Goldstone Hall near Market Drayton shortlisted again after a golden year

Goldstone Hall, the Georgian country house hotel in the hills outside Market Drayton, is having a year to remember. In October it was named a finalist for Small Serviced Accommodation Provider of the Year at the West Midlands Tourism Awards, only months after winning that same category for the second year running.

The Gold award came at the regional ceremony on Monday 16 March, during English Tourism Week, when the hotel saw off small hotels from across the West Midlands, from Oswestry and Ludlow to Warwick and Stratford-upon-Avon. Judges praised what they called the hotel's "heartfelt hospitality", its cleanliness and its sustainability work.

Three strengths stood out for the panel: the use of locally sourced produce, the high standards kept across the period house, from bedrooms to the garden-led restaurant, and what they described as the "love put into the hotel by the Cushing family". As a regional Gold winner, Goldstone went forward to the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence.

The hotel has been owned and run for 40 years by John and Sue Cushing, together with their daughters Victoria and Katie. It has 12 bedrooms looking out over the North Shropshire countryside, and the house sits within five acres of gardens, including a productive one-acre kitchen garden that supplies the restaurant.

Those gardens are a big part of the draw. Goldstone is an RHS Partner Garden, and the herb garden caught the eye of Carol Klein when the hotel featured on the BBC Gardeners' World Winter Special. The hotel also points visitors towards its neighbours in what it calls the golden garden triangle, close to Wollerton Old Hall Garden, Hodnet Hall Gardens and Bridgemere Show Garden.

The new shortlisting puts Goldstone among 35 finalists from across the region, with winners in 17 categories due to be announced early in the New Year. Judging includes site visits and mystery guest inspections.

Owner John Cushing said the family were delighted to progress to final judging alongside some outstanding smaller accommodation providers. "We welcome the challenge and the opportunity to show what makes a stay at Goldstone special," he said.

For anyone looking for a winter break in north Shropshire, the combination of a family welcome, seasonal cooking from the kitchen garden and easy access to some of the county's finest gardens makes it a strong choice.

Goldstone Hall Hotel and Gardens is at Market Drayton, TF9 2NA. To book a room or a table, visit goldstonehallhotel.co.uk.