If you ever want to transport yourself to a completely different world and forget the rest of your life, I can highly recommend Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa.
The hotel feels like it is miles from anywhere, though it is only 20 minutes from Bath. Along country lanes and then a very long and beautiful driveway, this is a majestic house from another era; with every modern convenience. Like many of Britain's beautiful hotels this was once a stately home. It was only converted into a hotel relatively recently, in 1997, but no expense has been spared in making it completely luxurious. We had a tour of the estate after our tea and the spa was just so hard to leave and we were only viewing it from the edge. The pool starts indoors but allows guests to open the glass panel at the end and go outside, too. At night fires line it making it possibly the most romantic place to swim indoors in England.
The drawing room, where we enjoyed our afternoon, is stunning: a high ceiling, beautiful comfortable furniture, fireplaces, large windows and views onto unbroken green fields and forest. Next door to this were more guests in the library, surrounded by bookshelves from floor to very-high-ceiling. A ladder contraption on wheels was present to access the upper shelves.
In the pictures the food might not look much different from any other afternoon tea but every item is exceptionally well made, fresh and using the highest quality ingredients. Each bite was a delight. It’s little wonder to the quality when Lucknam also offer a cookery school. I already want to go back.
This divine chocolate tart had a perfectly even centre of Yuzu mousse and jelly, surrounded by the chocolate ganache.