There’s a quiet romance about the bygone, characterised by simplicity, beauty, and placidity. As such, the honey-hued country house hotels peppering the United Kingdom have enraptured the hearts of many with their rustic allure. The concept was born in 1948 when Francis Coulson rented Sharrow Bay, a resplendent mansion in Ullswater built by a man named Anthony Parkin.
Luxury Country Hotels
Coulson advertised its palatial rooms as a charming homestay. Guests were welcomed with fanfare and taken in by the warm embrace of country life. Grand brunches, the iconic sticky toffee pudding, and bedtime poetry made for a restful holiday. The grand success of the Sharrow Bay homestay popularised the term “country house hotel,” and countless estates in the country capitalised on its success. Read on to discover the best country house hotels in the UK.
1. Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Oxfordshire, England
Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons is harmonised by mediaeval English tradition and flamboyant French luxury.
The 15th-century manor house was transformed into an opulent châteaux by LVMH-owned hotel company Belmond and French chef Raymond Blanc. From hand-painted murals to Victorian bathtubs, gold-leaf ornaments, handmade wallpapers, and boldly patterned upholstery, each room is staggeringly decked out, every detail minted to perfection. Soaring windows present peerless views of Oxfordshire’s heavenly countryside, pampering guests with cushy comforts bereft of the cacophony of everyday life.
The country house hotel has built a solid reputation for its transportive French gastronomy, earning Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons two Michelin stars.
2. The Grove of Narberth, Pembrokeshire, Wales
Nestled in the heart of Wales, the Grove of Narberth promises its guests genteel Welsh hospitality in the measureless meadows of Pembrokeshire.
Dating to the 15th century, the site was occupied by a “longhouse” (a long, narrow, single-room building for communal living). Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, many additions were made to the site, unfolding into a majestic neo-gothic structure with grand stairways, intricate fireplaces, and exclusive art pieces of the time.
After it was established as a country house hotel, trendy elements were woven into every room, such as the understated tapestries and slender lampshades. Each room is uniquely designed to bestow guests with wholesome luxury. The hotel is outfitted with a fine-dining establishment called Rosette Fernery, which has earned two AA Rosettes.
3. The Newt, Somerset, England
The Newt, a resplendent country estate tucked away in the woodlands of Somerset, is one of England’s most renowned country house hotels.
The Newt is more than just a country house hotel. Spanning acres of gardens, farmland, and cyder orchards with an impressive Georgian townhouse at its core, the Newt stands proudly, showcasing its 200-year-old legacy. In order to explore the whole estate, guests may need to call for a buggy ride.
The main house, known as the “Hadspen,” is a Georgian marvel in every sense, with symmetrically panelled walls, tall and unembellished windows, sleek yet sumptuous furniture, and a biscuit-hued facade. The remainder of the residence, the farmyard, is a cluster of revamped golden patina farm cottages standing shoulder-to-shoulder.
There’s also a spa and an elegant dining room, all displaying remnants of the past with vaulted ceilings and exposed brick walls.
4. Traquair House, Peeblesshire, Scottish Borders
The Traquair House is famously Scotland’s oldest inhabited house. It dates back to 1107. The Stuart family has lived here since 1491, when James Stewart became the first Laird of Traquair. Over 27 Scottish royals have visited Traquair House to date, as it used to be a hunting lodge for kings and queens. It has also served as the dwelling of Queen Mary of Scots.
A magnificent mansion with baroque Gothic elements, it is a castle straight out of a fairy tale. It hosts 50 rooms, including the Drawing Room, which houses ancestral artwork, the Dressing Room, and the Museum Room. There’s also the King’s Room, where Queen Mary stayed, complete with many of her possessions and ancestral relics, and a revived 18th-century brewery, which used to churn ales during Queen Mary’s reign.
Three rooms are open to the public for a bed and breakfast package – the White, Blue, and Pink rooms, all of which are 17th-century creations dolled up to resemble a Middle Age lounge. Using fresh produce from the estate, the housekeeper prepares an exceptional Scottish breakfast. Honeymoon couples are treated to a complimentary bottle of bubbly.
5. Tulloch Castle Hotel, Dingwall Ross-Shire, Scotland
Set in the Scottish Highlands, Tulloch Castle is a tower house dating to the 12th century with unmatched views of Cromarty Firth and the Black Isle.
Legend has it that the castle was built by Norsemen in the 12th century. However, the earliest record of ownership dates to the 16th century. Most of its original features have been retained, such as the dungeons, stained glass windows, labyrinthine staircases, and the 250-year-old panelled Great Hall. Full of mystique, the mediaeval secret tunnel that runs from the basement of the castle to the ancient Dingwall Castle across town has also been preserved.
The stately castle has 22 en-suite rooms, all richly panelled with wood, crowned with vaulted ceilings, and adorned with antiquated sconces and artwork.
6. Manor House Country Hotel, Enniskillen, Northern Ireland
Reposing on the shores of Lough Erne, the Manor House Country Hotel in Enniskillen is an 18th-century, grade II-listed building.
The site was originally owned by the Religious Community of the Culdees (members of the ascetic Christian monastic and eremitical communities of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and England during mediaeval times). It was known as the Yellow Church until it was acquired by Captain John Irvine in the 1660s. It was rebuilt two centuries later by Colonel J. G. Irvine – “he brought from Italy workmen to do the interior decoration which exists to this day.”
A brilliant paragon of period architecture, the Manor House Country Hotel is one of Northern Ireland’s most esteemed country retreats, having won several accolades over the years. Handsomely lavished deluxe rooms and suites are on offer, in addition to an avant-garde spa, an award-winning restaurant, a chic resto-bar, and an elegant pub.
7. Heckfield Place, Hampshire, England
Perched in the heart of rural Hampshire, Heckfield Place is a gargantuan Georgian marvel, blessed with verdant parkland and a glimmering lake at its feet.
The 17,000-square-foot estate was built in the 1700s and was expanded by the Shaw Lefevre family about two decades later. Having been restored recently, the early modern manor with meandering staircases, panelled walls, and the original flagstone flooring now has a dash of contemporary flair. With walled gardens, a home farm, biodynamic orchards, and a dairy, Heckfield Place is an entirely self-sustaining country house.
In addition to the enveloping wilderness, guests can unwind at the mini-theatre or the spa. There’s also a Michelin-starred restaurant, Marle, on the estate, as well as a laid-back restobar called Hearth.
8. Barnsley House, Cirencester, England
The Barnsley House stands out in the Cotswolds' throng of honey-hued cottages.
The home was designed and inhabited by the late, famous garden designer, Rosemary Verey. It was built in 1697 and hosts 18 luxury bedrooms. With its burnt-biscuit facade and romantic gardens, it is indeed a time capsule preserving the pastoral serenity and architectural wonder of mediaeval times.
An utterly honest-to-goodness country house hotel, the Barnsley House has little ostentatious frills. There’s a compact spa, a restaurant with 2 AA Rosettes, and a traditional bar.
The sequestered rural retreat, however, has been star-dusted over the years, with Hugh Grant, Kate Moss, Gary Kemp, and Elizabeth Hurley making Barnsley House their choice countryside hideout.
The United Kingdom is certainly a treasure trove of bolthole wonders. Timeless luxury is seamlessly married with archaic majesty, furnishing visitors with the best of both worlds. One is whisked away to a bucolic wonderland, lavished with regal decadence.
There is certainly no nicer means of shirking off responsibilities and revitalising your body, mind, and soul – it’s time to escape to one of the UK's splendid country house hotels.
