The Bench Mark is a private house offering eco-friendly bed and breakfast accommodation in a beautiful part of the West Midlands. Ideally located for walking (right on the Offa’s Dyke path), cycling, driving or just mooching about, the house is comfortable and centrally heated throughout. There is no TV, which makes for a peaceful and relaxed atmosphere, but if you bring along your own laptop, you are welcome to take advantage of the wireless internet access. There is a good supply of books, CDs and a variety of musical instruments.
Kington is an attractive town with pleasantly idiosyncratic shops (including England’s last traditional clog-maker), a number of pubs and a selection of takeaways and food shops. The Bench Mark is run in a reasonably eco-friendly manner and is accredited as a Green Tourism business.
Your host, Adam Watson, is a one-time bookbinder, who now weaves and spins in his spare time with occasional sallies into sculpture. He is an amateur musician, an avid reader, enjoys cooking and has a keen interest in classic cars and green issues.
Please note that owing to the many different levels in the house, The Bench Mark is not suitable for people with mobility problems. Visitors to the house should be 16 or over.
Accommodation is provided on the first floor with two well-appointed bedrooms – one with a standard double bed, the other with twin beds.
Both rooms have tea and coffee-making facilities but the bathroom and toilet facilities are shared. Bedlinen and towels are pure cotton and bathroom toiletries are eco-friendly.
Breakfast is served between 7am and 9am (other times by arrangement) and is based around full English. As much food as possible is sourced locally with the bacon, eggs, sausages and black pudding all coming from the Kington area; the marmalade is Adam’s own. Vegetarians, vegans and other diets can, of course, be catered for although a little advance warning is always helpful.
Allergy information: every reasonable effort will be made to accommodate allergies as long as your host knows about them beforehand. It should be noted that there is a cat in the house.
Please note that although we do accept credit cards the facilities are not on site therefore we must be given advance notice if you wish to pay by card on arrival. Sorry for any inconvenience.
Check-in: 3:30 PM till 9:30 PM
Check-out: 10:30 AM
Pet Policy: No pets