|
Other spaces too have echoes of a grander past, with the function room being known as the Grand Hall, complete with a minstrel gallery and enormous stained glass windows. Separated from the other parts of the house by an area that was obviously a servants corridor the Grand Hall, hosting a Californian’s wedding on my visit, has its own grand entrance lobby and reception rooms, and forms part of a wing of bedrooms. Also adjacent to this area, across the access road for deliveries, is the ‘New Building’ housing further bedrooms and the administration offices, giving the hotel the last of its current 40 bedrooms.
Bedrooms in the existing house are varied but most come with luxurious bathrooms, walk-in power showers, and views across the gardens through windows that are sometime just sheets of glass fitted between stone reveals. A ‘dene’ is a word for a narrow wooded valley, and the bedrooms look out into treetops as the valley falls away steeply behind the hotel, filled with the sound of tumbling water. In the summer this will be a peaceful sanctuary, in the winter a retreat within a few minutes drive of the city centre.
|
|
The bedrooms in the new building follow the same pattern as those in the old building. There are 40 rooms in total, including to rooms for those with disabilities, one of which opens onto a small private garden
Basement has been completely remodelled to hold most of the kitchen, some meeting rooms and most importantly the wine cellars(click the image to smell the wines)
|
The extension to the restaurant opens the seating up to the gardens on the edge of the dene, making the hotel one with its environment. The 19th century wood panelling creates a feeling of darkness and repose which the contemporary furniture cheerfully skitters across creating a light comfortable interior, whilst the bedroom style builds on the panelling of the public area with striking wallpaper on single walls echoing and recreating the impressions of encompassing warmth that the timber work creates.
Working within historic interiors poses problems for designers but here spaces have been skilfully used, a large area of hallway being turned into an area for wines, complete with a candle lit area for decanting the reds, but with a modern refrigerated display for the whites. Original cellars are given glass doors to show off the stock of fine wines that they house, whilst panelled hallways turn into small seating areas, their rich oak timbering reflecting the glow of table lamps and creating a rich visual environment.
"stylish without being fashionable, contemporary without being trendy"
The result avoids sliding into the domestic yet provides comforting and welcoming warmth. Visually rich, the contemporary compliments rather than competes with the classical. The result is stylish without being fashionable, contemporary without being trendy, deft decorative touches and well chosen furniture sitting easily in well planned spaces that provide the welcome ease and comfort so many boutiques miss. A full hotel with a happy buzz is the result.
|
