Travel / Travel
‘A very special Wiltshire gem’
I’m not normally one to get the January blues, but at the point that 2024 rolled into 2025 my back went.
It’s not the first time it’s happened but I could tell this was a bad one and as February approached, I was still hobbling around, terrified of coughs and sneezes that would send spasms shooting in all directions.
I was starting to get a bit miserable.
is needed now More than ever
Worse still, I knew that the eagerly awaited stay for this review of Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa was fast approaching and I had no idea if I’d be mobile enough to make it.
But some things you just can’t miss and we were able to make it with the help of a campervan and long-suffering partner who agreed to make the 40-minute drive from our house just outside Bristol to this most salubrious of country retreats, with me stretched out in the back.
After being cooped up in a cottage for six weeks, you really notice the generosity of space at Lucknam Park.
Set in 500 acres of Wiltshire countryside between Bath and Chippenham, fields spread out in all directions from the grand Georgian country mansion.
The avenue of lime trees out in the front of the main building stretches off into the distance.
We were staying in the Jasmine Suite, which is apparently one of the ‘junior’ suites but didn’t feel very junior to me, resplendent with four-poster bed, lounge area and generous bathroom.
The Jasmine Suite felt like it had been pulled straight out of a Georgian doll house
And then there’s the spa.
Yes, there’s the cedar-lined sauna and steam room, but also an amethyst room, with giant crystal set in the ceiling, a Japanese salt room with five heated loungers (curved to a shape that could not accommodate my complaining spine); and an infra-red sauna, radiating direct heat into my aching muscles.
If those aren’t enough there are smaller saunas and steam rooms in each dressing room.
But the real star of the show is the 20-meter pool, set under a curved glass roof with flames flickering in an electric fireplace set into one wall.
At the far end is a hydro-therapy pool that, with a push of a button opens out into the walled garden, allowing us to swim out to watch the stars appear and the moon arrive over the roof.
The hydro-therapy pool that extends outside into the walled garden
Lucknam Park had two options for our evening meal: the newly developed and more relaxed Walled Garden Restaurant; and the much more formal, fine dining experience at Restaurant Hywell Jones.
Coming from the modern spa complex, the latter feels like we’ve been whisked back a couple of centuries as we arrive in an opulent dining room with linen tablecloths under crystal chandeliers.
We’re sat next to an interior designer who draws our attention to the heavy, gilded curtains, pointing out the craftsmanship that would have gone into each tassel.
My attention is much more directed towards the food, however.
Our tasting menu (mine the seasonal and hers the vegetarian) is a succession of exquisitely crafted and presented courses, each so perfectly constructed that it’s near impossible to choose highlights.
That said the turbot with morels, leeks and salsify and lamb two ways- wonderfully rare loin and an unctuous ragu wrapped in prosciutto- will live particularly long in the memory.
It’s produce-led classic cookery with wonderful imagination and modern techniques.
Elements such as sand carrots and white asparagus, black garlic gel and cured mackerel, playfully encased in the finest pastry cornetto, combine to create a truly exceptional meal.
The imaginative wine pairings, delivered by the attentive and knowledgeable sommelier, further raised the bar.
The restaurant has retained its Michelin star for 20 years
We leave satisfied and more than a little tipsy to find some cheeses (that we struggled to finish but certainly couldn’t bring ourselves to say goodbye to) had already made their way to the room ahead of us.
As much as anything, it’s these little touches that elevate a Lucknam Park experience to something beyond a much anticipated get away.
As we sat down to breakfast the next day executive chef, Hywell Jones (who has just been awarded his Michelin star for the 20th year running), came over to answer some questions I’d had about elements in the dishes we’d been served the night before.
My back, still complaining, felt immeasurably better for another turn in the spa and any lingering blues were well and truly chased away by an incredible 24 hours in this very special Wiltshire gem.
Ben Wright and his family stayed as guests at Lucknam Park, whose ‘Suite Treat’ offer with 15 per cent off suites is available on midweek dates until March 30.
For further information, visit www.lucknampark.co.uk/offer/suite-treat.
All photos: Lucknam Park
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