Thornbury Castle, Gloucestershire
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You won’t lose your head here, but you will lose your track of time.
What do Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, Queen Mary, Mickey Rooney and Laurence Olivier all have in common? The answer is that they’ve all walked in the very corridors of Thornbury Castle. Now, whilst the last two most definitely ate in the excellent restaurant, I can’t vouch for Henry’s choice of dining arrangements.
Thornbury is an experience never forgotten. The hotel is a genuine 500 year old Tudor castle standing serenely in 15 acres of its own grounds and quite simply resonates with history. Originally the home of the Duke of Buckingham until old Henry decided he didn’t like him anymore and chopped off his head, it lay unused for centuries until it was bought and renovated by Lord Howard in the late 1700’s. Now part of the privately owned Von Essen luxury group, which comprises 27 country house hotels and a fleet of executive helicopters and jets, Thornbury is in its ‘classic collection’ which pretty much sums it all up perfectly.
Just arriving at the gates you feel you’re going back in time, and I have to say I initially had reservations about the whole theme thing. There was a small part of me that was dreading it would turn out to be a sort of awful theme park-like ‘Excalibur’ experience, but in reality nothing could be further from the truth. Manager Brian Jarvis and his terrific team served up a royal treat for us and impressed the hell out of me. This is a team, many of whom have been together here for many years, who understand the old fashioned art of simply giving great service and value. It’s a quality combination and full marks to them for it.
Despite its size, the castle actually only has 26 rooms (or bed chambers as they prefer to call them). But throw away all of your previous experiences of hotel rooms, because this is something altogether different. What you get at Thornbury is a Tudor treat. Four poster beds, blazing fireplaces, stone walls, stained glass windows, tapestries and hooded bath robes. All that’s missing is a lyre and a hock of ham. Which brings me nicely on to the restaurant which is a voyage of discovery in itself, being spread over a number of odd shaped rooms and crannies. Nevertheless, the food is a labour of love, beautifully served and presented by Brian’s highly attentive and professional team. My rhubarb soup and ice cream dessert was especially memorable.
But it’s not all about strolling the grounds and eating bounteous feasts. Thornbury is pretty well suited for exploring the gorgeous Cotswolds, Bath, the Wye Valley, Cheltenham and even Stratford upon Avon.
The whole experience for me was a welcoming throw back to old school service values, where the customer is king and nothing is too much trouble. If you fancy pampering yourself with plentiful silver service afternoon tea and cake, relaxing in the library in overstuffed armchairs reading the papers by a roaring fire, taking leisurely walks through the grounds in the oldest Tudor Garden in England, and topping it all off with a fantastic meal complete with wine from their very own vineyard, then Thornbury is for you. It’s a piece of real English history given a new lease of life and it’s enjoying every moment.
Henry would be proud.
Thornbury Castle , Thornbury, Near Bristol, UK
Contact tel: +44 (0)1454 281182, fax: +44 (0)1454 416188, e-mail:
Cost standard double room: £200 - £500 per night
Services spa, parking, hotel restaurant, hotel bar, room service, business services, internet access
Average customer rating
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I totally agree. My wife and I stayed 7 times in the Castle and every time we absolutely loved it there. General Manager Brian Jarvis is one of the best!! Looking forward to our next visit. Rolf-Ingo Behnke Salzgitter Germany