The best English heritage hotels and country homes to stay at in the UK

Best heritage hotel for: private members’ club of the past and present

Beaverbrook is named after the estate’s most well-known resident, Lord Beaverbrook, who purchased the property after a single viewing in 1910. Ever-decisive, he spent the next year installing electricity, heating, a swimming pool, and one of the UK’s first home cinemas. He was later elevated to the House of Lords, and, a close friend of Churchill, he was the Minister of Aircraft Production during WWII – instigating the famous ‘Saucepans for Spitfires’ campaign that asked Britons to give their aluminium pans to be melted down to make much-needed Spitfires. After the war, Beaverbrook withdrew from politics and focused on his ownership of the Daily Express and Sunday Express, while hosting all the main characters of his day. Fast forward to 2017, and Beaverbrook has opened in its latest incarnation, as a luxury country house stay and members’ club – a 470-acre playground for the modern beau monde.

Past the supercars and a sculpture of a Spitfire at the concierge, Beaverbrook guests enter through the reception to a soaring Victorian staircase that lands at a large abstract tapestry artwork by Gerhard Richter. Past this, Sir Frank’s Bar is covered by Victorian botanical artist Marianne North’s paintings. After a strong and herbaceous drink, dinner guests in the Dining Room will enjoy a modern Japanese Grill by head chef Wojciech Popow, with locally-sourced specialities and London prices. For more casual fare, the Garden House restaurant is reached by a leisurely stroll or quick golf cart ride, and serves Italian-inspired dishes beside the traditional wall garden and meadow. Nextdoor is the Robin’s Nest bar with cosy country-style interiors. For those who venture further, Mrs. Beeton’s Restaurant, at the ‘Village’ addition, serves old-school British dishes, alongside tongue-in-cheek etiquette tips.

The old Coach House has been transformed into a modern spa, with a tranquil stained-glass archway by Brian Clarke. As well as treatment rooms that can host visiting masters, such as ‘health guru’ and facialist Vivienne Talsmat, there is a large outdoor pool, and a smaller kids’ pool, surrounded by loungers that are hotly contested come summer. There is also a thermal spa, a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, and a ‘Meadow Hut’ for immersive treatments and IV infusions. In between, the Coach House Deli serves stone-baked pizzas and fresh, seasonal fare.

At Beaverbook, there is no shortage of activities, from golf, pickleball and tennis to falconry and fencing. When you do finally settle into your room (of which there are 56 across the estate), you will be met with a curation of artworks and memorabilia that connect past musings with future inspirations.

Address: Beaverbrook, Reigate Road, Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 8QX