If you are a member or guest of Bowood, then you’ll be all too familiar with our efforts to really get to know those who walk through our doors.
It’s true. We share more than just our magnificent location with all who visit. We care about our guests and aim to establish long-standing relationships with all of them.
We keep no secrets.
That said, there are still lots of remarkable things to discover about Bowood that you don’t yet know about.
Here we unveil 10 facts you didn’t know about Bowood that simply add to the charm of the hotel. Read on to find out about them:
Those guests or members who have checked in to one of our hotel bedrooms maybe already be aware that every elements of their room has been handpicked by Lady Lansdowne, an established interior designer.
Many of the patterns on the upholstery and curtains has been taken from textiles and artwork which can be found at Bowood’s Eighteenth Century Country House & Gardens in the otherside of the Estate.
Bowood is a historical and artistic gemstone. There is so much culture and heritage in our hotel, it is hard to see it all in just one visit.
The artwork is definitely a priority sight.
Our in-house curator ensures guests know all there is to discover about Bowood’s original artwork.
A couple of pieces to take a look at are:
a. The Portrait of the 5th Marquess of Lansdowne. It is a three-quarter-length image of Marquess who is seated and wearing black morning dress combined with red Academic robes.The portrait is signed, inscribed and dated ‘H Riviere 1900./ Head copied from unfinished/ portrait head by Frank Holl’ . By Henri Rivière (1864-1951). 1900.
Henry, the 5th Marquess of Lansdowne was intellectual and had an important political career. This is apparent from the painting from his academic attire. Described by Queen Victoria as “very clever and amiable”, the portrait is a reflection of his significant political posts, including Governor-General of Canada which he was appointed for in 1883 and the Secretary of State for War (1895-1900).
b. A series of paintings by James Morrison in The Library from 1990/1991 showing Tullybeagles – the Lansdowne Scottish house.
c. A modern oil copy of Kitty Fisher by Sir Joshua Reynolds. Reynolds was (still is) one of the most famous British portrait painters. Kitty Fisher was a famous mistress of famous and wealthy men. She was famous, not for talent, but for simply being a beautiful courtesan.
d. An engraving of Margaret Mercer Elphinstone, by Charles Turner. Margaret was a very close friend of Princess Charlotte and Lord Byron. Her daughter married the 4th Marquess.
e. A bronze bust of the 1st Marquess of Lansdowne by Kevin Gannon, located in the bar.
HRH Duchess of Cornwall cut the ribbon and unveiled a plaque when the hotel was opened 10 years ago. As a member of the Royal Family, wife of Prince Charles, it was a pleasure to welcome The Duchess on our opening day, only a decade ago.
Bowood pride ourselves on being kind to the environment. The hotel’s central heating is powered by a biomass burner. The wood chippings used to power the burner are scrap wood sourced from the Estate Forestry.
It is not surprising with our romantic suites and beautiful setting that many couples choose to start their married life at the hotel. In fact, over 400 couples have got married at Bowood.
The number of wild deer roaming freely around the estate is vast. They can be seen in herds, grazing and relaxing on the Academy golf course from pretty much every window on the south-facing side of the hotel.
Visitors from the London area who spend time at Richmond Park will definitely feel at home around the Deer at our hotel.
Guests often admire these elegant creatures and feel they add to Bowood’s unique ambiance…
Many years ago, the Estate builders used to dig clay from a pit on the left hand side of the second golf hole to make bricks to build cottages on the estate. The woods where the builders dug this clay are now called Brick Kiln. Some of the cottages are now home to some of the hotel team members including our General Manager.
We have a thriving population of brown hares on the golf course.If you ever pay the hotel a visit, why not follow the public footpath and go ‘form-finding’?
In January 1841, Isambard Kingdom Brunel completed the London to Chippenham section of the Great Western Railway. From then on, the Third Marquess of Lansdowne travelled to and from London by train. Before this railway was built, the main entrance to the estate was from the east, through Pillars Lodge.
On completion of the railway, Lord Lansdowne commissioned Sir Charles Barry, architect of the Houses of Parliament, to build a new lodge on the western perimeter of the park at the point closest to Chippenham station. In the centre of these gates, which you enter through today, are the gold crossed L’s. The name “Golden Gates” was, as a result, an obvious choice.
107,857 people have stayed in a double room at the hotel and 35,952 guests have stayed in a single room. That’s 143,809 guests in total.
If you would like to join the thousands of guests who have stayed in the hotel, then book a room on our website. And we look forward to welcoming you.
