You won’t find turrets and knights in shining armor at Bovey Castle. Despite its name, this Grade II listed historic property in England’s Dartmoor National Park was built in 1907 as the grand country retreat of Viscount Hambleden. You can now experience his aristocratic excesses for yourself, as the mansion is part of the prestigious Eden Hotel Collection.
Bovey Castle is set within extensive grounds where wild deer roam free. There’s an 18 hole championship golf course which was first laid out in the 1920s, and the garden overlooks terraces, a lake, and the River Bovey. It’s a location perfect for walking and country pursuits; archery and clay pigeon shooting are favourite activities here, as are cider making in the barn and falconry displays.
The hotel’s 60 individually designed rooms are spread between the historic manor house and the mews buildings in its courtyard. The magnificent Junior State Rooms overlook the valley, and if you stay in the Grand State Room you will have both a four poster bed and a free-standing clawfoot bath. The decor embodies the finer things in life; think lush velvet and thick woollen tweeds, original open fireplaces, and plenty of antique furniture.
Dining at Bovey Castle is a similarly elegant affair. The award winning Great Western restaurant is decorated in an Art Deco style and is open daily for dinner, as well as for Sunday lunch. You’ll feast on locally sourced seasonal menus, including mouth watering delicacies such as Brixham crab with poached Cornish lobster, and roast loin of venison from the Bovey estate. Afternoon tea in the hotel lounge is also a treat, and the warm, freshly baked scones with jam and clotted cream are quintessentially English.
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