ENGLISH HOMEThe
Celebrating the essence of English styleDecember 2015 | Issue 130 | £4.10 | UK Edition
THE SPIRIT OF
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101 festive ideasGifts, stockings, cakes, table settings, markets & more
Expert inspirationGordon Ramsay’s recipesSophie Conran’s party advice
SET A MAGICAL SCENEChic decorations • Twinkling lights • Stylish entertaining spaces
Christmas Beautiful homes fi lled with comfort & joy
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FESTIVE BREAKSWhether yearning for bright lights and shopping, or an escape to a snug
little hideaway, our selection of delicious seasonal breaks will help set the Christmas spirit alight, away from home
COWORTH PARKASCOT, BERKSHIRE
From an indulgent Champagne afternoon tea to a lavish three-course dinner followed by Midnight Mass at the local village church – returning for hot toddies by the drawing-room fire – Christmas Eve at Coworth Park is English elegance at its best. Christmas Day and Boxing Day promise more festive treats, including a visit from Father Christmas (for the children), a chocolate master-class and a falconry display.
Rooms from £475 a person, a night; suites from £685 a person, a night, over the Christmas period. Decorated trees available in rooms on request. dorchestercollection.com
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THE BIG HOUSE COMPANYNATIONWIDEFor those whose idea of a celebration is a large gathering of the clans, The Big House Company has a selection of beautifully appointed country houses designed to accommodate between 20 and 31 guests. Each is set in spacious grounds offering a variety of activities, plus spaces in which to relax – most also offer an optional catering service.
From £2,350 for a two-night midweek break, thebighouseco.com
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THE PORCH HOUSESTOW ON THE WOLD, GLOUCESTERSHIREA perfectly cooked and presented traditional Christmas menu – compete with pigs in blankets, chestnut-and-cranberry stuffing, Rib of beef and Yorkshire pudding – awaits guests at this multi-award-winning beautifully restored coach house, most recently awarded the prestigious New Pub of the Year 2016 award by the Good Pub Guide. Retreat, afterwards, to cosy beamed bedrooms, or linger downstairs in the convivial bar.
Christmas Day lunch from £75 a head; rooms from £89 a night, porch-house.co.uk
THE HONEY POT COTTAGENEAR BURFORD, OXFORDSHIREHunker down by the cosy wood-burning stove under the ancient honey-coloured beams of this romantic 400-year-old pint-sized fairly-tale Cotswold-stone cottage on the edge of Burford, a charming Cotswold town voted one of the top ten most beautiful places to live in Europe by Forbes magazine. Enjoy Christmas lunch cooked in the Aga, before head ing out into the Gloucestershire countryside or exploring the higgledy-piggledy stone lanes, perhaps stopping for a drink at one of the characterful inns nearby.
The Honey Pot Cottage, sleeps 2, £1,350 for a week’s stay over Christmas. Uniquehomestays.com
Burford in the snow
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132 THE ENGLISH HOME
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THE GORINGLONDONThis most quintessentially English of establishments offers old-school glamour in abundance in the heart of London’s Belgravia. The fleet of impeccably turned-out, tail-coated footmen have your every wish covered – from unpacking suitcases to serving cocktails on the newly-opened Winter Terrace, to providing specially tailored gift lists and booking theatre trips – they will even wrap Christmas presents for you.
From £605 for an overnight stay for two in a deluxe room, including breakfast and footmen service. Available 1-23 December. thegoring.com
SWINTON PARKRIPON, NORTH YORKSHIRE Nestling romantically in the majestic Yorkshire Dales, and surrounded by beautifully landscaped parkland, this atmospheric ivy-clad castle is brimming with handsome antique furnishings and ancient family portraits. Christmas here consists of afternoon tea, pre-dinner canapés and Champagne, accompanied by a carolling choir. A sumptuous Christmas-Eve dinner is also served in the award-winning restaurant. Midnight Mass at the local church precedes a traditionally English Christmas Day plus a host of traditional Boxing-Day activities, including clay-pigeon shooting, a treasure hunt and a pantomime.
From £282 a person, a night, based on double occupancy. swintonpark.com
WESTON PARKSHIFNAL, SHROPSHIRESparkling silverware and twinkling glasses glisten under crystal chandeliers whilst imposing family portraits gaze down as this glorious country house is transformed into a vision of truly classical festivity at Christmastime. Tucked away in the rolling Shropshire countryside, roaring fires warm the cosy library, creating a luxurious clubby atmosphere where comfort is paramount.
From £350 for two for the special Christmas Dine and Stay experience. weston-park.com
DEVONSHIRE ARMSWe would like to make the following correction regarding the Devonshire Arms, which was featured in the Autumn Escapes feature within our October 2015 issue. The Devonshire Arms featured is located in Derbyshire, not North Yorkshire as stated.
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