The UK and Ireland’s best country house hotels for 2023

Langar Hall

If travel is about getting away from it all, then a flit to the countryside to escape the grind of modern life definitely fits the bill. Outside of the urban hubs, Britain and Ireland are blessed with country houses that have been transformed into elegant rural hideaways in which to spend the night.

As the Good Hotel Guide award winners for 2024 are announced, The Independent can reveal the picks for the best 10 country house hotels in the UK and Ireland.

Whether you're after Michelin-starred dinners in Devon or a hearty Cumbrian breakfast to start the day, whether exploring ancient woodlands or lounging beside a pool appeals, there's no shortage of options across this green and pleasant land.

To find out more, visit the Good Hotel Guide website. But for now, here are some exceptional hotels that are sure to inspire an escape to the country.

Viewfield House

Portree, Isle of Skye, Scotland

Viewfield House is a great place to base yourself when exploring Skye

— (Viewfield House)

A house-party atmosphere prevails at this 19th-century mansion in 20 acres of woodland garden, home to the Macdonald family for 200 years. Victorian interiors are filled with antiques and paintings, and you won’t find a TV in your bedroom – though it might have dual-aspect windows, a pedestal desk and original fireplace. In a dining room hung with ancestral portraits, guests sit down to a full Scottish breakfast, kippers or a vegetarian option, while at night there is home-made soup, cheese and charcuterie, devilled smoked salmon and vegetarian platters.

Mallory Court

Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England

Hours can easily disappear at the spa

— (Mallory Court)

Built in 1916 in the romantic Elizabethan vernacular and set within formal gardens and pleasure grounds, Mallory Court welcomes families and their dogs. Described as “sumptuous and relaxing”, bedrooms in the main house blend traditional and contemporary style. Elsewhere, you’ll find places to relax over afternoon tea after a game of croquet or tennis, and in the spa or pool. Dinner in the panelled dining room is formal and fine.

Gidleigh Park

Chagford, Devon, England

Chagford is on the edge of Dartmoor National Park

— (Gidleigh Park )

A single-track lane leads to this 1920s Tudor-style house, amid 107 acres of gardens and woodland on the banks of the North Teign. It’s home to a Michelin-starred restaurant, tennis court, croquet lawn and putting course. It is family friendly, with picnic hampers available to order and Dartmoor almost on the doorstep. Accommodation ranges from contemporary “classics” to spacious “master” rooms, up to the vast Spa Suite (where guests will find panoramic views of the valley). Chef Paul Eden’s “nouvelle but exquisite” dishes might include steamed turbot, mixed squash, pumpkin seeds, caviar and seaweed.

Langar Hall

Langar, Nottinghamshire, England

Expect quirk and fun at Langar Hall

— (Langar Hall)

This Georgian house in the Vale of Belvoir has been welcoming guests since the late Imogen Skirving was inspired by a dream to open her doors, greeting strangers as friends. Granddaughter Lila Arora now presides over a delightful, faintly eccentric operation. Bedrooms have intense charm; Cartland was a favourite of the late Dame Barbara, and Bohemia, featuring a four-poster bed, has poetry on the walls. Public rooms are filled with antiques and curios. Chef Gary Booth cooks locally sourced dishes, such as assiette of Langar lamb and warm salad of garden beetroot. langarhall.com

Enniscoe House

Castlehill, County Mayo, Ireland

Enniscoe House stands in the shadow of Nephin mountain

— (Enniscoe House)

In wooded grounds on Lough Conn, against the backdrop of solitary Mount Nephin, this ancestral home is the very epitome of a Georgian country house in Ireland. Guests are hosted by Susan Kellett and her son, DJ, in a warm, inviting ambience. Bedrooms are spacious, and there is a comfy drawing room with open fire and much-faded Adam wallpaper. Guests meet over drinks before excellent, pared-back suppers cooked by Susan with produce from the organic walled garden. After breakfast, explore the 19th-century pleasure grounds, fish in the Lough, or follow nature trails through ancient woodland.

Ty Mawr

Brechfa, Carmarthenshire, Wales

Ty mawr is Welsh for ‘big house’

— (Ty Mawr)

On the edge of Brechfa Forest in the Cothi valley, this 17th-century country house wins plaudits as “a lovely comfortable hotel”, with individually styled bedrooms, locally sourced food, and great walks from the door.

Lastingham Grange

Lastingham, Yorkshire, England

Peace, seclusion and comfort can be found at Lastingham Grange

— (Lastingham Grange)

There is a home-from-home ethos at this former farmhouse on the edge of Spaunton Moor, owned by the Wood family for 70 years, where comforts include tea with scones, a dinner menu that changes each night, and breakfasts of kippers and Yorkshire ham.

Warwick Hall

Carlisle, Cumbria, England

The original Warwick Hall was substantially rebuilt in 1828

— (Warwick Hall)

Fishing is popular on the River Eden, which loops around the estate at this dog-friendly mansion, where the day begins with a hearty Cumbrian breakfast, tea is served by the drawing room fire, and guests convene for dinner in the dual-aspect dining room.

The Priory

Wareham, Dorset, England

The grounds of The Priory stretch to over four acres

— (Priory Hotel)

Four acres of English cottage gardens on the banks of the River Frome surround this former monastery, home to smart and stylish bedrooms and a glass-walled dining room, where chef Stephan Guinebault’s menus draw inspiration from his grandmother’s cooking on her Loire Valley farm.

The Old Rectory

Martinhoe, Devon, England

The South West Coast Path is just 500 metres from The Old Rectory

— (The Old Rectory Hotel)

In a remote hamlet in rolling countryside between Exmoor and the sea, Huw and Sam Rees-Prosser have created the kind of hotel where friends would love to gather, hosting guests for drinks and canapés before they dine from an imaginative nightly menu. oldrectoryhotel.co.uk

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