Historical weekend breaks

Time Out visits three historial English homes with plenty of olde-world charm - perfect for the out of town break

The romantic option
New Hall, Warwickshire

Winding up the pebbled driveway of this handsome, higgledy piggledy old manor house, surprisingly just a couple of minutes from the mundane middle-England town of Sutton Coldfield, you can imagine Queen Elizabeth I reclining in one of the turreted wings as she did just before her coronation in 1558. The mostly red brick frontage is a mix of architectural styles from throughout the building’s 800-year history (a little Elizabethan here, some Jacobean thrown in there, a touch of Georgian to the right) all amalgamated into one impressive manor house, which is England’s oldest house with a moat.
Dating back to Anglo Saxon times, New Hall has had variety of owners – including Thomas Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick – and each has added to its architectural heritage. Prior to the Norman Conquest, the land it now stands on was owned by Edwin, Earl of Mercia, who was executed by William the Conqueror in 1071. It wasn’t until some 900 years, a few wars (including the Wars of the Roses) and various owners later that New Hall opened its doors as a hotel in 1988. Since then, it’s been a popular spot for weddings and football team managers keen to pamper their players before a match – and keep them from the devilish distractions of the city before a big game. But it’s also the ideal spot for a romantic weekend break.

There’s something pacifying about this robust building in the heart of England with its old-fashioned suites, complete with four-poster beds, Victorian and Georgian furniture, and decanters of sherry rather than mini-bars. The dimly lit wood-panelled bar, with its oil paintings of former inhabitants, instantly takes you back to ye olde England, and makes a fitting setting for pre-dinner drinks. Tuck into tasty modern British cuisine (juicy lobster or scallop starters, followed by delicious meat or fish dishes) in the candle-lit Bridge Restaurant, which boasts beautiful Jacobean stained glass windows. For those with sporty inclinations there are tennis courts and a small golf course. For the less active, there’s a spa, with pool, where you can indulge in beauty treatments. Or how about a spot of archery followed by croquet and Pimm’s? There aren’t many nicer ways to while away a summer afternoon.But it’s crossing the moat at the back and entering the emerald-green garden, looking back on the angular turrets and leaded windows that the full impact of this enchanting historical building hits. A real jewel in the heart of the country.

New Hall, Walmley Road, Walmley Village, Warwickshire B76 1QX (0870 333 9147/www.newhalluk.com). Doubles from £136 per night. Getting there 2 hours 20 minutes by car, M1 to junction 23a. 2 hours 10 minutes by train (from £36.20 saver return) from Euston to Sutton Coldfield (changing at Birmingham New Street) and then taxi.

The luscious lawns of Ragdale Hall

The healthy option
Ragdale Hall, Leicestershire
Set in the rolling beauty of the Leicestershire countryside, Ragdale Hall, originally a medieval hunting lodge and falconry, is now one of the UK’s best-loved health farms. Despite the extensive and award-winning line-up of beauty and holistic health treatments on offer – which range from excellent Thai massages to purr-inducing Elemis facials to Lomi Lomi (that’s Hawaiian massage) to electro acupuncture – it’s firmly, and refreshingly, resisted the trendy tag of ‘spa’, instead calling itself a ‘health hydro’.

All rooms have a Victorian air, but feature super-modern bathrooms with showers and baths so good you could happily soak in the tub for hours. Facilities include a 25-metre swimming pool and a modern gym that has a number of classes, such as yoga, pilates and tai chi. You needn’t feel pressured to exert yourself, though, because lounging around in your dressing gown is very much accepted.

Appetites can promptly be satisfied in the grand dining room, where meals are supplied with labels indicating their fat and calorie content. Old English charm, enforced healthiness… how could you not leave feeling fabulous?

Ragdale Hall Health Hydro, Ragdale Village, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 3PB (01664 434 831/www.ragdaleall.co.uk). From £292 per person per night at weekends (includes meals, use of facilities and two 25-minute treatments).Getting there 2 hours 40 mins by car, M1 to junction 21a. 1 hour 45 minutes by train from King’s Cross to Melton Mowbray, changing at Peterborough (from £40 for a saver return), then taxi.

Seaside serenity at St Mawes Castle

The seaside option
Fort House, St Mawes Castle, Cornwall
As part of its new drive to open up more of its buildings to the public while simultaneously generating more cash, English Heritage now has at least six holiday properties to rent on its historical sites, with a further 24 opening up over the next couple of years. There will be over 30 venues ready for rental by 2008. The current line-up includes The Custodian’s House in the rampart of Pendennis Castle in Falmouth, Pavilion Cottage in the grounds of Osborne House on the Isle of Wight and The Sergeant Major’s House in Dover Castle in Kent.

The property with the biggest draw for those wishing to escape from the big smoke and lap up equal helpings of culture and outdoor delights is Fort House in Cornwall. Sleeping four, with fine views of its neighbour, stout St Mawes Castle (the most elaborately decorated of Henry VIII’s coastal fortresses) Fort House looks out over Pendennis Point in one direction and St Anthony’s Head in the other.

This is an excellent location for keen walkers, who can pick up the south-west coastal path nearby; the striking Lizard and Roseland peninsulas are a stone’s throw away. Also within easy meandering distance is the picturesque St Mawes harbour. A real treat.

Fort House, St Mawes Castle, Cornwall, TR2 3AA (0870 333 1187/ www.english-heritage.org.uk/holidaycottages). From £230 for a three-night stay. Getting there 4 hours 20 minutes by train (from £69 saver return) from London Paddington to Truro, then bus. 5 hours 50 minutes by car, M4, M3, M5 and A3078 to St Mawes.

Maggie Davis