Dumbleton Hall brings baronial swagger and a playful streak to the English country house. Alex Larman checks into the Cotswolds’ most cheerfully eccentric new hotel…
There is something vaguely surreal about arriving at a new, very swanky five-star hotel deep in the Cotswolds – a few miles from Broadway, one of the most beautiful towns in the area – and feeling as if you have arrived at some grand Scottish mansion, rather than an English country house hotel. But the new Dumbleton Hall (please, no jokes about ‘Dumbledore Hall’) has a distinctly Hibernian aspect that it enthusiastically leans into, whether it’s the tartan carpets, the turrets and the sweeping landscape that feels more like a Highland panorama than something wholly south-of-the-border.
It’s a bracing moment of contrast that nevertheless builds expectations that a stay here is going to be something out of the ordinary, and thankfully Dumbleton Hall, which only opened its doors in April this year, is already one of the most strikingly original and comfortable hotels in an area practically stuffed with country house establishments.
It juxtaposes its baronial atmosphere with the traditional sense of an English country house (dating from 1830), shot through with some welcome touches of irreverence. In the sweeping grand hall, for instance, check out the stags’ heads covered in papier-maché, as well as the public rooms that have been deliberately decorated in bold colours. Comfort, style and an individual sense of fun all add up to make a visit here a real pleasure.
The staff are on it, and refreshingly frank about the fact that a hotel this new is still experiencing some minor teething trouble, something that a polite sign from the owner alerts guests to as they check out. But in truth, this feels very much like a finished product rather than somewhere stuck in soft opening purgatory.
The room we’re staying in on the second floor is large, comfortable, has stunning views over the grounds and Worcestershire countryside and boasts one of the best bathrooms that we’ve ever stayed in, including an enormous walk-in shower with excellent Penhaligon’s toiletries, a very comfortable bed and – a nice bonus – really excellent cookies and, naturally, some shortbread.
The hotel does not as yet boast a spa, although one is being discussed for the future, but what it does have are wonderful grounds, which are the perfect vista for a pre-dinner stroll, especially around the lake, where you can have a rare sense of tranquillity and peace, before you can relax al fresco or in the Library Bar with a delicious pre-dinner cocktail. A popcorn Old Fashioned and a raspberry margarita are suitably bracing options, and there’s also a fine range of fruit juices, including apple and raspberry and apple and mango, for those of tender years who aren’t necessarily au fait with cocktails.
It’s then time for dinner, served in the excellently named and grand Cedar 1905, and we were fortunate enough to be seated in a secluded nook, which comfortably fits three and gives a real sense of exclusivity. The ebullient maitre’d Chris apologised for any delays in service – there had been a large group arriving before us – but in truth the meal flowed smoothly from start to finish, helped by the excellent (and surprisingly reasonably priced) wine and the wonderful food. Tellingly, several of the staff have been poached from the temporarily closed Le Manoir aux’ Quat Saisons, and there is a similar level of quiet excellence here.
Chef Dean Westcar clearly has significant culinary ambitions – a fine dining restaurant with tasting menus and Michelin hopes is promised for next year – and dishes such as Cornish crab served on crumpet and Isle of Wight tomatoes with ricotta and balsamic are a masterclass in using fresh, seasonal ingredients to perfection.
Mains of South-West lamb and gilt-head bream are similarly sublime, with a cheeky side order of fries being very welcome, and desserts of chocolate cremeux and peach pavlova trod that fine line between delicacy and sweetness. The wines are sublime and even at the cheaper end of the menu well-chosen and seemly – a Macon Villages white Burgundy was followed by a Bordeaux Superieur – and Chris has suggested that his ultimate ambition is to get even more unusual and interesting varieties and vintages onto the list.
Unsurprisingly after this mixture of relaxing, eating and drinking, we slept extremely well and were thoroughly refreshed in time for an excellent breakfast, which unusually for a hotel of this nature is served fully a la carte, but such dishes as the Dumbleton full English – complete with cacklebean eggs – avocado on toast and chocolate and hazelnut pancakes are every bit as delicious as you might expect, although we were somewhat taken aback, especially in the company of a lively child, to find that the dining room was completely silent otherwise; we wondered whether this quiet contemplation was a reflection of a raucous night the evening before or simply the result of the excellence of all things Dumbleton.
We left after a game of croquet outside, which our daughter won, putting her aged parents to shame, and another walk around the splendid lake. There is something splendidly tranquil about Dumbleton, a place built in 1832 and that has played host to everyone from Elizabeth Gaskell and John Betjeman to the Mitford sisters – and, if you’ve got any sense or taste, you.
Dumbleton Hall, Dumbleton, Evesham WR11 7TS. For more information, including details of its history and restoration, please visit www.dumbletonhall.co.uk.
