The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
30 great British hotels for a spring getaway
A bench in the sun, a garden in bloom, alfresco dining at last… whatever it is you love about the season, our experts know where to find it
It is hard to think of a more welcome antidote to winter than the advent of spring, with all its freshness, renewal and promise of summer. Few things are more appreciated than the sight of the first snowdrops, followed by crocuses, then swathes of joyful daffodils; or the swell of the dawn chorus and the sound of the first cuckoo. As warmer, lighter evenings arrive, nothing is more appealing than the idea of roaming from home instead of hunkering down.
On that theme, what could be more joyous than a spring break in a special hotel? We have scoured the country, seeking out 30 places to stay which encapsulate the season. You could even spoil yourself and chase spring by starting with an early-season stay in Cornwall, where it begins sooner than anywhere else in Britain. The county’s spring gardens are world-famous – and its beaches empty. Then travel to the North, where spring arrives at least a month later.
Among the less-trumpeted features of British hotels are their gardens. So many country house hotels have beautiful grounds, hardly mentioned on their websites but a delight to find – especially when they are filled with bulbs and earlyflowering perennials. But it is not just gardens that make certain hotels the right choice for a spring stay. We are looking for freshness, prettiness, a certain lightness of touch and a sense of happiness at this time of year. Perhaps a beautiful plant-filled conservatory in which to dine, surrounding meadows or fields full of gambolling lambs; a lake or riverside setting maybe, watching ducks dabbling. Some revitalising treatments in the spa; and light, fresh, seasonal, locally sourced dishes, including plenty of spring vegetables, in the dining room.
This is not the time of year for snug nooks by the fire, but for spreading wings and taking flight. These hotels provide the perfect perch.
NORTH
Askham Hall Cumbria
Blooming grounds Seasonal produce
Walks from the doorstep Al fresco living
Wandering Askham Hall’s quintessential English gardens – lush terraces, grand topiary, a riotous herbaceous border – feels like stepping back in time. This is partly because the gardens are surrounded by bucolic woodland and pastures, but mainly because the hall – the former home of the Lowther family (Earls of Lonsdale) in the Lake District – is a storybook medieval pile with battlemented parapets, leaded windows and cannonball-proof walls.
Now a Michelin-starred restaurant with rooms (still run by the Lowthers), it has a homely air, with family heirlooms in the (vast) bedrooms, modern art on the walls and an honesty bar in the library. Most of the food is supplied by the Lowther estate, and there is a small heated outdoor pool to welcome the spring weather.
Doubles from £180, B&B (01931
712350; askhamhall.co.uk).
Forest Side Cumbria
Blooming grounds Seasonal produce
Walks from the doorstep Al fresco living
Set back from the road up a tree-lined drive bordered by grazing sheep, this Victorian villa with its castellated roofline, fancy chimneys and corner towers is easy to miss. But its tuckedaway feel, despite being only a 15-minute stroll from picture-perfect Grasmere in the Lake District, is one of its attractions. The main draw, though, is the food – Michelin-starred since 2017 and much of it seasonally dictated by the walled kitchen garden, which supplies up to 80 per cent of the restaurant’s needs. The produce makes its way into the cocktails and custom-made spirits, too. Walks from the doorstep can be low-key or challenging, while the terrace overlooking the English gardens is a good spot for a reviving cuppa. Rooms are understatedly luxurious; those with garden views have the best chance of spotting a red squirrel. Doubles from £319, room only. Closed Monday and Tuesday (015394 35250; theforestside.com).
Middleton Lodge North Yorkshire
Blooming grounds Seasonal produce
Walks from the doorstep Al fresco living
In springtime, pastures enveloping this Georgian country pile are a frisson of wildflowers, some of which appear on restaurant plates. That is the heart and soul of this estate, which has just received a Michelin Green Star. Much of the menus are picked or foraged from the grounds, such as purple-sprouting broccoli and forced rhubarb in abundance, cherry blossom for cordials, and wild garlic and nettles for soup. Drop your bags, borrow a complimentary pair of wellies (or bikes) and fill your lungs with fresh air before lolling in the steamy spa pool, tucking into long Coach House lunches, or dining at Forge. Book a hot tub Dairy room to soak among woodland as you listen to chiffchaffs in the canopy.
Doubles from £270, including breakfast (01325 377977; middletonlodge.co.uk).
Devonshire Arms Hotel & Spa Yorkshire
Blooming grounds Seasonal produce
Walks from the doorstep Al fresco living
There’s something special about this part of the Dales in spring: the smell of damp earth, bluebells and wild garlic tinge the air, while the sound of steam trains chugging off from nearby Embsay & Bolton Abbey station adds timeless appeal. Several circular walks start from the door, including a stroll along the river Wharfe up to the Bolton Abbey Priory ruins in around 15-20 minutes. Back at base, frilly four-poster beds, a barn spa, hearty afternoon teas and season-driven menus in two restaurants up the relaxation factor. The terrace is the perfect place to soak in all that outdoorsy springtime atmosphere. Doubles from £225, including breakfast (01756 718100; devonshirehotels.co.uk).
Goldsborough Hall North Yorkshire
Blooming grounds Seasonal produce
Walks from the doorstep Al fresco living
Wake up to misty-morning views at this family-run stately home near Harrogate. For such a little-known treasure, the ornamental grounds are wonderful, with much planted by royalty when HRH Princess Mary lived there in the 1920s. The cherry blossom trees, a gift from the emperor of Japan, bewitch the scene in milky whites, and around April time more than 50,000 lemon-yellow daffodils carpet the quarter-mile Lime Tree Walk. Talks and events take place throughout the season, which is a lovely way to spend a few hours followed by afternoon tea in the orangery or on the terrace. The kitchen garden supplies many of the ingredients used in the 3-AA-rosette restaurant.
Doubles from £125, including breakfast (01423 867321; goldsboroughhall.com).
SOUTH
Ellenborough Park Gloucestershire
Blooming grounds Seasonal produce
Walks from the doorstep Al fresco living
Turn down the drive of 62-bedroom Ellenborough Park and you might think an idyllic village lies ahead. Surrounded by lawns, a group of Cotswold-stone buildings is set around a manor house embellished with towers and turrets. This is a country house hotel of gracious living and excellent, relaxed dining from largely local ingredients. Its setting is impressive: from the front there are striking views of Cheltenham Racecourse; from the back you look up to Cleeve Hill, the highest point in the Cotswolds – the hotel’s generous boot room will equip you with Dubarry boots, picnic blankets and more for an excursion there. Other winning features include an outdoor heated pool, a spa with a walled garden, and stylish pods for outdoor dining.
Doubles from £270, including breakfast (01242 545454; ellenboroughpark.com).
Thyme Gloucestershire
Blooming grounds Seasonal produce
Walks from the doorstep Al fresco living
Thyme is a cluster of exquisitely decorated honey-stone properties (a former rectory, a farmhouse, cottages and spectacular barns) that sits in 150 acres of grounds at the edge of picture-pretty Southrop village in the Cotswolds. It is especially appealing in spring, awash with early flowers and filled with birdsong. The 31-bedroom hotel is run by two generations of the Hibbert family, whose ethos of tuning into nature is evident everywhere, from the spring-fed swimming pool and serene spa to the hand-drawn maps for walks. On a balmy spring day, enjoy a fresh-air feast on the main restaurant’s courtyard terrace. Doubles from £430, B&B (01367
850174; thyme.co.uk).
The Feathered Nest Oxfordshire
Blooming grounds Seasonal produce
Walks from the doorstep Al fresco living
This Cotswold village pub turned epicurean getaway exudes easygoing charm. Its food is fabulous, whether from the tasting, à la carte or pub menu, with ingredients sourced locally or from top-quality suppliers further afield. Owner-manager Adam Taylor has produced a leaflet of beautiful walks from the doorstep and is often on hand to welcome guests, pulling pints in the bar and advising on wines from the cellar. Not quite upstaging the cuisine are the pub’s views over the Evenlode Valley. In spring and summer, dine on the large terrace. Chic accommodation is offered in four bedrooms and a cottage. Doubles from £155, B&B (01993
833030; thefeatherednestinn.co.uk).
The Grove Hertfordshire
Blooming grounds Seasonal produce
Walks from the doorstep Al fresco living
Set in 300 acres of countryside, The Grove – an 18th-century manor house and newer West Wing – comes into its own in spring. Hyacinths, tulips and irises bring colour to the formal gardens in front of the Glasshouse restaurant and bluebells carpet the woodland. Hire bikes to explore trails created by the Wildlife Trust, while new this year are mini 4x4s for kids’ off-roading adventures. The Walled Garden re-opens at the end of March for splashing about in the heated outdoor pool, tennis, croquet, and barbecues at the Grove Grill. Produce grown in the kitchen garden will appear on seasonal menus.
Doubles from £370, room only (01923 807807; thegrove.co.uk).
Lime Wood Hotel Hampshire
Blooming grounds Seasonal produce
Walks from the doorstep Al fresco living
Lime Wood in the New Forest is irresistible in spring. How about a drink in the glasshouse, full of plants, after walking through nearby bluebell woods? Or forest bathing and foraging in the forest, both available from the Herb House Spa (whose rooftop herb garden makes a perfect place for yoga classes)? As for the food from (Angela) Hartnett Holder & Co, the Spring Equinox menu will surely hit the spot. If you want to splash out, take the secluded Lake Cabin, with a canopy of green leaves above and views from the terrace over the water. Doubles from £495 per night, B&B (02380 287177; limewoodhotel.co.uk).
The Master Builder’s House Hampshire
Blooming grounds Seasonal produce
Walks from the doorstep Al fresco living
The former house of master shipbuilder Henry Adams, who oversaw the building of more than 50 naval ships, has one of the loveliest settings in southern England. Wake on a sunny morning and watch the Beaulieu river come to life. Then take the riverside walk to Beaulieu or head into the New Forest, especially pretty in spring when the ponies’ foals appear. At Buckler’s Hard, the lawn between two rows of former shipwright’s cottages rolls down to the water. Take a boat trip along the river.
The smell of damp earth, bluebells and wild garlic tinge the air, while the sound of steam trains adds to the appeal
Doubles from £119, B&B (01590 616253; themasterbuilders.co.uk).
EAST
Morston Hall Norfolk
Blooming grounds Seasonal produce
Walks from the doorstep Al fresco living
Springtime flowers fill the herbaceous borders and are best viewed from the outdoor tables on warmer days or from the hotel’s light-filled conservatories if temperatures dip. This flint and brick country house offers 13 comfortable bedrooms, spread across the main building and a garden pavilion, and a Michelin-starred restaurant which offers a set seven-course menu drawing on ingredients from its kitchen garden and local producers. Morston Quay is the starting point for seal trips to Blakeney Point and it’s a great base for coastal walks to the harbour town of Blakeney or towards the beaches of Wells-next-the-Sea and Holkham. Doubles from £269, including breakfast and dinner (01263 741041; morstonhall.com).
Congham Hall Norfolk
Blooming grounds Seasonal produce
Walks from the doorstep Al fresco living
Come the spring, colourful tulips and beautiful wallflowers brighten the front beds of this 18th-century mansion; aconites splash more colour onto the lawns, while the orchard, overlooked by the hotel’s newest garden suites, blushes pink with apple blossom. All this makes the coming month or two the perfect time to visit.
A kitchen garden supplies seasonal fruit, vegetables and herbs to the popular restaurant, where outdoor tables are available for relaxed dining on warmer days. There is plenty to see and do in the area, too. Head out for walks on the nearby Sandringham Estate or along Norfolk’s huge sandy beaches and, back at base, try out the hotel’s newly refurbished tennis court.
If there is a chill in the air, opt for a swim in the indoor pool or a herb-based treatment at the Secret Garden Spa. Doubles from £169 room only, or £204 including breakfast (01485 600250; conghamhallhotel.co.uk).
Tuddenham Mill Suffolk
Blooming grounds Seasonal produce
Walks from the doorstep Al fresco living
Swans drift past the weeping willows and reedbeds that edge the stream and peaceful water meadows of this mill house, with its 18th-century whitewashed clapboard facade. Original features include millstones, tall chimney and waterwheel and its garden rooms include five “meadow nooks” with decked outdoor seating. On warmer spring days, the Tipi on the Stream is a stylish al fresco alternative to the cosier upstairs restaurant, and both dining areas offer menus based on produce grown in the hotel’s greenhouses and veg garden. Take a springtime stroll along the ancient Icknield Way Path that winds through the village or in Thetford Forest nearby.
Doubles from £125, including breakfast (01638 713552; tuddenhammill.co.uk).
The Pig at Bridge
Place Kent
Blooming grounds
Seasonal produceÌÌÌÌÌ Walks from the doorstep Al fresco living
The Pig at Bridge Place claims a bucolic setting in the rolling folds of the Kent Downs. As the rural landscape bursts into its prime, bluebells, forget-me-nots and wild garlic jostle for space on the banks of the Nailbourne river, which meanders through the Pig’s 10-acre gardens.
An outdoor kitchen with a woodfired oven serves delicious meals of grilled meats and smoky flatbreads laden with freshly picked vegetables in the kitchen garden.
Romp through the fields to the Tadpole Tearoom in tiny Bishopsbourne; press onwards for a wine tasting at Simpsons, the Pig’s local vineyard; or shuck oysters by the beach in nearby Whitstable.
Doubles from £200, room only (0345 225 9494; thepighotel.com).
WEST
Soulton Hall Shropshire
Blooming grounds Seasonal produce
Walks from the doorstep Al fresco living
Remember the woodland setting in Shakespeare’s As You Like It? Well, you can stride through it as spring bluebells come out to play in the ancient oak woods at Soulton Hall, a fabulous Tudor red-brick pile bearing the architectural hallmark of Sir Rowland Hill.
Wrapped in miles of Shropshire countryside, this manor and working farm delivers total peace and wonderful hospitality courtesy of the Ashton family. Rooms brim with original character, with beams, stone-mullioned windows and antiques, while cottages offer more privacy and patios (top billing goes to the four-poster suite in Cedar Lodge).
But if the sun is out, you won’t be spending long in your room, with Elizabethan walled gardens, miles of beautiful trails, brooks, rivers and the remains of a Norman castle to explore. If you are a wildlife enthusiast, bring your binoculars and keep an eye out for birds including lapwings, skylarks, kestrels and barn owls. Food is farm-to-fork at its finest, with estate fruit, herbs, vegetables and honey on season-led menus. Doubles from £172, including breakfast (01939 232786; soultonhall.co.uk).
Aconites splash colour onto the lawns, while the orchard blushes pink with apple blossom