The famous tower at Cliveden. Photography courtesy of Cliveden
Cliveden House, Berkshire
At the heart of this grand Berkshire estate is a resplendent Neoclassical pile set in 376 acres of National Trust gardens, which has been home to dukes, a Prince of Wales and the Astor family, who turned it into a political and literary salon. The suites are grand but modern – four posters are a signature of the hotel – and all are named after personalities bound with the history of the house: from Lady Astor to Churchill and Chaplin. The large, luxurious spa is a temple of wellbeing with seven treatment rooms, an indoor pool and the secluded outdoor pool within the walled garden, famed as the place where the Profumo affair began. Classic Rooms are priced from £545. Cliveden House & Spa, Taplow, Berkshire, SL6 0JF; clivedenhouse.co.uk
Holkham's Marble Hall and its staircase in the Palladian style, designed by William Kent. Photography courtesy of Holkham Hall
Holkham Hall, Norfolk
There are few places quite as magical as Holkham Hall – the 18th-century country house built in the Neo-Palladian style for the 1st Earl of Leicester, is a treasure box ensconced in rolling countryside. Its four new luxury self-catering shepherd huts – part of the accommodation offering at The Victoria, the estate’s four-star hotel – are situated to make the most of the surroundings just a short stroll from Holkham Beach (a dog walker's paradise) and the Holkham National Nature Reserve. The huts are cosy and equipped with kitchens and modern appliances that are more than capable of serving a family feast. If slaving over a stove is not on the itinerary, head over to The Victoria, for lunch or dinner by a crackling log fire. Prices start from £540 for a two-night weekend self-catering break; Holkham Hall, Holkham Road, Wells-next-the-Sea NR23 1AB; holkham.co.uk
The Gallery Restaurant at The Cavendish Hotel. Photography courtesy of The Cavendish Hotel
The Cavendish Hotel at Baslow, Chatsworth Estate, Peak District
The Chatsworth Estate is a jewel of the British countryside: an English Baroque masterpiece residing over 35,000 acres of Derbyshire parkland, which featured in the period dramas Pride and Prejudice and The Duchess. Nestled within the grounds, this hotel is just a half-hour scenic walk from the main house – home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. Craft workshops at the farmyard, fishing and walks in the nearby Peak District, a National Park of cinematic vistas dotted with the most charming villages, are just some of the activities that are popular. Return to a suite with a “chic country farmhouse” aesthetic framing views across the estate. The Garden Room Restaurant, overlooking the same aspect, serves main and Sunday lunch menus using produce sourced locally from the gardeners and farmers at Chatsworth. Prices start from around £395 for the Cosy rooms (two people). The Cavendish Hotel at Baslow, Church Road, Baslow, DE45 1SP; cavendishhotelbaslow.co.uk
Diarymaid's cottage on the Goodwood estate. Photography Mike Caldwell
Goodwood Estate, West Sussex
It is home to the Festival of Speed, Goodwood Revival and Glorious Goodwood, but this 11,000 acre country estate, surrounding the seat of the Duke of Richmond within the South Downs National Park, is also a stunning spot for a country escape. Curate your experience with accommodation that ranges from the four-star English-style Goodwood Hotel (rooms from £190 per night), to the exclusive Hound Lodge (served by a team of butlers) which can be taken over in its entirety, and a charming cluster of dog-friendly cottages, conjuring a more home-from-home ambience. Two new Grade II listed properties – Cowman's Cottage and Dairymaid's Cottage – are available following restoration, both oozing country charm and believed to have been designed by the English architect James Wyatt. They have three bedrooms, (big enough for six people) with roaring fireplaces and kitchens decked-out with ranges and modern appliances. The hotel, farm shop and Goodwood’s Art Foundation are just a short walk and you'll be kept busy by a programme of activities: from flying a Spitfire to race track days or a restorative spa. The cottages are priced from £310 per night (with a two-night minimum stay). New Barn Lane, Goodwood, Chichester, West Sussex PO18 0QB; goodwood.com
The cosy lounge at The Lygon Arms Hotel. Photography courtesy of The Lygon Arms Hotel
The Lygon Arms Hotel, Cotswolds
England's largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, famed for its rolling hills, unspoiled countryside and picture-postcard villages, is the quintessential country break. This handsome historic 16th-century coaching inn is nestled in Broadway, a village captured in the paintings of John Singer Sargent, which is an ideal base for scenic countryside walks (the hotel is dog friendly). A pampering spa takes care of R&R: it has an indoor pool, sauna, steam room and offers a range of treatments. The cuisine includes James Martin’s Grill Restaurant. Standard double rooms are priced from around £175 per night. The Lygon Arms, High Street, Broadway, Worcestershire WR12 7DU; lygonarmshotel.co.uk
Sir Frank's Bar at Beaverbrook. Photography courtesy of Beaverbrook
Beaverbrook, Surrey
Named after its former owner, Lord Beaverbrook, this English country house estate in the Surrey Hills was once famed for its Gatsby-style parties, hosting everyone from authors Ian Fleming and Rudyard Kipling to the actress Elizabeth Taylor within its Art Deco-inspired halls. It reopened as a luxury hotel after a five year restoration in 2016: an oasis of refinement only 20 miles from London. The grand interiors bear the hallmarks of its former life, softened by luxurious furnishings, gilt framed artworks and pastel wall colours. An elegant evening within its walls might include cocktails at Sir Frank’s Bar, dining at The Japanese Grill, and a movie at the hotel’s own private cinema. By day, scenic walks and a roaring fire are part of the joys. The suites are priced from £610 per night inclusive of breakfast for two guests in a Cosy Room in The Garden House. Beaverbrook, Reigate Road, Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 8QX; beaverbrook.co.uk
The drawing room at North Yorkshire's Swinton Park Hotel. Photography Adrian Ray
Swinton Park Hotel, North Yorkshire
This resplendent Grade II* castle is set in 200 acres of gardens and parkland at the heart of the 20,000 acre Swinton Estate – home of the Cunliffe-Lister family since the 1880s, and the seat of the Earl of Swinton. The elegant country house decor extends to the suites (priced from around £361), which are furnished with comfortable seating, antiques and family portraits. Dining includes Sunday lunch with all the trimmings (from £42), afternoon tea (from £49.50), or lunch on the terrace (from £29). Josh Barnes’ Chef’s Table elevates the experience. There is plenty to explore in this bucolic enclave: the picturesque market town of Masham is nearby, and the hotel is a perfect base for walking, wild swimming, fishing and falconry as well as indoor activities such as a cookery school and the extensive spa. There are cosy self-catering cottages (around £275 per night), or a Tree Lodge (from around £275). Swinton Park, Masham, Ripon, North Yorkshire HG4 4JH; swintonestate.com
A view of Scotland's Penicuik House with its clocktower and domed dovecot – a replica of a Roman temple. Photography courtesy of Penicuik Estate
Penicuik House at Penicuik Estate, Midlothian, Scotland
The attractions of Edinburgh are just a 30-minutes drive from this Palladian gem, originally a stable block designed and built in the 1770s by Sir James Clerk (3rd Baronet) for Old Penicuik House (the ruins of which form a magnificent backdrop to the residence), which boasts a clocktower and domed dovecot that is a replica of a Roman temple. You can take over the entire 16-bedroom country house, which is stuffed with art and antiques and set in breathtaking countryside. It has its own wood-panelled bar and a cinema room for hunkering down with a drink or movie. The estate has an exclusive partnership with Edinburgh Catering Company that can curate bespoke menus and cook family meals in the Estate Kitchen. Cosier accommodation comes in the form of one-bedroom cottages catering to singles and couples and the four-bedroom Stable Park that's ideal for families and larger groups. The team can arrange hand delivered food services, including an organic breakfast. Penicuik House is priced from £9,750 per night with a minimum two-night stay. One-bedroom to four-bedroom cottages are priced from around £220 a night. Penicuik Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian H26 9LA; penicuikestate.com
A charming aspect of North Yorkshire's The Devonshire Arms. Photography courtesy of The Devonshire Arms
The Devonshire Arms, Bolton Abbey, North Yorkshire
This historic country house hotel is set at the gateway to the 30,000-acre Bolton Abbey Estate in the Yorkshire Dales. Arranged around a formal Italian garden, the residence features a stone-brick main house built in 1610 as a coaching inn, extended and updated in 1982, and has all the elegance of an English country home with several suites boasting four-poster beds. Standard rooms start at around £150 per night depending on the time of year. Bolton Abbey, Bolton Abbey BD23 6AJ; thedevonshirearms.co.uk
The entrance of the Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire. Photography courtesy of Four Seasons
Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire
The halls of this splendid 18th-century Georgian manor reside in 500 acres – setting the scene for picturesque walks. Retire to suites that are light-filled and furnished in a modern English style. A plethora of country pursuits can be arranged such as clay pigeon shooting (£115 per person), and the pampering spa has an indoor pool framed by countryside views. Rooms are priced from around £430 per night. Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire, Dogmersfield Park, Chalky Lane, Hampshire; fourseasons.com
Inside one of the contemporary homes at The Lakes by YOO in the Cotswolds. Photography courtesy of The Lakes by YOO
The Lakes by YOO, Cotswolds
Set amongst 850 acres of meadows and silver lakes within the Cotswolds, the cosy cabins and apartments at this rural idyll command waterside views and boast contemporary interiors that are roomy enough for family groups. The estate offers a Smörgåsbord of activities, such as zip wiring. Dining takes place in the Tipi-like The Lakes Bar & Kitchen, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, including dishes such as Venison, parmesan crust, butternut, shallot and kale (£28). A three-bedroom lakeside apartment is priced from £995 per night. High Street, Lechlade GL7 3DT; thelakesbyyoo.com
A crackling fire at Wiltshire's Lucknam Park. Photography courtesy of Lucknam Park
Lucknam Park, Wiltshire
This five-star country house is a Palladian paean to luxury. Choose to stay at the hotel which exudes traditional glamour or at one of the cosy Cotswolds stone cottages nestled within its 500 acres of parkland, complete with fireplaces and spacious private gardens. Michelin-star dining is on the menu at Hywel Jones’s restaurant and a roast is served at the Walled Garden Restaurant. The luxurious spa is a pampering must for those winding down but you can also pick up the pace at the Equestrian Centre, home to 35 horses, offering escorted rides (for children and beginners) or crisp countryside hacks around the grounds. Standard rooms start from around £364 for a Classic Room, including breakfast. Lucknam Park, Emblems Collection, Colerne, Wiltshire, SN14 8AZ; lucknampark.co.uk
An elegant fireside snug at Hampshire's Chewton Glen with panelled walls and plush red velvet sofas. Photography courtesy of Chewton Glen
Chewton Glen, Hampshire
Old school elegance awaits at this 18th-century country house hotel, which is encamped in 500 acres on the coastal edge of the New Forest – an ancient wood and heathland of free-roaming ponies and deer. The hotel is sumptuous, with refined lounges, fireplaces and views of the grounds, but you can also stay in one of its famous Treehouses featuring floor-to-ceiling glass, wraparound decks and hot tubs. Fine dining is served at The Dining Room restaurant, while the ambience at James Martin’s The Kitchen is more relaxed. The spa is a haven featuring a heated outdoor therapy pool, saunas, steam rooms and a Japanese salt room, and its new “Spa’rkle Spa Day" or "Evening” packages are a good excuse to indulge (£219 per person). Prices for a standard room with bed and breakfast start from around £405; treehouse doubles from £845. Christchurch Road, New Milton, Hampshire, BH25 6QS; chewtonglen.com
The bar at The Torridon in the Highlands, which serves its own Taurus whisky. Photography courtesy of The Torridon
The Torridon Hotel, Scottish Highlands
Nestled amidst the breathtaking Scottish Highlands, this grand lodge is a beacon of Scottish sophistication. A baronial manor house with sweeping lawns looking down towards Upper Loch Torridon and the Beinn Alligin and Beinn Eighe mountains, arrive to crackling fires and the Highland’s famed hospitality – the hotel, owned by Dan and Rohaise Rose-Bristow, remains in family hands. The aesthetic is classic-contemporary creating a refined and comfortable atmosphere for the festivities, and the hotel has its own whisky – the Taurus Whisky collection – so indulging in a wee dram by the fire is a must. One can happily fill the days here with outdoor activities: from guided walks to clay pigeon shooting to sea kayaking. There is a choice of accommodation to tailor your experience: from the 18-bedroom hotel, to one of the 12 bedrooms in the cosy stable block, to the private, self catering two-bedroom The Boathouse, which overlooks the loch. Double rooms at the hotel are priced from around £395; and from £250 in the Stables, breakfast included. The Torridon Hotel, Annat, By Achnasheen, Wester Ross IV22 2EY; thetorridon.com
A room at Thyme adorned with its own fabrics inspired by the meadows and rolling countryside that surround the estate in the Cotswolds. Photography Nathan Rollinson
Thyme, Cotswolds
A heavenly slice of the Cotswold that will entice you to return time and again. The 150-acre estate includes a farm, kitchen gardens, spa, cookery school, restaurant, The Swan pub in Southrop and a chic 31‑room hotel set across honey-stoned historic barns, houses and cottages. It is a family concern – the Hibbert’s Grade II*-listed manor house resides on the grounds – and the service is wonderfully friendly and personal. The family have their own lifestyle collection, named Bertioli, and the rooms are swathed in beautiful fabrics from the collection in designs inspired by the surrounding countryside, with touches such as roaring fires, huge roll-top baths and sweeping views through sash windows. The restaurant serves cuisine based on ingredients grown in the estate’s gardens, and the spa bliss (it has its own breathing bothy and its beauty products draw inspiration from plants found in its rolling meadow). It’s an upscale haven that feels like it resides in its own peaceful corner of the world. Standard rooms start from around £400 per night. Thyme, Southrop Manor, Thyme, Gloucestershire GL7 3NX; thyme.co.uk
