A country break in a very English idyll Nestling at the foot of the Ilmington Downs, amongst the gentling rolling Cotswold Hills is the village of Ilmington – the highest in Warwickshire, just 3.5 miles north-west of Shipston on Stour and 8 miles south of Stratford. This picture postcard village embodies a very English idyll, […]
The Hand at Llanarmon – a small hotel with a big reputation
Excellent food and accommodation in Wales’ idyllic Ceiriog Valley. ‘’A little bit of heaven on Earth’’ was Lloyd George’s description of the Ceiriog Valley and it’s easy to see why – its steep hills, pastured and white-dotted with sheep, have been the inspiration for poets. And on this crowded island, it still remains relatively undiscovered […]
The Bower House Shipston – Hotel review
Boutique Hotel and Dining Experience at The Bower House, Shipston. The Bower House Restaurant with Rooms is located in the heart of Shipston-On-Stour, a charming market town just 11 miles north of Stratford-Upon-Avon and 10 miles south of Chipping Norton. A great base for exploring the beautiful rolling hills of the Cotswolds, there are many […]
Stonefield Castle Hotel – Loch Fyne, Scotland – Review
A Scottish Castle Break at Stonefield Castle Hotel, Loch Fyne: (invited press review) Stonefield Castle Hotel sits virtually on the shoreline of Loch Fyne in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Built in 1837 by John Campbell in the Baronial style it commands magnificent views over the aforementioned Loch which forms part of the coast of the […]
The Welcombe Hotel – Review
Hallmark Welcombe Hotel and Spa – Stratford upon Avon: The stunning Welcombe Hotel is a former country mansion house near Stratford upon Avon, built in a grand Neo-Jacobean style for Manchester businessman Mark Philips who commissioned the building from designed by architect Henry Clutton. Completed in 1869, Philips died just four years later, leaving the estate […]
Boringdon Hall Hotel and Spa – a Plymouth Sanctuary
Boringdon Hall Hotel Review It must have been Karma. Just as I was putting the final details to my recent trip to Plymouth exploring the Mayflower heritage, an email hit my desk about Boringdon Hall Hotel. What could be better than balancing a trip to the centre of historic Plymouth with one to a historic […]
Tewkesbury Park Hotel – the perfect place to stay, play or be pampered
Gloucestershire luxury resort hotel with something for everyone Tewkesbury Park Hotel sits on a low hill above the River Severn, a white outcrop of buildings, set in a sea of 163 green acres. First impressions are excellent. The heart of the hotel is an 18th-century manor which a recently concluded four-year, £10 million pound renovation has […]
An English Country Destination – Thyme
Visiting the Thyme Estate in Southrop: Guest post by Susan Grossman The little Bichon puppy, the newest addition to the Hibbert family, tore across the water meadow, scattering Welsh Black Mountain sheep and French ducks in its path. The 150-acre Thyme estate in Southrop, on the border of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, described by the owner […]
Bombay Sapphire package at De Vere Wokefield Estate
Bombay Sapphire Distillery and the De Vere Wokefield: I finished my WSET Spirits Level 1 course (passed with 100% – sorry, just had to brag!) just 2 weeks before Deborah and I were due to visit the DeVere Wokefield Estate for a night away and a trip to the Bombay Sapphire Distillery at Lavenham. I was […]
The State Suite at Tylney Hall Hotel & Gardens
Tylney Hall Hotel and Gardens – Butler Service and More: There’s very little that’s more exciting in life than going to stay at a grand country house hotel – but if you’re a Londoner like me it always seems to mean travelling for hours out of town to get that essential combination of luxury, top-notch food […]