Staying in Hampshire’s Heckfield Place is akin to taking a draught of calming elixir, says Hetty Lintell. They’ve got the balance between style and substance spot on too. If you’re staying just a single night, a country house hotel must meet certain criteria: it cannot be too far away, but be far enough to feel different from home; there must be excellent food, ideally locally sourced, seasonal and, of course, creative; drool-worthy interiors must come as standard; oh, and a knock-out spa.
Heckfield Place — which is sandwiched between the M3 and 4, south of Reading (tick; I’m based in London) — can claim Skye Gyngell as its director of food (tick) and a brand new spa to help calm the soul (tick). Heckfield Place — with its elegantly imposing brick facade — was once a family home, restored to former glory by billionaire owner Gerald Chan. He’s a man of many passions (I’m told that he is always adding to and re-hanging his vast collection of eclectic artwork that pepper the hotel’s walls.
) Built, as grand houses were 200 years ago, to enjoy the changing seasons and make the most of the natural light, it would be a glorious setting for a celebration. A wedding for example. There’s a charming variety of rooms available and no two are the same.
I enjoyed our ‘Master’ room (above) overlooking the hotel’s walled garden — decorated in soothing, neutral tones, natural fabrics and a pleasing mish-mash of textures. If you’re looking for more decadent de.
