Hotel Endsleigh
Hidden on the edge of Dartmoor deep in the secluded Devonshire countryside, at the end of a long, meandering tree-lined road, nestled in a valley beside the rapids of the River Tamar, lies Hotel Endsleigh. Sounds rather magical, doesn’t it? Well, let me tell you, it is.
Endsleigh is an imposing Grade I historic house set in 100 stunning acres of fairytale woodland, follies and grottos. There are 19 luxurious, beautifully appointment bedrooms, all with wonderful views of the gardens, the River Tamar and beyond into Cornwall.
It’s owned by hotelier extraordinaire Olga Polizzi, and her immense eye for interior design is evident throughout. The hotel prides itself on peace and quiet; the website proudly declares that there is no music played whatever, so that ‘only the birds singing and the bats squeaking’ can be heard. See, I told you it was magical...
We arrived feeling somewhat frazzled on a wet and windy winter afternoon; we had been due to arrive at 3 pm for a garden tour but, despite rushing, unexpected traffic had set us back.
Crossing the threshold of the hotel, however, and all stress seemed to melt away; the calming and efficient staff made us feel immediately at ease, furnishing us with tea (and a plate of incredible biscuits, baked in-house) and insisted that there was no rush whatsoever. Immediately, our shoulders dropped an inch. We were given a brief tour (hello, honesty bar…) and shown to our room, suite number 1, which I suspect is number 1 not just by name, but by nature.
Endsleigh’s characterful rooms are all completely unique and designed with uncluttered elegance, but not so uncluttered that they feel stark and minimal; think painted wallpapers, quirky furnishings, fabulous art, book-lined shelves and luxuriously large, quilted beds.
Suite 1 is no different, except that it also boasts a beautiful, separate sitting room overlooking the garden, complete with a writing desk and squishy sofa to sink in to.
Then there is a stunning bathroom almost the size of my London flat, complete with a vast, original roll top bath and lots of lovely Mitchell and Peach toiletries. Heaven.
The large master bedroom has French windows leading to the garden and, in keeping with the rest of the hotel, the furniture is a pleasing mix of old and new, with some unusual and very covetable pieces (I so wanted to take the orange ceramic bird-shaped lamp home with me…).
Fritz von der Schulenburg
We reluctantly left our palatial new boudoir and set off to meet head gardener, Ben Ruscombe-King, for our garden tour.
I slipped on a pair of the hotel’s Hunter wellies and stepped outside; immediately it’s obvious why the Duke of Bedford, who two centuries ago owned a third of Devon, chose this spot for his hunting and fishing lodge.
The views overlooking the River Tamar and beyond into Cornwall are breath-taking.
Endsleigh’s grounds were created by celebrated landscape designer Humphry Repton; designed 200 years ago, is was one of Repton’s last commissions, and brings together a multitude of landscaping elements for which he was renowned.
Immediately around the house, there are formal gardens running down to the river, there’s a picturesque rockery, a dell with little bridges crossing streams shaded by huge Gunnera leaves, and beyond is the arboretum which contains unusual, ancient trees from around the world, still standing in the spots marked out with bamboo canes by the Duchess herself.
There’s also a stunning shell grotto, and a 100-metre raised bed. It is, without doubt, a gardener’s paradise.
Head gardener Ben was incredibly interesting and provided a remarkable insight into the gardens, their history and the people that have lived at Endsleigh over the years. As we retraced the footsteps of the Duke on one of his former carriageways, Ben regaled us with fascinating stories of rediscovered waterfalls and of Duchess Georgina, who liked to make cream and cheese in her purpose-built, thatched roof dairy, which we visited on the tour.
Back at the ranch, it was time to warm up by making full use of the gargantuan sized bath and get ready for dinner. True to the hotel’s word, as I soaked in the tub all was wonderfully silent, except for the sound of an owl hooting in the garden.
Soon we headed to the library for an aperitif, and as we entered my breath was quite literally taken away; as if magic, a staggering 160 candles had been lit, gently twinkling and illuminating every nook and stylish cranny. The fires were roaring, the cushions plumped, and the drinks on ice. It was the epitome of stylish, cosy bliss.
Food at Endsleigh takes its inspiration from the surrounding countryside, and the restaurant is located in the house’s original dining room and is bedecked in beautiful wood-panelling and crests of the friends of the Duke of Bedford.
To start, we had scorched mackerel and red prawn coconut ceviche, which was packed with flavour and beautifully spiced, with pickled cucumber, avocado and coriander adding freshness and zing. The steamed crab and scallop parcel, with shellfish bisque, confit cherry tomatoes and shaved fennel may not have looked particularly appetising, but it tasted sublime.
Next came beautifully cooked sea bass with lovely, light herb beignets, spinach purée, aubergine caviar, courgette, tomato, capers and brown shrimp, and a cod loin with saffron potatoes, mussels, tenderstem, bouillabaisse sauce and samphire. Both were completely delicious.
Pudding did not disappoint either – the malt chocolate parfait, with peanut diplomat, chocolate streusel and cocoa nib tuile was executed with considerable skill, but the star of the show was the beautifully presented, sweet and creamy pumpkin spiced brûlée, with ginger crumb, crunchy caramelised pumpkin seeds and a palate-cleansing kalamansi sorbet.
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After a quick whiskey, which we helped ourselves to from the hotel’s well-stocked honesty bar, we rolled back to our room and slept like babies in the still and silent Devonshire night.
The following morning brought with it another long bath (I couldn’t resist) followed by creamy scrambled eggs, grilled kippers, organic porridge, and more.
Service momentarily slipped, but then I realised that preparations were underway for a vast wedding taking place at the hotel the following day, so we made ourselves scarce and went for a walk, guided by one of the hotel’s handy maps, on the lookout for kingfishers, otters, falcons, deer and more.
We walked along the Tamar (where one can fish under the guidance of the hotel’s ghillie) until we could put off our departure no longer.
Leaving the Endsleigh bubble was tough.
There is a strong sense of Regency to the place – it felt like we’d spent the night in a different era altogether, as though we had travelled back to a simpler, oh-so-English time of country pursuits and taken tea in the library.
Fritz von der Schulenburg
Similarly, service, whilst always friendly, also felt slightly old fashioned and unnecessarily formal at times, but then some people like that.
The hotel is charmingly, comfortingly nostalgic in its approach, whilst it’s stunning, authentic interiors and sublime food are far from dated. Today, there is a plethora of hotels that are trying to create that intimate, stylish, home-away-from-home country house feel, but Endsleigh is the real deal.
Rooms from £205 per night. Until 5 Feb 2020 book three nights and receive the third night free (excluding 20 Dec 2019–5 Jan 2020) hotelendsleigh.com
