MADAME:
Driving through the festive lit streets of the village of Thornbury in Gloucester (West Cotswolds), following the signposts, driving past the gatehouse and up the drive to the stunning Tudor castle that is the luxury THORNBURY CASTLE Hotel.
This is a one-of-a-kind destination of palatial quality.
Immediately upon arrival under the stone archway you enter another world and feel you have stepped back in time in the most perfect way. A different world from the normality of the everyday, this luxurious Relais & Châteaux retreat and majestic castle hotel is a feast for the eyes.
Thornbury Castle was built 500 years ago by Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, Earl of Stafford, Hereford & Northampton. It is widely recognised as one of the finest examples of domestic Tudor architecture in the UK.
Its royal roots could not be more rich, with it being a residence ‘fit for a king’ it was owned and visited by King Henry VIII for a period of time.
In 1525 a young Princess Mary stayed with her entourage of 200-300 people for almost a month and returned at other times to stay in the castle. When she became Queen Mary I, she returned ownership of the castle to the Stafford family following their support of her mother, Catherine of Arragon, Henry VIII’s first wife and who he famously divorced by creating the Church of England religion.
After 5 centuries, the castle is still incredibly impressive and has lost nothing of its splendour. With beautiful gardens and original ornate chimney stacks, it is a quintessential Tudor mansion and is the only Tudor castle in England that is a luxury hotel, making any stay a unique and special experience.
With its modest entrance into reception, the wood panelled walls and high patterned ceiling take your breath away…. And this is just the reception area!
With our leather fobbed, 15cm long metal key to our room, we opened the heavy wooden door to our room; the Queen Mary I suite.
We gasped and took in the high ceiling, a 4-poster bed, magnificent double wardrobe, sumptuous furnishings, modern amenities including a digital radio, and a delicious complimentary locally made sloe gin liqueur. The room was completed with a delightful bathroom which featured an original stained glass window.
The bedroom’s main feature was the fine ‘oriel windows’, set in stone, crafted into small bays and intricately decorated. These were a symbol of the high status occupying the room compared to other room windows in Tudor times.
We had a wonderful view of the various secluded gardens as well as St. Mary’s Church located within the grounds of the castle. Originally a Norman Church stood on the site from as early as 1106, but the present church dates back to 1340 and is still used for local sermons and weddings!
After changing for dinner we spent time in the wood panelled lounge with its crackling fire burning in the huge fireplace complete with Christmas garland. The spectacular Christmas tree matched the luxurious décor with a rich colour scheme of gold, red and green, which was perfect for our pre-Christmas visit. The lounge offered a warm cosy atmosphere, ideal for relaxing and pre-dinner drinks with a card game!
Next door was the library with more cosy seating, a roaring fire and impressive bookcases filled with classics as well as a suit of armour! Every room has iconic period details and an ornate ceiling to match each rooms ambiance.
Each of the 27 bedchambers is unique in design, colour scheme and vibe and each has a regal name, not numbered!
Dinner was served in the tower, one of two rooms used for dining. The other room was ideal for larger or private dining and featured a balcony.
A spectacular a-la-carte menu of well portioned, beautifully prepared dishes that were a feast for the eyes, yet pure and simple and of the highest quality. The waitresses described each dish when they were served and made sure the Thornbury Hotel Crest on the crockery was always positioned at the top of the plate, so you always knew where you were. It was the little details!
Throughout our stay the staff were attentive and friendly and made us feel special, relaxed and at home.
It is surely on most people’s bucket list to either stay in a castle, or to sleep in a 4-poster bed, well we ticked two boxes in one day! The bed, complete with dignity drapes which could be pulled around the bed, was high to get into and wonderfully wide.
We read by chandelier light before retiring, because we could and why would you want a normal lamp when you can have a chandelier to light your surroundings!
The bathroom was small but very comfortable and offered luxury bathroom amenities (Molton Brown), had plenty of light and offered robes and slippers and fluffy towels.
It was a pity to have to go to sleep really, but sleep very well we did and dawn brought a stunning crisp cold winter’s day, perfect for a stay in the English countryside.
Breakfast was also a-la carte, with a good selection of breakfast options. Needless to say the simplicity of a granola bowl was quite stunning and looked amazing – it was a pity to eat it! Again the Thornbury Castle crest was at the top of the bowl rim.
A walk around the grounds before checking out allowed us to admire the castle architecture from the outside with the warm winter sunshine highlighting the traditional Cotswold yellow stone.
With well-manicured hedges, we arrived in the Goodly Garden, which when in bloom is filled with scented flowers and herbs. In the past it was used by ladies to stroll and gossip! Also dotted around the walled garden set into the stone walls were ‘skeps’ (straw bee hives) a home for visiting bees in summer.
Around the courtyard with its pretty central fountain, castle doors are decorated with Christmas wreaths. Then we came across a bit of history which only this kind of castle would have; a mounting block. A stone set of steps that allows one to mount a horse more easily!
The well-worn mounting block of the Thornbury Castle is engraved with the Stafford knot and has clearly had much use over time. It would have no doubt been used by Dukes and nobleman as well as possibly King Henry VIII himself when he visited!
The hotel is an ideal wedding venue and also hosts a number of events throughout the years from murder mystery nights, after teas, and festive workshops.
Of course being a castle you would expect to find a dungeon; The Thornbury dungeon is available for private dining for up to 8 people, but there are 4 other dining rooms to choose from of various capacity for private meetings or events.
As a Tudor castle, there has to be a grand hall and the Tudor Hall at Thornbury is the perfect setting for larger occasions, banquets and gala dinners. The intimate Baron’s Sitting Room is perfect for cocktail receptions, small dinner parties and elegant suppers.
During the summertime, guests can while away the afternoon in the grounds taking up croquet on the lawn while those wanting more of a challenge can take up an archery sessions or attend a falconry demonstration as well as archery.
This was a spectacular hotel with a wonderful history and hospitality to rival the palace of any King or Queen!
MADEMOISELLE:
Experience a true Christmas fairytale at Thornbury Castle, Thornbury Village, Bristol.
Nestled in the English countryside, the Tudor castle was home to Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. It encompasses the Tudor era and style with plush sofas, heavy decorative curtains, stoned walls, and dark wooden staircases. A true fit for an English King.
Arriving at the castle we drove along the driveway through the archway and into the car park. The entrance makes you feel like you should either be arriving in a horse drawn carriage or in this era, in a luxury sports car. We had neither but it did not take away from its effect.
As you enter the hotel reception, there is no luxury hotel smell but a smell of history and almost a churchy smell which on the contrary I think is nice because it fits with the aesthetic and meaning of the hotel.
There is nothing modern about the hotel which I love because you are not staying at the hotel to get something modern, you want the classics and to be taken back in time. The only modern things I would say were the TV and radio in the room.
We headed to our room – Queen Mary I. What a room! It was amazing! The high ceilings allowed for a chandelier that just added to the grandeur of the room. The bed was a high four poster bed with curtains that you could shut around the bed. I could honestly stay in that bed all day and just order room service (but we did not have time for that!). There was a large dark wooden wardrobe, a desk area, mini fridge and tea and coffee section. There was also a seating area in the window alcove at the end of the bed, which was very comfy. We had a fantastic view of the gardens and the church from our room through the old, ornate stone carved single panelled windows. The bathroom was modern and refreshing but the history did not stop in the bathroom as they kept the original stained-glass window. For shampoo and body wash it was Molten Brown products which I love! Everything about the room was perfect and exactly what I wanted from an old Tudor castle.
After enjoying the room and getting ready for dinner, we headed down for pre-dinner drinks in the lounge which was spectacular. There were two adjoining rooms. Both had beautiful Christmas trees but the one in the second room was something else. It was tall and just a traditional perfect Christmas tree that I would be happy to have in my house. The second room was the library with book shelves adorned with old books, a small fireplace and the chairs were a wonderful tartan red pattern.
The main lounge was like stepping into Buckingham Palace, with a large fireplace, sofas with lush designs and plenty of cushions embroidered with the hotel’s crest (logo) on them. It was screaming history everywhere you looked and in every room.
We sat in front of the fireplace where a roaring crackling fire kept us warm. There was a variety of board games to play, but we chose the pack of cards that were surprisingly in good condition. Our pre-dinner drinks came with complementary snacks; olives and nuts which we did not waste! It was relaxing to just sit with a glass of wine by the fire playing card games, surrounded in history and luxury in the English countryside – it was unmatched.
A waitress came and told us our table for dinner was ready at exactly 7:30pm and showed us to our table. Before, we headed to dinner, they asked what drinks we would like to have with dinner, so it was all ready when we sat for dinner and they immediately brought our drinks without having to ask again. We also chose what to have for our meal at leisure in the lounge so we didn’t have to faff with the menus whilst at the dinner table which I thought was great and added to the exceptional service.
Dinner was a delicious experience! Every dish was on point and with every course they brought they told you what it was and what was in it etc. which I enjoyed hearing because then I know exactly what I am eating and what I am meant to be tasting. We began with a complementary whipped soup which might not sound appealing but was delicious! I mean it was like eating air but it sure was tasty air. We also had bread with local butter which I would have been more than happy with just that!
For the starter I had pate surrounded with shortcrust pastry, pickled vegetables, and chutney. Never had something like that before and I am so glad I took it. For the main I took roasted cauliflower, broccoli, chickpea dish with a yoghurt dressing (can’t remember what it was called). To be fair, when it came it didn’t look like much on the plate but as they say don’t judge a book by its cover. They probably didn’t have to wash the plate afterwards, that’s how good it was. They really know what they are doing when it comes to food and putting flavours together because the whole dish just worked. I could taste everything that the waitress described.
I did not want this meal to end but good things always come to an end and to top off the fabulous evening, for dessert I had the white chocolate, apple cheesecake. That was to die for! I personally don’t like white chocolate because I findd it too sweet but paired with the sourness of the apple, it was just divine, I wish I could have it again. I ate it with a smile on my face and tried to eat it slowly to savour as much as I could.
Everything about dinner was perfect and it all just worked so well together. The fact that they told you what each dish was when they served you, shows that they know what they are doing, there is no hiding when they are pointing out the ingredients and flavours. They know what they are serving and they are serving it with pride. This left us with high expectations for breakfast the next morning.
After we had our beauty sleep in a dream of a bed we headed down to breakfast. I thought breakfast would be a buffet but it turned out to be a la carte which I don’t think I have ever experienced before for breakfast. I honestly think I prefer it to a buffet, as you don’t need to continuously get up or wait for indecisive people. Even being a la carte there were options to suit everyone. I choose to have the yoghurt granola bowl, toast, croissant, and a glass of orange juice. The granola bowl was perfect, exactly what I wanted. With the toast you had the options of various Tiptree Jams, Marmalades, and honey – I love Tiptree jams. My ultimate test to see if any hotel’s breakfast is good is testing their croissant. For some reason a lot of Hotel’s seem to struggle to bake a croissant and they turn out to be either under cooked or not flaky and you are left with raw soft croissant with no flavour. But I can tell you that Thornbury Castle has passed the test. I only wish that their croissants were bigger and not small ones but we can’t have everything. I can’t comment on their cooked breakfast as I chose not to have it. However, looking back now I feel like I should have, seeing how dinner was so good I can imagine their cooked breakfasts would be lovely. There’s a reason to go back!
I did not want to leave this warm, enchanting hotel but reality calls. If you want to feel like royalty and escape the mundane modern world we live in, then make your way to Thornbury Castle. You will not be disappointed.
Just imagine a relaxing care free day, waking up in a four-poster bed, ordering room service for breakfast. Then taking a walk in the English fields (right outside the hotel there is path that you can walk through the countryside), coming back to afternoon tea in the hotel, sitting beside the crackling fire and having fun playing board games and card games all afternoon. Then dressing up for dinner and ending your day with a meal that you will remember. Doesn’t that sound like bliss?
This is not just any castle hotel; this is The Thornbury Castle Hotel!
November 2024
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