By, Rosa Doherty
1 min read
ByRosa Doherty, Rosa Doherty
The crunch of the gravelled path leading up to the Bath Priory Hotel made me feel I'd jumped off the pages of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey.
Set in a tranquil area of western Bath the late Georgian stone mansion sits in three acres of garden, with sweeping lawns, cedar trees, and its very own vegetable patch.
With just 31 rooms, each individually named after a flower, this boutique hotel exudes a sense of calm.
The grand lounges are filled with grandfather clocks, log fires, regal paintings and luxury sofas, but I loved my bed for the night in the Magnolia room.
A modest step away from the grandeur offered in the public spaces, this classic country room still had all the mod cons a city girl needs and plenty of wardrobe space.
I sunk into the floral printed sofa plumped up by cushions and poured myself a glass of the chilled still water that lay waiting.
Sunlight glistened through the double fronted window offering a gorgeous view of the manicured garden and terrace below.
It wasn't long before I uncovered the L'Occitane toiletries along with my fluffy white robe and hotel slippers and headed down two floors to explore the Garden Spa.
Small but stylish the heated pool with doors open to the garden allowed the bird song to filter through.
For those interested in a proper swim, a heated outdoor swimming pool offers lengths, but you do have to trawl across the lawn in your dressing gown. Not ideal for the colder months.
Breakfast on the terrace is a must if possible. Options include a traditional buffet laid out delicately or a menu cooked to order with classics like eggs Benedict and scrambled eggs with smoked salmon. For dinner, Michelin star chef Sam Moody's dishes are luxurious, and complex unlike the dining room itself which is relatively characterless and bare.
Even so, The Bath Priory is a luxury and cosy country house combined.
Rates: Rooms from £165 per night; www.thebathpriory.co.uk