UK retreats: Escape to the country

Save on the airfare and splash out on these gorgeous UK retreats this summer.

When you’re constantly hopping on and off planes, staying put might just offer the kind of R&R you need. Not to mention that when we’re so focused on exploring the latest up-and-coming destination, we often forget to look in our own backyard. From the remote beauty of the Lake District to stunning country manors accessible from London, embrace the art of slow travel this summer and enjoy a UK staycation.

Best for: Gardening and gastronomy

On the outskirts of London in the quaint Oxfordshire hamlet of Great Milton lies Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, a 15th-century manor nestled in 11 hectares of land. Within minutes of exiting the motorway, we found ourselves in the fairytale-like Grade II*-listed premises, passing by juicy apricots along a medieval-walled driveway before reaching the entrance.

Four decades ago, chef-patron Raymond Blanc OBE decided to transform Lady Cromwell’s house into a hotel and restaurant that flourishes in all four seasons (hence the name Quat’Saisons). On a miserable wet day in May, we put this to the test.

Today the hotel offers 32 luxurious rooms and suites, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant, 11 manicured gardens, nine beehives, a 2,500-strong heritage orchard, and both a cookery and gardening school. The property lives by a garden-to-table ethos, its organic potager gardens supplying the kitchens with vegetables, salad and herbs.

Time disappeared as we explored the grounds, armed with a trusty umbrella and a beautifully illustrated map. We started in the wistful wisteria tunnel beside the Dovecote turret, its stonework facade patterned by trained fig trees, before heading into the courtyard to appreciate a circa 200-year-old chestnut tree. Along the way we spotted a chef picking ingredients to rustle up our dinner.

Our Secret Garden-style adventure continued with moments of contemplation in the wildflower meadow, strolls through the Japanese garden and waterside walks alongside ponds designed by monks in the 16th century. Animating the gardens are bronze sculptures of Maman Blanc, birds springing from water lily-dappled waters and wild animals nestled in forestry – with the whole ecosystem reflected in beautiful sculptural form.

When the rain came thrashing down, we retired to the manor house. Rooms and suites are individually designed, with inspiration drawn from Blanc’s life – from his childhood in France to travels in Asia – as well as fairytales by Hans Christian Andersen.

Our sumptuous Lavande suite featured Provençal pops of purple, a warm floral scent and beautiful ironwork bay windows overlooking the famous lavender-lined path. Incorporated into the design are old-fashioned English touches, including oak flooring, antique furnishings and weighty ornate curtains. Sitting here felt like a scene from a Jane Austen novel with a French twist. There are lovely surprises too, including a sewing box that opens out like a flower in bloom, a cloche-covered lemon drizzle cake fresh from the kitchen and linen bags to take home bars of soap from the lavish, marble-clad bathroom.

As for fine dining, Le Manoir has retained two Michelin stars since its opening and acquired a green star along the way for its sustainable endeavours. The restaurant serves a three-course a la carte menu or a seasonal seven-course tasting menu, plus the option to order from the comfort of the cosy lounge areas. We perused the menu with a glass of Veuve Clicquot 2015 Champagne (alongside gorgeous juicy olives) before settling in the orangerie for standout dishes including confit Loch Duart salmon with sorrel, hearty stuffed morel with white asparagus, and poached Cornish turbot with peas and garden lovage.

After a sumptuous sleep, and ahead of departing, we joined the daily gardening tour (ours was led by the warm and charismatic Kate). Over the course of 90 minutes, we picked up tips on pruning figs, learned about the property’s history and future plans, and chatted to horticulturalists and beekeepers. As for the four seasons, Le Manoir provides an enchanting experience no matter the weather. Here’s to another magnifique four decades!

• Rates for a Superior Room start from £690, including breakfast
• belmond.com

Hannah Brandler

Best for: Peace and privacy

Regardless of your age, there’s something dream-like about spending a night in a treehouse. Now imagine a five-star version, nestled in the New Forest with a hardwood wraparound terrace and inviting cedar wood hot tub. Sold!

You’ll find this at Chewton Glen Hotel & Spa, a member of Iconic Luxury Hotels and also the first UK property to join Relais & Châteaux in 1971. The rural retreat in Hampshire is centred on an 18th-century country house, complete with 58 rooms and suites, and boasts 53 hectares on the edge of the New Forest. It’s also a ten-minute drive from New Milton station, which reaches London Waterloo in under two hours.

The real draw is the 14 treehouse suites, which are worlds away from creaky childhood structures. The contemporary lodgings are huge and sturdy, each one housing two vast suites, and connected by a canopy pathway (so there’s no climbing involved). Floor-to-ceiling glass windows flood the suites with natural light and endless views of forestry, while interiors feature cosy furnishings, a wood burner and nature motifs throughout – including a table crafted from wooden logs. The treehouses are also eco-friendly, featuring rainwater harvesting, air-source heat pumps, solar panels and low-energy lighting.

Amenities range from a complimentary minibar filled with local treats (don’t miss the chocolate bark) to in-suite spa treatments and dining hampers. For the utmost privacy, opt for The Yews, a secluded, standalone option capable of hosting eight adults and four children, with its own footpath.

It would be a waste not to enjoy the grounds too, which include 70 beehives, 60 bird boxes, a heritage orchard, lion statues donated by Born Free Foundation (available to purchase) and some beautiful sakura trees. Activities range from croquet to golf, tennis, sheep walking (yes, you read that right), spa treatments and cookery classes at celebrity chef James Martin’s The Kitchen Restaurant & Cookery School. We left the cooking to the professionals and enjoyed British comfort food in the unpretentious environment of The Kitchen Restaurant (there’s a more formal Dining Room in the main house).

I was particularly impressed by the care taken to cater to dietary requirements, with the kitchen seamlessly integrating plant-based alternatives and non-alcoholic drinks to the experience. I’m still in awe of the delicious vegan cheesecake – and that’s coming from someone who hates vegan cheese – and the mocktails were aesthetically identical to Chewton’s cocktails.

On our final morning, we swapped woodland views for a coastal sunrise, with the hotel being just a 15-minute walk to the coast via the Chewton Bunny Nature Reserve. So, pack your swimsuit and wellies, and enjoy the best of both worlds.

• Rates for Main House rooms start from £445, Treehouse Suites start from £965
• chewtonglen.com

Hannah Brandler

Best for: Family-friendly trips

The Grade II-listed Bovey Castle, located on the northern edge of Dartmoor National Park, dates back to the early 1900s, when the neo-Elizabethan manor house was built for the family of WHSmith bookseller and newsagent William Henry Smith. Overthe years, it served as a convalescent home and military hospital, before being converted into the Manor House Hotel.

Today it belongs to the Rigby Group, operator of the Eden Hotel Collection.

We drove through spectacular scenery and arrived via a long driveway that runs through the hotel’s golf course. Staff in flat caps and tweed plus fours parked our car and took our luggage up to the room, while we walked in through the grand front door, taking in the Jacobean-style wood-panelled main staircase and portraits lining the walls – my four-year-old daughter also spied a vintage wooden rocking horse that provided her with entertainment during the stay.

The hotel is both pet and children friendly – staff were extremely patient with my son’s questions about whether there might be any haunted rooms and my daughter’s attempts to escape behind the reception to “help”.

As you might expect with a property of this nature, no two rooms are the same. Our Junior State Room had a separate space with bunk beds, and an incredible view onto the grounds, the golf course and onwards to Dartmoor National Park.

Bovey Castle boasts two restaurants: Smith’s Brasserie is the more relaxed of the two, and the Great Western Grill is a formal, fine dining venue, with plush velvet tablecloths, a Champagne bar and a grand piano just outside the entrance. My daughter was entranced by the pianist – she would happily have spent the weekend sat on the rocking horse next to the piano and dancing along to Elton John classics.

The rooms and restaurants are just a small part of what the property offers. There are myriad facilities and activities available and we did our best to explore as much of the grounds as possible.

Each day Bovey Castle leaves a printed sheet of daily activities in guest bedrooms, from free, child-friendly activities such as the chance to meet the hotel’s chickens and ferrets (including Suki, who is apparently the world’s oldest ferret at some 15 years) to clay pigeon shooting, air rifle sessions, a walking tour of the onsite deer park and 4×4 off-road driving experiences.

My son and I thoroughly enjoyed an hour’s archery. We were given tuition by the knowledgeable Becky on how to hold the bow and release the arrow, and my son even managed to get a bullseye!

One of the property’s outbuildings has also recently been converted into a children’s area, with a KidsZone on the ground floor offering lovely wooden toys including a fully equipped kitchen with microwave and washing machine, and an upper floor housing a TechZone with various screens and an Xbox console.

This is a wonderful hotel in a beautiful setting. I had been concerned that our two children running amok throughout what is a traditional, luxury property might have been frowned upon, but the hotel clearly embraces families, with friendly (not stuffy) staff and activities for all ages.

• Rates for a Junior State Room start from £459
• boveycastle.com

Mark Caswell

Best for: Spa and scenery

The Lake District is high on the list of UK beauty spots and the Gilpin Hotel & Lake House makes full use of its picturesque location. Handmade stone walls, undulating green fields and increasingly charming hamlets offer a bucolic red carpet entrance to this idyllic country retreat located near Lake Windermere, England’s largest lake.

The resort is split across two sites. Tucked away down the kinds of narrow lanes only country folk can handle, you’ll find The Lake House, a serene sanctuary set on 40 hectares of private grounds that encompass a man-made boating lake. It feels like wandering into an old friend’s country estate and, with just six rooms, as if you have the whole place to yourself. The house is filled with comfy furnishings, curios, a roaring fireplace and dreamy country views. Our room – Harriet, named after one of the original family’s matriarchs – was dressed in creams and rustic chic furnishings that celebrate nature, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows offering uninterrupted views over the lake and local wildlife that ranges from ducks to deer.

There’s an indoor pool, outdoor hot tubs dotted around the grounds, rowing boats to while away an afternoon and even a fairy stone circle near the entrance. The staff could not have been friendlier or more accommodating, with great personalised service.

Over at the main lodge, there are 30 rooms (22 with hot tubs). In 2019, the property added five Spa Suites to the mix, which offer the ultimate luxury spa sanctuary. Stunning modern interiors feature a beautifully executed indoor/outdoor theme: I loved the Japanese moon bath set under a skylight and hanging basket, the open rain showers that face straight into the garden and glass walls everywhere.

There’s every mod con you could imagine – a hanging fireplace that crackles to life at the click of a remote; full Sky Sports package; personal steam room and sauna; and a spa room with massage bed and infrared lamp. Professional in-room treatments can be arranged so you don’t need to head to the spa rooms in the main house. Our full body massage was paired delightfully with calming spa music and the chirping of birds.

A private garden and deck features a sunken hot tub overlooking a pond, with outdoor speakers and the only chance of being overlooked coming from the next door field of curious alpacas and llamas.

Being a Relais & Châteaux property, gourmands are also well catered, too. Spice offers modern pan-Asian cuisine, with a live kitchen to watch the chefs at work. The dining room was buzzing, even on a Tuesday evening, and understandably so, with flavourful dishes from Asian fried chicken in gochujang and black sesame to Cumbrian saddleback pork belly tonkotsu with kimchi, sesame, and pickled ginger. (Even the local taxi driver was raving about the egg fried rice during our transfer.)

For formal dining, the main house is home to the Michelin-starred Source. Head chef Ollie Bridgwater hails from Heston Blumenthal’s three Michelin-starred Fat Duck restaurant, and guests can enjoy a ten-course wine-paired culinary experience (£200 per person) or a shorter three-course meal in the elegant dining room.

Should you manage to work your way through all the on-site facilities, the local area also begs to be discovered. Pick any direction and set off for a woodland wander, or head to the nearby bustling tourist town of Windermere to explore cute boutique stores and lake views.

• Rates at the Lake House start from £570, Spa Suites start from £960
• thegilpin.co.uk

Tamsin Cocks

Grove of Narberth, Wales

If you’re looking for luxury in the remote rolling hills of Pembrokeshire, then this boutique 25-room hotel is right up your street. The thoughtfully restored country house features 10.5 hectares of grounds (including kitchen gardens), rooms and suites across the main house and quaint cottages, plus an award-winning restaurant. It’s also got myriad eco credentials (the electricity is 100 per cent renewable), hiking and coastal sights on the doorstep and starry nights back at the hotel. The property also won SLH’s Hotel of the Year award in 2023. grovenarberth.co.uk

Culloden Estate and Spa, Northern Ireland

Perched on the forested slopes of the Holywood hills near Belfast, this luxurious spa overlooks the Belfast Lough and sparkling County Antrim coastline. Guests can enjoy palatial scenery, ESPA spa treatments, a eucalyptus steam room, and aquafit or yoga and pilates classes in the health club. This summer, the hotel is launching a Champagne Garden in partnership with Bollinger, to elevate al fresco vibes at the on-site Cultra Inn Irish pub and bistro. cullodenestateandspa.com

Mar Hall Golf & Spa Resort, Scotland

Nestled in a 97-hectare ancient woodland estate just ten minutes’ drive from Glasgow Airport, this resort welcomes those seeking adventure or relaxation – it boasts an 18-hole championship golf course and a new spa and wellness leisure club with a 20-metre swimming pool, sauna, steam rooms and thermal suite. The property has also just unveiled plans for 30 luxury lodges within the grounds. marhall.com