Modern manors: Chewton Glen hotel review

Chewton Glen isn’t the type of place that celebrities holiday in the New Forest, it is exactly the place that celebrities holiday in the New Forest.

And it is easy to see why. Approaching the sprawling five-star manor feels like being in a film. Driving past wild ponies, rattling over cattle grids and then ultimately arriving in a broad estate that opens out beneath the bright blue sky.

The location is glorious enough, but the broad driveway that sweeps up to the grand old manor makes one’s heart flutter even more.

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With a 10-hole golf course, croquet lawn, outdoor pool and secluded tree-house suites the hotel is certainly well appointed. Inside meanwhile, roaring fires and plush colours lend the hotel an 18th century hunting lodge feel. But with huge windows looking out from the communal areas, Chewton Glen is anything but stuffy.

As we wander the hotel’s corridors to our English country garden room, the concierge lets us in on a little secret: ours is one of her favourite rooms. And we’re not surprised. The suite has a huge bedroom, with windows spanning the width of the room. Rich fabrics, an old English writing desk and a large bathroom add to the effect, and the shower is definitely made for sharing – it’s as big as an average hotel’s wardrobe.

For more than 50 years this quintessentially British hotel has been welcoming guests and reaping awards for its service, setting and design. There’s so much to do within the hotel, or a short distance from it – a day trip to the beach, relaxing in the hydro pool, enjoying spa treatments, or stopping off at infamous Yorkshire chef, James Martin’s The Kitchen restaurant for a cookery course.

Before James found fame on the BBC’s Saturday morning kitchen he climbed through the ranks as Chewton Glen’s pastry chef. A year ago, he came back to the New Forest to open his restaurant, a more laid back option to the hotel’s main dining room.

For anyone hoping to learn how to cook the James Martin way, The Kitchen offers courses in knife skills, nutritious cooking, cooking with kids or even a class with James himself.

Before the lesson starts guests are encouraged to dine in The Kitchen, where delicious tapas-sized starters are served, including a duck confit salad, cheese morcilla croquettes and gnochetti with sage butter, all created with local produce and, wherever possible, herbs, fruit and vegetables from the hotel’s very own allotment.

Chewton Glen’s own restaurant, headed up by Luke Matthews, offers an excellent, if more formal, alternative to The Kitchen. Dinner in this charming, romantically lit room is a delight, with a carefully curated menu that mixes local produce with global flavours.

At the start of the meal, the sommelier brings over a heavy tome of a wine list that would take days to read in full. After some serious consideration, we opt for a light, sharp Chapel Down Baccus from Kent – a great match for our meal.

For those staying in the tree houses, dining in is also an option. Secluded from the main hotel, but only a short walk away, are 12 tree-line suites. Rather superior to the tree houses of your childhood, each one is kitted-out with hot tubs, space to sleep up to six to eight and a kitchen (into which you can bring your own chef).

The only problem with Chewton Glen, in fact, is that there is so much to see and do that you may end up neglecting the New Forest itself. A happy problem for any hotel to have.

Chewton Glen, New Milton BH25 6QS, double rooms start from £285. To book: www.chewtonglen.com