Sometimes, you just need a change of scenery... like a stay at The Swan, Loddon.
“You know,” said Mrs C to me one late spring morning, “we have not had a night away in ages.”
She was right. A combination of poor planning, timing, organisation and animal care meant that we had not been out of the domestic fortress for a veritable eternity.
So, when an invitation to The Swan in Loddon for a mini-break appeared, it seemed serendipity was smiling on us. A night away, bit of dinner, good breakfast, lovely spot... yes, please.
We have visited The Swan before, for meals, and found it a very agreeable place. Loddon must be one of our less appreciated market towns in the county; straddling the River Chet, it’s just a hop and a skip from Norwich but feels peaceful and quaint, easy-paced with a lovely main street lined with lots of red-brick buildings, of which the three-storied 18th century Swan is the most impressive.
Our room for the night is appropriately smart; there are three spots for guests dotted around the grounds and ours was tucked away in a quiet corner. They have invested more than a few bob in the accommodation and it really shows; everything was top-drawer, fresh, new and wanting for nothing.
Our room had a sublimely comfortable king-sized bed (they are all king or super-king sized), a toasty goose down duvet, en-suite bathroom with an excellent bath, plus all the facilities we now take for granted. Even Fido is catered for – our dog-friendly room had a super bed and, more importantly from the beasts’ point of view, a basket of treats from local dog baker and chocolatier Paw and Bone. Honestly, they looked good enough for humans, never mind the dogs.
In need of sustenance of our own, we wandered over to the bar for dinner. It was buzzing, friendly, busy and full but not over-crowded. The Swan seems to have managed that happy knack of being both a good local pub and a destination, not an easy trick to pull off. We bumped into a colleague who has been a regular for a decade and had nothing but good things to say about it.
On our previous visits the food has been consistently excellent – executive chef Jason Wright and his team are wizards in the kitchen – and it’s still a treat to eat here. We landed on grill night, so it was a very good sirloin for me and swordfish steak for madam. Absolutely delightful.
I also had a superb ham hock terrine (with a cracking home-made piccalilli) to start; Mrs C a very fine heirloom tomato and pickled beetroot salad with goat's cheese fritters. The desserts looked fabulous too, but we could only squeeze in a scoop of local ice-cream.
After a relatively peaceful night – no fault of our hosts, but one of our dogs snores like a traction engine – we had a cracking breakfast and wandered off for a walk through the town and to the marina and the river.
It may have just been one night away, but The Swan and its excellent team made it feel like a proper break, a reset and a welcome reviver of spirits. Highly recommended.
Dominic and Rosie (and Ollie and Lexi) were guests of The Swan at Loddon. Rooms from £90 - £130. theloddonswan.co.uk
