Shake off the last of the winter blues with a reviving weekend in the countryside, from a cosy corner of the Surrey Hills, to cold water therapy in the Cotswolds
Charlie Chaplin once entertained guests at the baby grand piano at Lord Beaverbrook’s Surrey Hills estate. Churchill, Kipling and Tallulah Bankhead mingled over cocktails and croquet. The piano remains to this day, as does the Art Deco cinema (the first private screen in the UK) and the glamour of a bygone age imbues every corner of this English country house. The 470-acre estate remained in the family of the influential press baron until 2011, before becoming a destination hotel.
Writer’s paradise
While guests can stay in the 18 rooms in the Victorian main house and the further 11 in the Garden House, the newly opened Village offers something altogether different. Rooms are an informal and family-friendly option for those who prefer to be separate from the hotel.
Surrounded by ancient yew forest, The Village was built on the site of former servants’ quarters. Rooms are named after authors – Tolkien, JM Barrie, Wordsworth – and are designed by Nicola Harding, with old Penguin classics lining shelves and colourful fabrics hanging from four-posters.
Traditional food
There’s a traditional pub menu at the accompanying restaurant, Mrs Beeton’s (think posh chip buttie, sausage rolls, roast lamp chops). With the convenience of your own electric buggy, guests can zip up to the hotel to eat at the Japanese Grill, or relax in The Coach House health club & spa. For those craving ultimate privacy, you can now book the five-bedroom Dower House, with butler, chef, and pool. It’s the country estate experience, but with a retreat of your own.
Rooms in The Village, Beaverbrook, start at £600 a night, beaverbrook.co.uk
Also try…
Lakes by Yoo, Cotswolds
Take the plunge and learn about the healing powers of breathwork and cold water therapy for pain management and detoxifying to reducing anxiety with Halen Strength. Guests for this day-long retreat can book cabins or suites.
The Outbuildings, Dorset
Like a mini Soho Farmhouse, but quieter, the Outbuildings has just launched two new rural lodges to their existing seven. Adults only and dog friendly, enjoy champagne in the woodland hot tub, the Hay Barn cinema and chef-prepared meals. holidayoutbuildings.com
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