7 of the most romantic boltholes in the UK and Ireland

With it being the week of Valentine’s Day, love is within the air. From Highland castles reached by Rolls Royce, to Dartmoor thatched pavilions; listed here are a number of the most seductive boltholes across the UK and Eire for a shock getaway with your beloved.

Thyme Lodge, Gloucestershire

Simply reachable from London however a world away, Thyme is as English and aromatic because the title evokes – as contemporary as a jug of selfmade lemonade. A set of honey-hued cottages, a farmhouse and an idyllic nation pub, The Swan, this property is one you’ll by no means wish to depart. The emphasis is on nature and each aspect, from the heated springwater pool to the Meadow Spa, sings a love track to its setting on the doorstep of the Leach Valley. Breakfast, with bacon from pigs reared on the property, takes place in opposition to the medieval backdrop of Tithe Barn and dinners of seasonal home-farmed produce (the Partridge Pudding is a should) are served at The Swan underneath gifted head chef, Charlie Hibbert. Night cocktails, infused with herbs from the backyard, are discovered within the Baa Bar earlier than retiring with a Damson Vodka nightcap. Actions embody a mini charcuterie course with an area curer adopted by lunch.

Gidleigh Park, Devon

A Dartmoor treasure hidden deep in woodland on the financial institution of the River Teign, Gidleigh Park is a 24-room bolthole with the sensation of a personal residence. Pastel-hued panelled bedrooms are prettily embellished with positive antiques and the softest beds within the county. For a very romantic retreat, take over The Pavilion, a thatched folly cottage perched on the tumbling river. Michelin starred meals is overseen by chef Chris Simpson and foodies flock from across the nation to get pleasure from seasonal dishes akin to Salcombe Crab and Cornish Turbot. The service is famend for its heat and memorable touches (tea and shortbread served Downton Abbey-style in mattress every morning). A spot to savour and linger in.

Barnsley Home, Gloucestershire

Due to the visionary planting of late proprietor, the famed designer Rosemary Verey, the gardens of Gloucestershire’s 17th-century Barnsley Home are lovely in any season. The manor has a vibrant historical past – Henry VIII, that outdated romantic, bequeathed it to every of his six wives in flip! The quintessential Cotswolds spa hideaway is a rambling golden-stone home surrounded by towering yew hedges and grounds dotted with Grecian temples and secret corners for a clinch. A recent inside is a shock and the suites are dreamily comfy with huge bathtubs and large home windows. Sneak into the non-public cinema for a screening with drinks. The Potager restaurant serves up sport and seasonal deliciousness with a superb wine cellar.

Fox Corridor, West Sussex

A wild card entry however completely pure Girl Chatterley romance set on the sting of the Duke of Richmond’s rolling Goodwood Property in West Sussex. This diminutive 18th century Palladian ‘looking field’ looks like a magical discovery at first sight. Managed by The Landmark Belief, Fox Corridor sports activities astonishing luxurious interiors on a tiny scale. Gilded rooms, stone fireplaces and acres of woodland make for a pure nation fantasy. Pub lunches are a should after wandering across the rolling meadows and quaint villages surrounding this hidden gem.

Inverlochy Fort, Fort William

Have a Highland fling on the lakeside idyll of Inverlochy Fort. An award-winning 19th century pile on the shores of a glowing non-public loch. It’s a gloriously dreamy set-up laced with interval appeal – even Queen Victoria remarked that she ‘by no means noticed a lovelier or extra romantic spot’. Set like a jewel in a hoop of peaks (cloaked in snow presently of 12 months), courtiers to the majesty of Ben Nevis, Inverlochy Fort is the last word getaway. Arrive in close by Fort William by steam prepare on the West Highland Line and the resort’s Rolls Royce will gather you. Legendary cooks Albert & Michael Roux Jr oversee the kitchens and the meals is lavish with a definite Highland infusion. Sip whisky within the Billiards room, row on the Loch or just share the magic of a roaring fireplace and a timeless second collectively far-off from the actual world. An Ampersand favorite!

The Merrion Lodge, Dublin

A chic Georgian townhouse within the coronary heart of trendy Dublin, The Merrion is seduction on a grand scale. Drifting up the plasterwork and chandelier staircase to your suite after nightcaps within the library? It doesn’t get any extra romantic. The breakfasts are a factor of legend finest served in your room underneath a silver dome adopted by crisp morning walks throughout the lakes of close by St Stephen’s Inexperienced and pints of Guinness in buzzing Temple Bar. A Dublin delight!

Blakes, London

You don’t have to depart London to flee right into a cocoon of luxurious retreat. Blakes, Anouska Hempel’s Kensington boutique resort, is an artfully-designed warren of seductive chambers with all of the romantic notes wanted. We love the deep-red Cardinal Suite – replete with four-poster mattress, botanical illustrations and sensuous textiles. Fittingly, for maybe the sexiest resort within the capital, Blakes provide a ‘Love Package deal’, select between Naughty (therapeutic massage oil, Kiki de Montparnasse intimacy package and Karma Sutra ebook) or Good (Love Letters of Nice Males, Amelia Rope Chocolate Hearts and scatterings of rose petals). A delicious breakfast in mattress is produced with champagne the next morning. Blakes is the embodiment of discretion and a decadent alternative for a metropolis escape.

James Jayasundera is Founder and Managing Director of Ampersand Journey. Ampersand Journey create bespoke and splendid journey experiences to Asia, the British Isles and Southern Africa.

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