Best British hotels to live the Downton lifestyle
Hambleton Hall
Oakham
From the landscaped gardens with ‘a five-star view’ over Rutland Water to the Michelin-starred dining, Tim and Stefa Hart’s acclaimed hotel nails English country house excellence.
Lewtrenchard Manor
Okehampton
‘A most beautiful building in lovely, peaceful grounds with a wooded walk down to the river,’ say Guide insiders of the Murray family’s splendid stone manor house.
Bodysgallen Hall and Spa
Llandudno
Set in 220 acres of parkland, this antique-filled Elizabethan mansion has plenty to impress, from the oak-panelled hall and 13th-century tower to the modern spa and ‘lovely’ gardens.
Lords of the Manor
Upper Slaughter
This 17th-century manor house of honeyed Cotswold stone looks every bit the smart country house hotel.
Cliveden House
Taplow
As you approach this glorious Italianate Thames-side summer palace designed by Charles Barry and set in 376 acres of National Trust grounds, it ‘feels as if you are on the film set of Pride and Prejudice’, says a Guide insider (see also Chewton Glen, New Milton).
Farlam Hall
Brampton
Despite a change of ownership, this quintessential country house hotel in a peaceful Cumbrian village is still in safe hands, report readers.
Gravetye Manor
East Grinstead
Jeremy and Elizabeth Hosking’s beloved and beautiful Elizabethan manor house stands in glorious gardens, amid 1,000 acres of woodland.
Ballathie House
Stanley
A Victorian ghost, a Russian duke and a former Prince of Wales have all graced this ‘lovely’ Scottish country house in a ‘delightful position’ on the River Tay.
Country house hotels like Downton Abbey
Fans of Downton Abbey will feel right at home in this selection of country house hotels. These exquisite hotels thrive on the estates that titled families once called home – and in some cases still do. Emulate the lifestyle of Lord and Lady Grantham as you stroll through beautiful gardens, try your hand at shooting and fishing, and have aperitifs in the drawing room before sitting down to a spread that Mrs Patmore would be proud of.