A few weeks ago, partly in celebration of our anniversary and partly as a pre-emptive antidote to Fashion Week the following week, the Clever Boyfriend and I took ourselves off for a weekend in the English countryside. Being the warm-blooded Australians that we are, the grey skies and seemingly endless winter was starting to get to us. So we figured that if it must be grey and wintery, it might as well be grey and wintery with us happily ensconced in a grand old English manor house in the middle of nowhere – where winter somehow seems right, rather than dreary.
So we hopped on a train, and in less than an hour found ourselves in the Bedfordshire countryside, passing through the big, heavy gates (the kind they don’t make any more) and up the gravelly driveway of the beautiful old spa resort that is Champneys. The main house is unapologetically Old England, complete with tapestry carpets, fireplaces, creaking mahogany staircases, gilded portraits and big, plush rooms with views of the sweeping grounds (our suite wouldn’t have felt out of place in a Jane Austen novel).
The two nights we spent here was soul restoration at it’s best. In between long coconut-scented massages (in the newer day spa portion of the property – where fluffy bath robes are the norm, and you are only required to dress for supper), hours spent stretched out in our deliciously toasty suite with a pot of tea and a stack of weekend papers, books, and magazines (as neither of us ever seem to find enough time to catch up on such things ordinarily, entire hours to do nothing but read is pure luxury to us), and evenings spent lazing about in a steamy, fragrant bubble bath so large it was almost indecent, I don’t think either of us had been so relaxed in months.
When we felt guilty for how lazy we were being (not that we should have – deliberate relaxation is positively encouraged at Champneys), we took several long turns about the grounds, where the ducks and swans drifted happily along the stream, birds nests perched in the hedges like woodland treasures, and the red brick manor loomed against the steely grey sky like a grand old dame. And though we were embracing the last vestiges of winter as much as we could, the sight of pink blossoms on the bare trees and snowdrops on the river bank – the first signs that Spring is surely on the way – had me so excited I practically skipped back to the house (for another massage and an afternoon of blissful lazing, obviously).
So tell me lovelies, what is your idea of the perfect wintery escape?
Love, Miss B xx
* Briony was a guest of Champneys at the Henlow Grange resort, Bedforshire.
This sounds fantastic, I would love to go somewhere to relax and do absolutely nothing and leave my laptop home because it is becoming an addiction:D The photos look lovely, the English country side is amazing, even in the winter. Hopefully we will get a bit of warmth and sunshine soon though.
I love your blog
Lately, I’ve been dreaming of San Francisco (which I’m visiting soon enough, in June) and the south of France (where I was last August). That golden warmth of the sun on my skin without being uncomfortable, the scent of lavender and herbs in the air, the clear blue sky, and the gentle chattering of les cigales ….
Oh, what a lovely image! You’ve transported me straight to the south of France – do you mind me asking where you stayed?
B xx
Sounds amazing! I have always dreamed of a country house weekend like this…
I just spent a week alone in the Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alberta….built in 1888 and renovated in 1928…so grand and large they give you a map to find your room! I loved every bit of minute of it, from nestling in my tiny room eating room service watching the Oscars to sitting in the outdoor heated pool staring at the Rockies to taking lots of photos in quiet alleys and stairways. Go!!
This sounds absolutely gorgeous!! Oh my, must book myself a trip to Banff…
B xx
The perfect wintery escape? A trip in Italy: Florence, Rome, Bergamo, Pisa… Discovering Venice too as I have not been yet!
I hope you enjoyed the brick manor.
Thanks so much for your lovely comments!
Your weekend away looked like complete bliss an sounds like you enjoyed it too. Log fires and getting comfy with a cup of tea an a good book sounds perfect.
Abigail x
http://www.abigailsplace8.blogspot.com
Ooh that’s one thing we definitely don’t have over here and is something that I adore! It looks like heaven! And would require a very special wardrobe to match too!
so jealous! could definitely do with that after all the fashion week craziness.
Hope you get your VISA today and have a great time in Russia xxxx
I’ve dreamed of living in a lovely English estate like this! I guess you can thank Jane Austen for that. However, I’d settle for a week there too:)
The Cheeky Cafe
P.S. My giveaway ends tonight, so make sure you enter!
these photos are EXQUISITE!
Thank you so much!
B xx