When you stay at Bowood, you’re not just staying in our hotel. You are staying in the heart of our stunning estate.
From the moment you enter the grounds through the spectacular Golden Gates, continuing along the tree-lined driveway to the heart of the resort, you are transported into the world of an English country estate. Glimpse sweeping parkland through the trees as you arrive, ready to relax and enjoy your Bowood staycation.
Around you lie 2,000 acres of private Wiltshire countryside— yours for the duration of your stay.
Long walks around the estate, cocktails on the terrace…this is a place where decision making is no more complex than what to order from the menu, or which direction to wander through the grounds. Bowood is the perfect place to visit on a summer staycation with acres of space, plenty of fresh air and time to relax. Here are 10 reasons to take one this summer…
Long summer evenings and cocktails are a good mix. Which one to start?
Quench your palate with our signature Bowood Garden (a refreshing swirl of Hendrick’s Gin, Pomegranate and Elderflower Cordial, Cloudy Apple Juice, and a Dash of Soda), or opt for a classic Daiquiri.
On a warm day, we like to drink in the rays while taking our afternoon coffee in an Espresso Martini. Few things get you into the holiday spirit like sipping cocktails overlooking the stunning parkland, as the sun makes its long arc overhead.
On a fine summer’s day, let us pack you up a picnic. Simple, delicious bites. Delicate rounds of sandwiches, golden scotch eggs, asparagus spears, and strawberry tart. At other times some local cheese, a dish of fat green olives, and a still-warm loaf.
Chance upon a delightful spot with just the right amount of shade and sunlight, perhaps by the cooling water of the lake, or under the woodland’s dappled light.
Spread out your blanket, open a bottle of lemonade or chilled wine and enjoy an afternoon doing very little. Reading books, soaking up the air, eating, and stretching out under a deep blue sky.
Whether you pride yourself on having a hefty handicap or not, Golf makes for a diverting day out.
Golf enthusiasts are in their element at Bowood. We are the PGA Official Golf Course and Academy for the South West. Beginners can hone their skills on our 3-hole Academy course, or perhaps take a golf lesson from one of our PGA Pros. Even top players will be challenged on our 18-hole course, designed by the great Dave Thomas, it was named as number one in Wiltshire by Top 100 Golf Courses.
Stay with us for Two Nights of Dinner, Bed and Breakfast and you will receive a complimentary Afternoon Tea on the day you arrive.
The indulgent, relaxing, and uniquely British ritual signals the start of your holiday. We serve Afternoon Tea in the Shelburne Restaurant, our intimate Library or on the spacious terrace. Fresh tea and homemade delicacies are the perfect ‘pick-me-up’ to tide you over until the evening.
Luxury Two Night Escape:
From £180 per person
A lot can happen in fourteen weeks. If you have something to celebrate which you’d like to do justice to – no matter how big or small – the resort is an ideal place to celebrate.
The resort is at your disposal and our expert team is on hand. We love playing a part in making birthdays, anniversaries, proposals, graduations, honeymoons, babymoons, and any milestone a truly memorable experience.
Get in touch with us to see what personal touches we can provide to make your stay as celebratory as can be.
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Say ‘I do’ at Bowood.
When we are able to host small weddings at Bowood, which might be as soon as July, our extensive grounds will be available as your venue. Our stunning wedding pavilion overlooking the parkland is the perfect place to say ‘I do’.
Spacious and secluded, the Bowood Estate is a dreamy location for a romantic summer wedding.
Photograph © Creative Studio
We may be in the heart of England but you can still travel to sun-drenched Tuscany in Bowood House & Gardens nineteenth century Italianate garden. The south-facing Terrace Gardens were commissioned by the 3rd Marquess to remind him of his time in Italy.
Stone balustrades soak up the sun, and are topped with urns spilling over with flowers. Fountains of trickling water are surrounded by colourful formal beds edged with neat box hedging. Allium, geranium and rose flowers fill the garden with silken colours and sweetness.
The topiary yews grow up into the sun, evoking the cypress trees that dot the Italian countryside. Having passed through the yew arches you are then met with a spectacular view across the ‘Capability’ Brown designed lake to the temple in the distance.
All hotel guests receive complimentary access to Bowood House & Gardens.
The grounds at Bowood House & Gardens (less than one mile from the resort) were redesigned by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown at the height of his career. They are now regarded as one of his best preserved works.
Brown helped to revolutionise landscape design in the eighteenth century. He believed a gardener’s role was to accentuate, rather than supplant, nature. He wanted his gardens to emulate ‘all the elegance and all the comforts that mankind wants in the Country’.
It’s certainly a grand claim. But he was so successful that you’d be forgiven for believing many of his designs are natural, including our lake. His plan for the park at Bowood survives, and is one of the clearest examples of his ‘serpentine’ garden design.
The ‘serpentine style’ uses free-flowing lines to unite the landscape and the house together. Sweeping lawns lead right up to the house, then outwards until they merge with grazed parkland. A fringe of woodland encircles the estate, and clumps of distinctive trees break up the parkland.
Brown loved organic curves of woodland and water in his landscapes and this is evident in one of our favourite views. Looking out from the terraces in front of the house, the sweep of our mile-long lake meets a tree line, and gives the illusion that the water goes on forever.
The Arboretum’s mature woodland was planted by ‘Capability’ Brown in 1762. He planted his trees knowing that his generation would not see them the full impact of his design. In 1765 Lady Shelburne noted in her diary, ‘Mr Browne’s plantations are very young but promising’.
Today the Arboretum at the House & Gardens is at its best, with a majestic canopy of stately, well established trees. Look out for the largest cedar in Europe, a cedar of Lebanon. The strikingly shaped evergreen was particularly favoured by Brown. The Arboretum is home to 11 ‘Champion trees’, so called because they are the largest or tallest of their kind in Britain.
While the forest is a living emblem of our history, it is also growing. Our gardeners continue to plant saplings and encourage biodiversity and there are over 700 species and counting.
If you enjoy the meditative effects of visiting spas, why not go forest bathing in the Arboretum? This self-led wellness practise involves spending time in a forest and breathing in the chemicals (phytoncides) which are naturally emitted by trees. This has been shown to reduce cortisol (stress hormone) levels and strengthen the immune system.
Walkers and runners can enjoy the scenery not just within the picturesque estate but also its surrounding countryside.
We are near the gently beautiful Cotswolds AONB, plus a visit to local villages like Castle Combe and Lacock would not be amiss for anyone with a penchant for picturesque cottages. In the other direction, we are next to the North Wessex AONB which has plenty of footpaths and is teaming with historic sights.
We recommend walking to the distinctive Cherhill White Horse which has flanked the hills since 1780. It was once one of thirteen white horse hewn into the chalk of the Wiltshire hills. Now only eight remain and the Cherhill horse is a cherished part of our local landscape.
You can extend your walk to Avebury Stone circle. Avebury Stone Circle dwarfs Stonehenge. The stones were first put in place over 4,500 years ago and today form the largest prehistoric stone circle in the world.
Even closer to our resort, the Calne-Bowood estate circular walk is a lovely way to explore the area without any need to get in the car.
