Michael Edwards enjoys a golf-getaway in rural Berkshire at the De Vere Wokefield Estate.
Moses may have been found in the bulrushes but golfers on the Wokefield Estate are more likely to lose their pars in the bulrushes. Nine lakes are dotted round the 18 holes of the Wokefield Estate’s PGA standard course that meanders through the Berkshire countryside.
As the Wokefield Estate stretches over 250 acres, it is a spacious and distinctly rural course with views of cows grazing and thatched cottages in the distance. Through small copses of mature woodland, other golfers are only occasionally spotted
Fortunately, it is a flat course too. Playing 36 holes over two days on a more undulating terrain could have been hard work. Prior to tee-off it is worth investing some time at the Golf Academy to hit some drives and sharpen the putting.
Located just a few miles south of the congested urban sprawl of Reading, this is Attenborough territory. A heron flutters away, moorhens swim serenely on iris fringed lakes and Canadian wild geese watch golfers trundle by. Meanwhile a hare literally hares across the fairway, which is very appropriate when there are so many wickerwork sculptures of hares on the Estate’s lawns.
Wokefield Park’s light grey Mansion House is looking resplendent after a £20m restoration programme. With grand architectural echoes of the splendour of Ancient Rome, the house was originally built during the reign of Queen Mary way back in 1720. Seven bays link the wings with balustraded parapets. The mansion, featuring a first storey topped by a frieze and cornice, is a guide to the aspirational architecture of the 18th century. The grand facade even features a porte-cochere. That’s for alighting from horse-drawn carriages, not golf buggies.
Back then, architects had more grandiose conceptions of space. Guests are surprised to learn that there are only 87 rooms and suites. This is a boutique hotel but on a high-ceilinged palatial scale.
Tall windows, with hefty drapes pulled back, provide lordly vistas across Wokefield’s serene parkland. Above the wide beds in the suites, an antiquarian map of Berkshire stretches out. Suites have a lounge. Not just with a sofa but also with two wingback chairs equipped with a subdued tartan footstools.
Frames of pressed leaves clustered together decorate the walls, recalling the ladies of the estate who would have collected the botanical specimens on their gentle strolls through their acres. Just north of Hampshire, it is all very Jane Austen.
Bathrooms are spacious too with their separate rainfall shower and large bath. Organic toiletries from H2K help soothe muscles after a lengthy trek over the Par 72 course.
A grand house deserves a grand restaurant. The 1560 Restaurant elegantly serves a traditional English menu, locally sourced wherever possible. Think beef, chicken, lamb and pork but with a light, more modern touch. Tudors around in 1560 probably wouldn’t have seen the need for a vegan chocolate tart but they would have still appreciated the full flavour.
In the 1560 Bar and in the quiet Whisky Lounge, there is plenty of room to relax and mull over the day’s round. Planning strategies for the next day, working out how to avoid the beach of a bunker on the 2nd hole, visualising a successful shot to clear the lake on the 12th. Remembering not to overhit the approach shot to the 10th green where yet another lake lies innocently waiting.
As well as the Mansion House, more contemporary rooms are provided in the Wellington Lodge and Wokefield Place. The View Restaurant, not surprisingly giving spectacular views across the estate, offers more informal dining. Below, sits Benedict’s Bar, where big screens help create a sports bar atmosphere.
Although De Vere Wokefield Estate has 250 acres, guests can dip into its central facilities, with a short stroll from wherever they stay. To limber up or warm down, the gym and indoor swimming pool, are within minutes of the 1st tee and 18th green.
Tell Me More About De Vere Wokefield Estate
DeVere Wokefield Estate, Goodboy’s Lane, Reading, RG37 3AE
T: 0118 207 7471
Bed and breakfast from £109 per room.
Golf packages available.
