‘Like a cruise ship on land’
Ed Elliot savours the pleasures of Heythrop Park
Following a £40m renovation, grade IIlisted Heythrop Park, on the edge of the Cotswolds, provides the perfect mix of relaxation and leisure pursuits. The adults-only Oxfordshire estate opened in September as the 15th property in the Warner Leisure Hotels portfolio,.
Many leisure activities are on offer here, and guests are free to be as involved – or as idle – as they wish. Billed as the biggest and boldest Warner hotel upon its unveiling, Heythrop is an opulent 18th century manor house, set amid
440 sprawling acres five miles from Chipping Norton.
Charles Talbot, the first Duke of Shrewsbury, was inspired to create the Baroque palazzo during a fiveyear sojourn in Italy, with most of the project, designed by architect Thomas Archer, completed by 1710. Fast-forward just over 300 years and, after being gutted by fire in 1831 and 20th century spells as a Jesuit college and a NatWest training centre, his former home has been transformed.
Beyond a sandstone facade of 12 columns and 11 bays, Warner Leisure has created three restaurants, six lounges and two theatres in what has been likened to a cruise ship on land. Substantial north and south wings, including an orangery, stretch out from the imposing stately centrepiece, surrounded by a golf course.
“People want to come and create their own experience, as much as anything, and we give them lots of options,” Dan Kent, Heythrop’s general manager designate, tells me. “If you’re looking for that country house experience, that’s here for you, but if you’re looking for something more vibrant, fastpaced and energetic, then that’s here for you as well.”
I spend a tranquil afternoon in a fluffy, white robe at the resort’s wellness centre. An energy booster massage (£40 for 40 minutes) – focusing on the back, legs and feet – is simultaneously invigorating and soothing, and I follow it with a few languid lengths of the 20-metre indoor pool. Spells in the sauna and steam room are also recommended, but the spa’s piece de resistance is undoubtedly a pair of alfresco hot tubs. They are an ideal place for quiet contemplation in the fresh country air.
Guests eager to spread their wings have plenty of options for easy day trips from Heythrop. In addition to the lure of the Cotswolds, Oxford and Blenheim Palace are also on the doorstep.
Our days are spent sampling tea (free) and gin (£15 per person) during organised tasting sessions, strolling the grounds, and partaking in bowls, archery, trivia quizzes and a few frames of snooker in the billiards room, while evenings consist of three-course meals in the trio of dining areas, followed by live music.
Former X Factor finalist Niqi ‘Bupsi’ Brown entertains as Tina Turner on our opening night, with the Ed Sheeran Experience – endorsed by the man himself – the headline act the following day.
How to plan your trip
Three-night stays at Heythrop Park, including breakfast, three-course evening meals, activities and entertainment, start at £279 pp.