The Manor House, Castle Combe

There are some properties you can only dream of staying in because sometimes, they feel so out of reach. One of those dream properties, for me, was The Manor House, Castle Combe. Just like my stay at Cliveden House, Manor House was absolutely spectacular.

I had tried to book it last year in the summer but it was fully booked. So this year, as soon as Boris gave the go ahead for potential hotel reopenings, I booked a room. We were booked to visit the week it was going to reopen so all we had to do was wait patiently and count down. Imagine my surprise when a week to our arrival, I received a call informing me that we had been upgraded.

Now, I want to believe this is because I was one of the first guests upon reopening. Or perhaps, just my luck? Anyway, we had been upgraded from the classic room to a room in the cottage mews. Say whattttttt? Yup, it was one of their fanciest suites and we were going to be staying in it.

On the Thursday, we drove from London to Castle Combe in just under 3 hours. The weather forecast for both days was grim but it did not stop our excitement. After all, we were going to THE Manor House.

Background of the Manor House, Castle Combe

The Manor House is a 14th century luxury hotel (and golf club) in Castle Combe, Wiltshire. As it is situated in the “prettiest Cotswolds village” you can expect the most picturesque grounds. It is quite a popular location as it is right next to THAT Castle Combe Bridge that is all over Instagram. Infact, its back gate leads you straight to the bridge, how cool is that?!

Throughout the 19th century, political economist and English geologist, George Poulett Scorpe, inhabited Manor House. He was responsible for the creation of the Italian gardens, which is a beauty to behold even till this day.

Reception

The entrance had the most beautiful fireplace, which led to the reception area. It was such a lovely spot to just chill and contemplate the beauty of the property. Trust me, you’d need a few minutes to do this from time to time.

Italian Gardens

Now if there is only one spot to see in the Manor House, Castle Combe, it is the Italian gardens. Don’t hold me to this as I’m sure I will suggest somewhere else too lol. But the gardens are stunning! When we visited, the flowers were in full spring bloom. The gardens smelled really lovely and it was just a romantic, serene evening walk as there was nobody else around.

Bybrook

If I told you that there is a Michelin star restaurant within the Manor House, Castle Combe, would you believe me? It takes its name from the river that runs through the hotel grounds and is an elegant space. All ingredients used in the Bybrook are sourced locally and prepared by a talented group of chefs. There is a sommelier on hand to help with your wine choices, giving you the perfect dining experience. Bybrook is open to non-residents on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays so there is a chance for everyone to visit.

The Manor House Golf Club

Did I mention that the Manor House also has a Gold Membership? Mr E and I walked to the golf course, dodging balls on the way, and it was a sea of lush greenery. This is one part of the Manor House I had no idea about. The golf course is so picturesque and has the most stunning backdrops. We watched some golfers (well, Mr E did while I took photos) and it was the perfect end to our first evening there.

The Cottage Mews

The upgrade from classic room to cottage mews meant that I had the best of both worlds. We spent so much time chilling in the room because of the rain which allowed me take it all in. We stayed in “The Grove” which had the most beautiful Georgian period furniture. The bath was a bright yellow roll top bath in the hugest bathroom I have ever stayed in. That bathroom could fit a king sized bed in it easily.

Its front door was a pretty pastel green with spring flowers encroaching. Manor House’s entire row of cottages is somewhat popular as well. Each cottage door has some florals adorning the doorsteps and the row takes you back a few centuries.

We had a chat with one of the managers who confirmed that the cottages would have belonged to the Manor staff. It is always interesting to me that staff (and servants) in these Cotswolds villages lived in the cottages centuries ago. But today, they are some of the priciest properties in the country. Perhaps, it is due to how well they have been preserved to stay as original as they were from centuries ago? Whatever it is makes for a really interesting history topic.

The Manor House, Castle Combe - Hotel Tour

Since we stayed in the cottage mews, which was outside the hotel building, I asked for a hotel tour. This is one thing I have learnt to ask in my travels, as staff will mostly be willing to show you around. We were shown the library, the bar area and the private rooms for weddings and meetings. The most spectacular room was the game room, which had a pool table.

The room used to be a kitchen with a fireplace but due to lapse in time, the fireplace did not work anymore. But you could see the exposed Cotswolds stone and fire pit. Imagine if it still worked since the 14th century? That would have been so crazy.

We were told that the hotel had no elevators so one would have to make their way around via stairs. I love that they did not try to take away from the hotel’s history. It was easy to see that all the things that made The Manor House, Castle Combe a 14th century hotel was very well preserved.

More Cotswolds?

The Castle Inn

The Castle Inn is the sister pub to The Manor House, Castle Combe. It is also quite popular and we went there for dinner on our first night. We had the loveliest fish of the day and chips washed down with some prosecco. Fish and chips can be quite basic but not at The Castle Inn. It was so yummy that we were tempted to return the next day; except that we wanted to try somewhere else lol.

That hard choice whether to return or try somewhere new. I always want to go back to familiar spots; Mr E always wants to try somewhere new.

The Castle Inn is also a bed and breakfast. As its name suggests, it is an inn so one could stay there for less. It is not as pricey as The Manor House and its proximity to the Manor House means you can enjoy the perks of both properties!

Staff

The staff at Manor House were some of the kindest group of people I have ever met. Honestly, the behaviour of hotel staff can make or ruin your hotel experience. So I’m grateful to them for giving us their good vibes. We had room service for free, tea and coffee brought to our room each time we asked. Nothing was impossible for the staff. If it was within reason, they always found a way to make it happen.

The Manor House, Castle Combe was really an epic stay. It gave me history, opulence, a mélange of 18th century vibes with Middle Ages interiors, luxury and everything else in between.

The pandemic has definitely opened my eyes to a lot more gems in the UK. I have always loved history and I am a total romantic at heart. Therefore, exploring the UK right now feels like a dream. Everything is so exciting to me; from these century old properties to the countryside, everything fascinates me. I hope I never lose my desire for UK travel when the world opens up again.

So, I am currently on a search for another historic or unique hotel for our next trip. I’ll be honest, they are usually quite pricey and sometimes, hard to secure a stay for weekend trips. However, I am now more determined than ever to look out for more unique stays.

I never dreamt I’d be staying in a Manor house so look out for where next I perch my bum. Until then….

Bisous, ‘Bugo x