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Picture a dismal December day on the edge of Dartmoor, with the wind whipping through the trees and rain lashing sideways against a car as it trundles to the end of a long journey. To travel on such a day (as we did) is never fun, but there could be no better end to such a journey than the Hotel Endsleigh, which emerges as a beacon of comfort and civilisation at the end of its meandering driveway, its graciousness only enhanced by the wildness of the day. At the Endsleigh, everything appears to be old-fashioned in the best possible sense of the word, from the doorman who hurries out with a vast umbrella, to the roaring fires with dogs stretched out in front of them in the drawing room.
The Endsleigh has been intended for pleasure from the very beginning of its existence. Built as a summer ‘cottage’ for the 6th Duke of Bedford and his wife Georgiana in the early 19th century, it remained in the family until the 1960s, when it began life as a hotel. In 2004, it had the good fortune of being bought by Olga Polizzi and renovated as part of the Polizzi Collection. Like all of the members of that group, it now has all of the key elements of a perfect country house hotel: supremely comfortable and stylish interiors, friendly, efficient service, sophisticated food, and above all, an atmosphere that makes you want to kick your muddy boots off and relax.
Our stay showed off wintry Endsleigh to its best. Our rooms, one in the main house, and one in the stables annexe, were charming sanctuaries, with huge beds decked out in crisp white linens, generous armchairs to relax in. Tea and drinks are served in the wood-panelled library and its adjoining drawing room, where the fires were at full strength and the deep sofas were the perfect place to look out on the rainy world outside. After a bath in perhaps the deepest tub I’ve ever experienced, we came back to these lovely spaces for cocktails before ending up in the dining room. The modern European menu has something to please everyone, with seasonal ingredients drawn from the surrounding countryside.
In the morning, the pale winter sun illuminated one of the Endsleigh’s most significant draws, its beautiful gardens. Designed by Sir Humphrey Repton at the time when the house was built, they are as much a reason to visit as the hotel itself. The landscape in which the hotel is situated is inherently spectacular, with lawns dropping away to the River Tamar, the border between Devon and Cornwall. Within this lovely world Repton designed a fairytale garden, beginning with a parterre on one side of the house which gives way to a rockery, streams and a dell flowing with water, while on the other side borders filled with flowers melt into the wider arboretum, which is filled with distinguished trees from around the world. Many visitors come to the hotel for lunch or tea and a stroll in the gardens, but an overnight stay allows you to enjoy them in the ever-changing light of a Devon day.
The Hotel Endsleigh’s greatest success as a hotel is walking a delicate line between sophistication and informality. Dishevelled walkers coming back from a day on Dartmoor, with equally muddy dogs in tow, will feel perfectly at home, but so will couples looking for an elegantly romantic weekend away. The remote location and old-world atmosphere means that this feels like a proper escape from everyday life, but with all the comfort and convenience the most discerning luxury traveller could expect.
