Staying in Period Style – The Inns, Hotels, and Country Manor Homes of South West England
Summer Lodge
If you’re looking for that oasis of an elegant country home that’s located nearby medieval history, Summer Lodge Country House Hotel is the ideal place. Situated on four acres of beautiful gardens that were in part designed by Thomas Hardy when he was an architect, the upscale boutique hotel is a short walk to the town of Evershot, which some may know from Thomas Hardy’s literary mention in ‘Tess of the D’Ubervilles.
Once a Dower House, Summer Lodge, a Relaix & Chateau property, will remind you of vacationing in the English countryside and staying in your dear old aunt’s home. The home is elegant with an old English country flair. Overstuffed chairs, printed drapes and wallpaper are designed with bright colors and patterns, there’s a bar and library filled with rare books and rare scotches, and a staff well-versed in “English manners” and service.
One of the bedrooms
Cozy bar are and lounge
Each room is unique in décor, while all provide the facilities and comfort of English luxury. The atrium invites you to breakfast to gaze at the manicured gardens while the sitting room is the perfect place for a proper afternoon tea. The menu features traditional English dishes with European influences that garnered 3 AAA Rosettes in 2016. The hotel was also voted the #2 hotel in the United Kingdom and the #2 Best Hotel in Europe in 2016 by Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards.
Sitting room
Selection of cheeses and ports
Inspired cuisine at the restaurant
Nearby, visit Sherborne, known as one of the most beautiful towns in England with its 1,300-year-old Abbey. Montacute House is a Renaissance Manor house built in the 16th century and houses the National Portrait Gallery of Elizabethan paintings. This is where several episodes of the current TV show, Wolf Hall, were filmed.
