The Cotswolds hotel where you stay in village cottages like a local

Résumé détaillé

The Manor House replaced the Norman castle that gave the Wiltshire village its name. It was rebuilt in the mid-19th century and sold after the Second World War, shortly after most…

There’s a minor blemish on one of the Cotswolds’ prettiest villages, a designated conservation area. Stuck to gates and doors on Castle Combe’s honey-coloured limestone houses are laminated “No Drone Zone” signs.

Spin around on The Street, which runs through it, and tourists posing in doorways at every turn explain why the five dozen villagers need to spell out their right to privacy.

It’s a similar scene outside the 17th-century Manor House, which has has long played an integral role to the village, initially as a home to the lords of the manor, and later as a hotel. There’s a super car parked outside as I arrive, with a couple of men setting up a tripod to frame it in front of the ivy-clad baronial pile.

The Manor House replaced the Norman castle that gave the Wiltshire village its name. It was rebuilt in the mid-19th century and sold after the Second World War, shortly after most of the village cottages were auctioned off.

Set in acres of manicured gardens with Italianate terraces, the hotel makes a statement with its turrets and Tudor arched doorway, and it’s not hard to see the attraction for guests and daytrippers, as well as filmmakers (the village has served as a set for productions including Doctor Dolittle and War Horse).

I’m accompanied out of the main house and down a honey-hued mews (outside which pose more selfie-snappers) connecting its grounds to the heart of the village. I’m given the keys to Upper Park Lane, a 14th-century cottage next door to one of Castle Combe’s two inns.

This, I discover, is the beauty of a stay at The Manor House – an opportunity to step behind those desirable doorways and enjoy the village after all the daytrippers, selfie-sticks and tour buses have disappeared.

Bedrooms in The Manor House come with the baronial flourishes you’d expect – timber beams, wood paneled walls, heavy curtains with pelmets and in some rooms, four poster beds. The decor is more contemporary, with subtle corporate undertones.

Mews rooms are rich with…

Début de l'article, extrait de i News. Pour lire la suite, ouvrez l'article chez le média.