating and large wood burners, guests can join the party in the main reception room, retire to read a book or watch the rugby in the snug, or take a walk over the trout stream and into the old parkland with a cigar.

We have a boot room, a laundry and a walk-in gun room, as well as a workshop and ample parking. Dining is around a huge table seating up to twenty, under a lovely old plasterwork ceiling dating from the 1790s.

For parties that require catering, we recommend local chef Warwick Kidd, who uses Shropshire ingredients wherever possible and brings by local waiting staff. Your hosts, Diggory and Claire, are on hand to ensure your comfort.

Your party has exclusive use of the house and facilities while resident. We expect you to treat the place as if you lived here. No fuss, no pretence, just proper, informal, country living.

Self-catering is available throughout the year, with full use of ten bedrooms.