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 sensitively developed into a stylish, bright and airy, modern country house experience.
The interiors are ‘show home’ smart, decorated to a high standard in contemporary hues, cool blues, greys and beige. The open plan entrance-atrium offers a good-sized bar area, warmed by an open fireplace, some cosy seating (where you can dine with your dog – Tewkesbury Park Hotel is very canine-friendly), magazines, games to borrow and a piano ready and waiting.
The hotel is close to the site of the famous Battle of Tewkesbury (more on this later) and its nine suites are each named after key figures in the conflict. Located in the oldest part of the building, the loveliest are truly sumptuous, beautifully furnished and decorated in creams, browns and greys. They’re really high spec – all have big TVs, Nespresso machines and luxurious Hypnos beds swaddled in fine Egyptian cotton.
The bathrooms attached to these suites are something else. If these bathrooms were bicycles, they’d be tandems, definitely made for two – twin sinks, twin Monsoon sprinklers for showering à deux and a double slipper bath.
The 85 bedrooms in the modern wing are spacious, kitted out with king-size Hypnos double or twin beds, desk and armchair. Dog-friendly rooms are available on the ground floor with patio doors providing direct outside access.
The dining experience is a central part of Tewkesbury Park’s attraction and its new restaurant, Mint, is really, really good. Even if you’re not staying in the hotel, it’s well worth seeking out – it’s clear it’s become popular as one of the best go-to dining places in the area.
The restaurant at Tewkesbury Park Hotel is an attractive, light and spacious room, with the Orangery alongside offering more intimacy. Both look out through large windows over the golf course with the Malverns and Cotswolds on the horizon. It’s a relaxed, informal place – no hushed posh restaurant tones here – offering attentive service. Well led by maitre’d Roberto, the staff are friendly, efficient and knowledgeable.
Head chef, Anuj Thakur, and his team have produced a menu of knockout dishes which changes with the season, making the most of produce which is readily available, and not shipped halfway around the world.
It’s very good value for money, too. The most expensive main course is £25, but most are under £20 and starters at £7. The wine list has plenty to tempt and at good value prices: most bottles are in the £20 to £30 range.
Everything on the menu is excellent but stand-out dishes were the Coln Valley smoked salmon and Devon crab remoulade and the Crispy Creedy Carver duck leg croquette with charred courgette tagliatelle (described as ‘’Perfect’’) as starters.
The main course Braised shin of Herefordshire beef was soft and the beef jus deliciously savoury, and was served with potato gratin, grilled heritage carrots and chestnuts. The Forest of Dean fallow deer venison was beautifully moist and came served with a venison ragu-cum-shepherd’s pie (“Fantastic!”). As you’d expect, there’s a good selection for non-meat eaters, too.
For dessert, as it’s so good, the sticky toffee pudding doesn’t stick around for very long. So it might be better instead to take your time over the cheese platter with local Cotswold organic brie, Alex James’ Blue Monday, Hereford Hop and Rosary Ash goat’s cheeses.
It goes without saying that the breakfasts are excellent, but I’ll say it anyway – the breakfasts are excellent! Locally sourced eggs, sausages and bacon are the main tasty features.
If you’re looking for something less energetic there’s a sauna, steam room and outdoor hot tub ready and waiting for you to enjoy. The spa offers bespoke facials and seaweed wraps, various massages, manicures and pedicures to make you look and feel great.
Alternatively, you might be like Mark Twain (and me) who think golf is a good walk spoiled and will set off for an unspoilt walk to explore the local area. If you need footwear, it’s available – one of the charming aspects of Tewkesbury Park is the thoughtful touches: for example, the array of colourful wellies at the entrance, available for muddy day walking.
Given its location, history buffs will be in their element. The skyline is dominated by Tewkesbury Abbey, with its fine Norman Tower. A short walk from the hotel brings you into Tewkesbury town, where half-timbered medieval houses sit alongside Tudor, Georgian and Victorian buildings.
Much of the abbey is unchanged from when it was first built in the early 12th century and while a lot of the inside is plain, it has unmissable splendours, original medieval windows and beautiful Gothic monuments.
The Battle of Tewkesbury was a major historical event, the final battle for the crown in the War of the Roses (the real-life inspiration for the Game of Thrones). The battle is now re-fought every year by thousands of re-enactors and medieval enthusiasts from all around the world as part of the Tewkesbury Medieval Festival. (The 2019 event takes place on 13 & 14 July).
From the hotel ,a pleasant walk along the banks of the Severn brings you to the fascinating Saxon-era church and chapel at Deerhurst.
Tewkesbury Park is well located for exploring further afield: the Cotswolds and the Malverns beckon, as do the nearby towns of Gloucester, Worcester and Regency Cheltenham with its famous racecourse.
The new owners of Tewkesbury Park have taken the country house hotel concept, modernised and democratised it so that’s open for all. There’s a range of accommodation and dining packages available on offer, some seasonal, some all year, to suit the depth of your pocket.
Tewkesbury Park is a place to stay and somewhere to eat (very) well, but it’s also an award-winning resort with pretty much something for everyone to enjoy – from a gym to a golf course, from tennis to squash court, from breakfast to dinner.
And after all that, at the end of a long and full day, there’s only one thing left to do…
Tewkesbury Park
Lincoln Green Lane,
Tewkesbury,
GL20 7DN
Tel: 01684 272 300
Email: enquiries@tewkesburypark.co.uk
Thinking of visiting yourself? Why not pin this post for later!
Check our roundup of our favourite UK Hotels. I’m sure Tewkesbury Park will star in the next feature.
And, if you are looking for West Country alternatives, we’d also recommend Thyme at Southrop which has a cookery school, restaurant and accommodation
Gliffaes in the Usk Valley for fishing and a Welsh Country House Hotel
Disclosure: We were guests of Tewkesbury Park Hotel. All content is editorially given and we were not required to write a positive review.
These looks a great place to spend weekend away exploring the area and eating lots of chocolate.
A small correction: the 1471 Battle of Tewkesbury, while significant, wasn’t the final battle in the Wars of the Roses. That distinction belongs to the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, after which Henry Tudor became king. Nevertheless, Tewkesbury – the abbey and the other buildings – looks gorgeous and I would love to visit. I enjoy seeing well-preserved medieval towns. The hotel, which looks handsome in its own right (as well as being comfy), would be the perfect place to stay given its close proximity to the town. I also really like their dog-friendly policy!
Wow that refurb certainly was worth the effort! What a gorgeous place! I love that bathtub, and those colourful wellies are so cute – perfect for the English weather 🙂
OMG that clawfoot soaker tub! As posh as the hotel looks, I can’t get over the meals are £25 and under. That sealed the deal for me.
Tewkesbury Park Hotel seems right up my alley: modern, yet comfortable and luxurious. I would surely enjoy soaking in that tub. I’ll bookmark this for my future travel plans.
So comfy yet so replete in history…with that soaking tub and the Tewkesbury Abbey. An awesome find!!!
The hotel looks great for pleasure seekers and history buffs alike! I love the color scheme and the modernity in an old building. The spa sounds amazing, especially the seaweed wraps, and a lot more fun than the golf. Though I would walk anywhere in those assorted colorful wellies. Thanks for sharing!
Really would love to check out this hotel when I get back to Gloucestershire (its been a few years and I only live in Hertfordshire). The small swimming pool looks really nice right now for a dip. Would love to check out Gloucester cathedral (which I havent done yet) nearby, I think Harry Potter was filmed there as well, but the abbey in Tewkesbury looks quaint and has some charm about it. Really do need to explore more of my country a bit more.
Impeccable decor and mouth-watering food. Two things that make up the essentials in any hotel. In addition, it has such a beautiful setting. Wins my favour.
Ok, I’m in love with the modern, yet comfortable decor at the Tewkesbury Park Hotel; that en suite soaking tub is calling my name! Add in amazing food and walking distance to that stunning abbey and you’ve got my idea of a great weekend getaway.
Tewkesbury Park Hotel looks like so much fun. I don’t know how I could possibly choose between staying, playing or being pampered. I think I would need to do it all. I love it that they have Wellingtons to let. I don’t think I could pack my home pair with me across the pond but I would had to let a little muck stand between me and a good walk in the woods.