The gloriously green English countryside is home to a whole host of historic country houses, many of which have been carefully transformed into luxurious hotels. These are the perfect rural boltholes for a weekend break or a longer getaway.
These elegant country house hotels in England offer the ideal setting to unwind, often nestled near national parks or set within acres of leafy grounds and pretty landscaped gardens. Whether you’re looking to explore the great outdoors or simply relax in comfort in historic surroundings, these chic retreats have everything you need for a sumptuous rural escape.
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Elegant Country House Hotels in England
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Thyme, The Cotswolds
Nothing quite delivers an authentic rural English experience like staying in a country house hotel with its farm. And you can do just that at Thyme in the Cotswolds village of Southrop. The hotel has its cookery school, where budding chefs use ingredients from the hotel’s kitchen garden, and offers florist classes using flowers from the gardens and wild grounds.
The inviting guest rooms are found in 17th-century cottages and houses on Southrop Manor’s 150-acre estate, with gravel pathways leading through pretty cottage gardens. Inside you’ll find botanically inspired decor and antique furniture, along with a basket of complimentary goodies. For dining, head to the wonderful Ox Barn, a modern restaurant in a historic farm building with Cotswold stone walls.
In a few words: 17th-century cottages and restored barns where you can try your hand at cookery, floristry, and painting classes
Address: Southrop Manor, Thyme, Gloucestershire GL7 3NX, United Kingdom
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Lucknam Park, Wiltshire
The final leg of your journey to Lucknam Park in Wiltshire will be driving up a mile-long avenue of lime and beech trees. By the time you arrive at the entrance of this stately Palladian mansion, you’ll feel totally secluded from the stresses of city life. Set among 500 acres of private parkland with classical gardens and paddocks, Lucknam Park has 42 rooms and suites kitted out with antique furniture and luxury handmade fabrics.
Fine dining awaits at Restaurant Hywel Jones, which has held its Michelin Star for 20 consecutive years. If you enjoy riding, you can explore the leafy Wiltshire countryside on horseback with guides from the hotel’s world-class equestrian centre. And for a spot of relaxation, head to the award-winning spa with facilities including 5 thermal cabins, a relaxation room and a social lounge with a skincare mixology bar.
In a few words: Palladian mansion with 500 acres of parkland, Michelin Star dining and an equestrian school
Address: Lucknam Park, Chippenham SN14 8AZ, United Kingdom
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Ragdale Hall, Leicestershire
When it comes to luxurious spas at English country house hotels, we’re rather spoilt for choice. But there are perhaps none as luxe as Ragdale Hall in Leicestershire, which takes wellness to new heights. Combining the elegance of a Victorian country house hotel with state-of-the-art spa facilities, Ragdale Hall has rightfully won a whole host of awards.
There are six different pools to enjoy here, our favourite being the Waterfall Pool, which recreates the feeling of bathing in a secret lagoon, with massage jets, steam, and mist rising from the surface. Food is another core component of the wellness experience at Ragdale, and you’ll enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner if staying overnight. The focus is on healthy but delicious meals, made with fresh, zingy and colourful ingredients that nourish mind and body.
In a few words: A sprawling luxury spa hotel with twelve heat and water experiences and six unique pools
Address: Ragdale, Melton Mowbray LE14 3PB, United Kingdom
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Le Manoir, Oxfordshire
If you like your English country charm with a French flair, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons is the country house for you. This sumptuous country pile is the vision of renowned French chef, Raymond Blanc, and 40 years after its opening, still offers one of the most innovative garden-to-plate experiences in the UK, and retains the two Michelin stars it earned in its opening year.
The food is centred around the harvest of each season, inspired by Blanc’s passion for fresh, seasonal produce. With six and seven-course tasting menus available, you’ll feast on the harvest from Le Manoir’s 11 gardens and orchards. The manor house has 32 individually designed hotel rooms, featuring decor inspired by Blanc’s travels, from Toile de Jouy wallpaper to Lemone Silk Chase Erwin fabric.
In a few words: Raymond Blanc’s Oxfordshire hotel with two Michelin stars, 11 gardens and orchards, and its cookery school
Address: Church Rd, Great Milton, Oxford OX44 7PD, United Kingdom
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Grantley Hall, Yorkshire
North Yorkshire’s Grantley Hall offers oodles of Yorkshire charm in a 17th-century set against the unbeatable backdrop of the Yorkshire Dales. It’s won various accolades since opening its doors to guests in 2019, and is now considered one of the UK’s finest five-star hotels. And just as soon as you step through the doors of this Grade II-listed manor house, you’ll understand why.
Even the smallest rooms feature super king-sized beds, and the presidential and royal suites feature super-luxury touches like a baby grand piano, private bar and an expansive dining area. Many rooms offer exquisite views over the hotel’s formal gardens, which include a rose garden with over 100 different varieties. Dining at Grantley Hall is overseen by Michelin-starred Chef Patron, Shaun Rankin, a Yorkshire local who uses produce from the hotel’s very own Kitchen Garden.
In a few words: 17th-century, Grade II listed building with fine dining from Michelin-starred Shaun Rankin and 38 acres of meticulously crafted gardens.
Address: Grantley Hall, Ripon HG4 3ET, United Kingdom
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Lime Wood, New Forest
Just a 90-minute drive from London and famously the stomping ground of adorable free-roaming ponies, The New Forest makes the ideal country bolthole. And where better to hunker down than Lime Wood, a former mediaeval hunting lodge turned luxury hotel. The hotel underwent an extensive refurbishment in 2019, so the interiors are wonderfully modern, with design by Susie Atkinson (of Soho House fame) and a sleek spa with three pools and 10 treatment rooms.
As for food, Hartnett Holder & Co serves relaxed Italian-inspired dishes from Luke Holder and Michelin-starred Angela Hartnett. If you’re visiting in the summer, you might also be lucky enough to find Angela and Luke cooking over an Asador wood-fired grill at the new HH&Co Forest Kitchen.
In a few words: Food from Michelin-starred Angela Hartnett, lakeside cabins, spa
Address: Beaulieu Rd, Lyndhurst SO43 7FZ, United Kingdom
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Beaverbrook, Surrey Hills
Lord Beaverbrook’s dreamlike mansion was once a playground for politicians, actors, and writers who flocked to this late Victorian mansion to enjoy the acres of prime Surrey parkland. Each of the 18 rooms in the main house is named after one of these illustrious former guests, like the Elizabeth Taylor Suite and the W.B. Yeats Turret Room.
The hotel’s creative director, Sir Frank Lowe, has lined the house’s walls with art, from stained-glass by Brian Clarke in The Coach House Spa to paintings by Victorian botanical artist Marianne North in Sir Frank’s Bar. And while admiring the art, you can savour inventive Japanese gourmet dishes like Toro Tartar with Yuzu Miso and Charcoaled Wagyu with Juniper Miso.
In a few words: Historic estate with 470 acres, spa, private cinema, wine tasting, tennis, padel, croquet
Address: Reigate Rd, Leatherhead KT22 8QX, United Kingdom
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Langdale Chase, The Lake District
The Lake District is home to some of the most jaw-dropping natural scenery in England, with vistas that inspired Romantic poets William Wordsworth, Samuel Coleridge, and Thomas de Quincey. And there’s perhaps no finer place to stay in the region than on the shores of Lake Windermere, England’s largest lake. This is where you’ll find Langdale Chase, a grand Victorian villa which has been welcoming guests since 1891.
Rooms are spread between the Main House, the Boathouse and the Lake House, and are all uniquely decorated. All feature breathtaking views of Windermere or the wild fells. Make the most of the hotel’s prime lakeside location by taking a bracing dip in the waters of Windermere, or head out for a scenic cruise on the hotel’s own 1928 wooden motor yacht, Albatros.
In a few words: Victorian pomp at a historic hotel on the banks of Lake Windermere with its own wooden yacht.
Address: Ambleside Road, Ecclerigg, Windermere LA23 1LW, United Kingdom
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Heckfield Place, Hampshire
Just an hour from London, Heckfield Place is a reimagined Georgian country house set on a stunning Hampshire estate. The hotel offers 45 beautifully designed rooms ranging from snug ‘Friends Rooms’ to private cottages, like the black and white timbered Church Lodge, hidden away among its gardens.
Guests can unwind in the serene spa, enjoy tea in grand salons, or dine in the two exceptional restaurants, Marle and Hearth, overseen by acclaimed chef Skye Gyngell. The restaurants focus on sustainable, locally sourced ingredients and Marle holds a Green Michelin Star. A quintessentially English escape, Heckfield Place is just down the road from Chawton, where you’ll find Jane Austen’s House, now a museum honouring the writer who lived and wrote some of her most famous works here.
In a few words: Georgian family home on a working estate, with a Green Michelin star for sustainable dining
Address: Heckfield Pl, Heckfield, Hook RG27 0LD, United Kingdom
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Rockliffe Hall, Durham
A sprawling 375-acre estate on the border between North Yorkshire and County Durham, Rockliffe Hall boasts one of the largest spas in England, an 18-hole Championship golf course and award-winning food. Guest rooms come kitted out with perfectly crisp white linen, fluffy pillows and views across lush green countryside.
For dining, The French Bistro at TERRA brings you the atmosphere of a relaxed Parisian bistro and serves up traditional French cuisine like 35-day aged steak tartare and Lindisfarne oysters, while The Clubhouse Kitchen is the place to go for hearty roasts and burgers with views over the golf course. Wellness is also on the menu, with an impressive 50,000 square feet (ca. 4,645 m²) spa offering a range of holistic treatments.
In a few words: A 375-acre estate boasting one of the largest spas in the country and an 18-hole Championship golf course
Address: Hurworth Rd, Hurworth-on-Tees, Darlington DL2 2DU, United Kingdom
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Wildhive Callow Hall, Derbyshire
The main house at Wildhive Callow Hall has just 15 bedrooms, all of which are individually designed and feature enormous beds and stone mullion windows framing views of the surrounding countryside. And if you really want to lose yourself in nature, Wildhive Callow Hall offers unique Treehouse accommodation in the estate’s woodland, with large wraparound decks complete with copper baths and loungers – the ideal spot for stargazing on summer nights.
The Coach House is where you’ll find the hotel’s wellness offerings, which include traditional pampering along with yoga, sound therapy, and ‘Resonance’ sessions – the hotel’s signature blend of wellness techniques, including breath work and music therapy. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and afternoon teas can be enjoyed in the Garden Room, where Head Chef Tom makes the most of the season’s harvest, with dishes like Venison Carpaccio or Grilled Sea Trout Steak.
In a few words: A Victorian country house at the gateway of the Peak District with 35 acres of gardens, meadows, and woodlands.
Address: Mapleton Rd, Ashbourne DE6 2AA, United Kingdom
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Gidleigh Park, Dartmoor
A grand Edwardian mansion deep in the Devon countryside, Gidleigh Park is a reward well worth the journey. Set on the edge of Dartmoor National Park, this luxurious retreat boasts its own private woodlands bordered by the bubbling River Teign. There’s a long list of activities to try while staying here, from hiking across Dartmoor to taking one of the hotel’s exclusive supercars out for a spin.
Each room is uniquely designed with Arts and Crafts era artwork and furniture, and offers bottled spring water from the Gidleigh estate and L’Occitane toiletries. If you’re looking for an extra sense of privacy, you can book The Pavilion, a self-contained thatched cottage overlooking the hotel’s croquet lawn. There’s Michelin-starred dining to enjoy here too, curated by Head Chef Ian Webber and making use of seasonal produce from the hotel’s kitchen garden.
In a few words: Michelin-star dining in a Tudor-style Edwardian house with tennis courts, a croquet lawn, and its own collection of supercars
Address: Gidleigh Park Hotel, Chagford, Newton Abbot TQ13 8HH, United Kingdom
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Whisk yourself away to the leafy English countryside to discover enchanting country houses with intriguing histories, now ready to welcome discerning guests to their excellent restaurants, exceptional spas, and supremely comfortable guest rooms.
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Last Updated on February 5, 2026 by Editorial Team
