The exterior of Coworth Park, originally built in 1776

The Dorchester Collection’s country hideaway near London combines serenity with spa and some brilliant cuisine

Country factor:
15 minutes from Heathrow Airport, less than an hour from central London, this country house is set in a sprawling estate of parkland, lakes and polo fields. You feel like you are in the deepest rural idyll.

What to do?
A more pertinent question is, what not to do. There is, just across the way from the main house, an extensive spa with a swimming pool and hydrotherapy. There is an equestrian centre linked to the polo fields – come at the right time of year, and you can see the British royals play their favourite sport. Otherwise, you can ride. There is an all-weather tennis court, archery, and extensive grounds to get lost in doing long walks. In short, all the benefits of an English country house hotel without having to take a helicopter or drive several hours to get there from civilisation.

The Spa which works in collaboration with Germaine de Capuccini

What to eat?
Not so long ago, the cuisine was the question mark hanging over almost any British hotel outside London. Michelin-starred chef Adam Smith shows at Coworth Park how things have turned full circle.

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Particularly admirable is what we would call his concept and execution platform. Across the menus in the different venues, it seems the dish is conceived, and can then be executed in different ways: traditional, vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free.

The Drawing Room terrace which overlooks the grounds

There is no primacy of any style. Ingredients are piercing and local. It’s thoughtful and contemporary. Cooking thought leadership at its best. The main restaurant, Woven, has a delightful, classic modern feeling in its decor: no tablecloths, but as formal as you want it to be, with clever and expensive lighting.

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The other restaurant, The Barn, is a more informal, but still highly polished and sophisticated offering. We would go to the former for dinner, and the latter for lunch. Or perhaps the other way round. Who knows.

Mansion House Junior Suite bedroom

Lying in
The decor in the rooms is perfectly judged, for where we are: not trying to be deepest wooden beam country style, but not city imposed on a rural dwelling either. Bathrooms are huge, beds almost as huge, and there is all the glitz you would expect of a luxury hotel.

Rates: From £570 per night (approx. €654/$700)

Book your stay: dorchestercollection.com/ascot/coworth-park

Darius Sanai

Autumnal colours at Coworth Park country hotel

Why should I go now?

Golden leaves, bright frosty mornings, log fires, long evenings – autumnal English country landscapes are hard to beat, especially when you can curl up in the drawing room of Coworth Park after a bracing walk.

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What’s the lowdown?

Coworth Park is an easy 45 minute drive from London, along winding country lanes through some of England’s prettiest pastoral scenes, close to Windsor Great Park. The main hotel building, a Georgian style Mansion House, is elegant and homely with cream fabrics, dark woods and a sweeping staircase leading up to bedrooms.

Restaurant Coworth Park, headed by Executive Chef Adam Smith was recently awarded a Michelin star

Sitting opposite the cosy drawing room and bar, is Restaurant Coworth Park (recently awarded a Michelin star) overlooking the rose garden and fields beyond. Adam Smith‘s menu follows a Best of British theme, using locally-sourced seasonal ingredients to create delicately flavoured dishes; we were especially delighted by the Cep Velouté (one of the best mushroom soups we’ve ever tasted) and the surprising combination of pink grapefruit, vanilla, white chocolate and ginger beer for dessert.

The Spa at Coworth Park

A rustic dining experience can be found at The Barn, close by to the converted Stables and Cottages (more bedrooms), where guests wander in for a hearty lunch in their muddy boots after a polo lesson with Guards Polo Club on Coworth Park’s professional polo field.

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The award-winning Spa is partially submerged in the landscape with a live roof sprouting herbs, and huge windows on the upper floor at The Spatisserie restaurant, providing panoramic views of the parkland. There’s heated indoor swimming pool with underwater music and surrounding loungers, an aromatic steam room and high tech gym.

Getting horiztonal

The Drawing Room

Our room, a Stable Premium Suite, was spread across the entire top floor of a converted stable block with a large sitting room, slightly more compact bedroom and a spacious marble bathroom with two standalone, roll top copper bathtubs. Warm, earthy tones, equestrian themed artwork and underfloor heating create a homely atmosphere.

Nitpicking

Not all the bedrooms overlook the parkland, ours had huge windows but a view only onto the stable courtyard. Whilst they might be slightly less grand, the cottages or the Manor House front bedrooms are the ones to pick.

Rates: From £318 ( approx. $400/350€ )

dorchestercollection.com/en/ascot/coworth-park