Bovey Castle

Hidden from view by its front gardens and entrance, Bovey Castle is a country house hotel that saves its grandest views for its esteemed guests. Whether strolling through the grounds, tee-ing off on the golf course, or heading down to the tennis courts, the imposing neo-Victorian façade watches over you from its elevated position on a 275-acre estate within Dartmoor National Park.  Actually Bovey Castle is more of a stately home than a castle, with grounds that luxuriate in stunning Dartmoor surroundings – think Downton Abbey, with you as the Master of the House!

The hotel has a spa, restaurant and cocktail bar, along with 60 bedrooms and suites ranging from the relatively modest Mews Bedrooms to Grand State Rooms with dining tables and roll-top baths. The rooms are suited to a wide range of guests from honeymoon couples to those with children or dogs. All rooms come with coffee- and tea-making facilities (including Nespresso machines), and of course the finest fluffy robes and slippers. And if you prefer the flexibility of self-catering but crave the facilities of a top-notch hotel, you can stay in one of Bovey Castle’s 22 lodges, which sleep up to eight people in the utmost comfort.

Outside, the plus-foured outdoor staff can be seen warming up the Land Rovers for clay-pigeon shooting trips, a bit of off-road adventure on Dartmoor, or a spot of falconry. They’ll also park your car for you when you arrive.  Other offerings include a horse and carriage ride to the nearby chocolate-box village of North Bovey and its Ring of Bells country pub, more footpaths than you can count, and there’s croquet on the lawns, of course.  When the Dartmoor weather closes in, you can avail yourself of the spa facilities; whether in the form of a treatment, a dip in the whirlpool, or a few lengths in the swimming pool. And of course, you can eat and drink: head for Smith’s Brasserie for Mediterranean dishes or the three-AA-rosette Great Western Grill for elegant á la carte cuisine. And after a hike on the Moors, you can collapse in front of the fire in the grand common room with one of Devon’s finest afternoon teas.

Hotels don’t get much better than Bovey Castle, and service is superb throughout. But don’t just take our word for it – it has  five AA red stars, which means it’s the best of the best, one of around 50 UK hotels to hold this prestigious rating. Oozing style in that mythological English country house sense, it’s a slice of pure Devon luxury.