Cotswold corner that’s just wicked
THE Cotswolds may conjure images of gently rolling green fields punctuated by impossibly cute honey-stoned villages. But venture to its westernmost point, where the rugged hills rise in great limestone waves before crashing on to the Severn Estuary, and things get more exciting.
High on the crest of the final escarpment sits Minchinhampton Common, a sprawling ancient grassland where wild horses graze around Bronze Age burial mounds. Narrow dry-stone-walled lanes thread down its valley flanks – and off one sits Burleigh Court.
A Grade II listed Georgian manor house, built from local stone and tucked into three acres of superbly landscaped gardens, Burleigh Court is so hidden, so private and so romantic that checking in with my husband felt like a deliciously wicked assignation.
Others clearly felt the same. On wide terraces, couples snuggled under rugs around fire pits, gazing down the green corridor of yew, hawthorn and beech trees to the aptly named Golden Valley.
In the summer months, guests can tiptoe behind the walled garden to take a dip in the unheated but refreshing Art Deco plunge pool.
Burleigh Court is certainly a labour of love. Recently reopened after extensive restorations by owners James and Corinna Rae, original features uncovered include statement fireplaces and wonderful wooden floors. Family antiques are scattered throughout.
The result is stylish, warm and witty, a riot of flamboyant botanic wallpaper, rich fabrics and gilt lamps, softened by neutral creams and soft greens.
Light pours into the welcoming lounge where guests relax in deep chairs clustered sociably around the roaring fire and card tables.
The grand oak-panelled restaurant is more formal, but chef Shaun Jones’s dishes – sourced from local producers and the hotel’s extensive kitchen gardens, including orchard and hives – allow the ingredients to shine. My pan-fried halibut with foraged girolles was satisfyingly
fresh, while my husband barely spoke during his slow-cooked venison saddle with venison suet pie. We reconnected over vanilla panna cotta with poached rhubarb. The menu also spotlights local producers, including Woodchester Valley’s wines, and Burleigh Court’s kitchen gardener Emanuelle Paulson runs seasonal wild foraging experiences.
There are 18 renovated rooms from prettily cosy to stunning, and there’s also a coach house that’s perfect for families. Individually styled, each features the hotel’s own organic toiletries. Foxgloves, our room overlooking the croquet lawn, was full of character. Opposite the supremely comfortable four-poster was a handsome marble fireplace flanked by gilt hounds, but there were plenty of modern touches too, including charging points and a coffee machine.
Breakfast was a leisurely affair: I drizzled the hotel’s honey over fruit from the gardens, while my husband tucked into a full English sourced from within a 35-mile radius.
The surrounding area is a delight to explore, but that night as we dozed off to the sharp hoot of owls, and woke gently the next morning to the liquid trill of blackbirds, we weren’t in a hurry to go anywhere.
B&B costs from £139 per room per night (burleighcourt cotswolds.co.uk).