As some of you may know, I recently turned 40. Just saying it shocks me, but here we are! For a birthday surprise, my lovely other half very kindly whisked me off to Bishopstrow hotel and spa for the weekend. It’s near Warminster, Wiltshire and is just an hour by car from Bristol.
I feel like this grand old Georgian house is made for winter – with roaring fires in the reception rooms and candles flickering on tables and mantelpieces. We were there in late November which also meant that the Christmas decorations were up and oh my, what a pretty spot.
From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed with open arms and warm smiles. The staff made us feel right at home, and we instantly knew we were in for something special. Independently owned since 2021, the owners have ploughed money into renovating the property and it shows. Our room was gorgeous – a huge comfortable bed, big bath tub and all the little extras you want including FRESH MILK for our morning cuppers!
Our room
We stayed in a ‘roomy room’ which is one of the bigger options available, starting at £225 a night. Ours was on the ground floor in the converted stable block and was just gorgeous, with views into the inner courtyard showing the history of the building too. Opulent burnt orange velour wallpaper, a huge headboard, copper tub and all the mod cons you need made it a real treat. The bed was extremely comfortable and just high enough off the ground to make you feel like a princess. At 5ft 2, I had to take a little jump to get on there!
Despite spending hours in the spa, I also found time to run a big deep bath in the freestanding tub. Podcast on, glass of prosecco in hand. No toddler running around and no chores to be done. Bliss. My only criticism is that to the side of us we had stairs and could hear people going up and down them but to be honest, we were so relaxed come bedtime, we both zonked out for a full night’s sleep.
Spa time
I’ve fast discovered since becoming a mum that I am a ‘spa’ person. I just want to bob around in a pool and get wrinkly in steam rooms and jacuzzies. And this my dear readers, is exactly what we did. From the soothing monsoon showers (and not so soothing tropical rain storm shower) to the steam rooms and sauna, we soaked it all up! 🧖♀️🌊
For the summer months, there is an outdoor pool too. We were told it’s heated so like fools, ran out into Storm Bert in our robes to give it a try but it was freezing!! Straight back inside!! They also offer lots of treatments from massages to pedicures (with a dedicated nail salon space). There’s also a gym but come on… not on my birthday weekend.
Let’s talk food
I’m going to do a separate post about our evening meal at The Garden restaurant because it was that good. Their no-dig kitchen garden forms the backbone of their menus and they grow a lot of fruit and veg on site. The rest of their produce is locally sourced and often organic.
For lunch, we went for salads as we didn’t want to fill up before dinner. I had a chicken Caesar salad, with fresh anchovies for the win and a creamy, moreish dressing. Dave had a blue cheese and fig salad which was incredible. I really want to recreate this one at home. We also had bread and hummus (apparently, we did want to fil up!) which came with oil and vinegar for dipping – such a delicious throwback! In total, lunch cost around £45 with drinks.
On the Sunday morning, Storm Bert knocked the power out so there was no kitchen functioning. They pulled together what they could and we were part of the lucky few who got a sausage sandwich, some had been cooked just before the power cut. We also had a cold tray of muesli and fresh fruit. We sat in the glass extension and watched the wind howl outside feeling very smug. On chatting to our dining neighbours, they agreed that it hadn’t ruined the weekend at all. That said, we felt bad for guests who got up later and had less to choose from and of course, it meant the spa was out of action so we didn’t get our morning swim. But, the staff were great throughout and in a way, it made our trip all the more exciting.
Overall, I would definitely recommend a trip to Bishopstrow hotel and spa. It’s a lovely spot surrounded by rolling hills and there is nothing to do but relax. I’m hoping we can return in 2025 and repeat the whole experience.
