This Dreamy English Estate Will Make You Feel Like You're Living in a PBS Drama

As a royal editor, I've been to London more than my fair share of times. Royal events are certainly fun, but after an action-packed week in London and Eton attending Trooping the Colour, Garter Day and Royal Ascot, I was looking to decompress and get away from the crowds without being too far from the airport. My ideal hotel experience involves feeling like I'm in the middle of a Masterpiece drama but with a spa, dining and maybe even a bit of falconry. Throw in some horses, and I’m sold—and that’s how I found Lucknam Park.

Located about an hour-and-a-half from London in the Wiltshire countryside, Lucknam Park is a close drive to Bath and numerous Cotswolds villages. But with 500 acres of parkland, the historic estate gives you plenty of peace, quiet and privacy, making you feel completely removed from the outside world.

While I’m a certified horse girl, you certainly don’t need to be a rider to enjoy a trip to the area, as my friend Lauren can attest. Whether you want to make it a spa weekend, pretend you're an extra in Bridgerton while visiting the city of Bath or drink tea in the wood-paneled library, read on for my guide to the ultimate English countryside girls’ trip.

Riding and Country Pursuits

As a horse girl, the biggest attraction for me was Lucknam Park's equestrian offerings, so my ride around the estate was the highlight of the trip. Accompanied by an instructor, my pony Cindy and I walked, trotted and cantered through the forest and fields of flowers while meeting some wildlife and just taking in the stunning views. I only took up horseback riding a few years ago as an adult, and my instructor gave me some incredibly helpful pointers during our time together that I’ve been able to apply to my riding back home.

For non-riders, the hotel offers everything from duck herding (really, this is a thing!) to croquet, cycling, archery, falconry, picnics, garden walks and clay pigeon shooting. Although I forgot my swimsuit, the hotel also has a beautiful indoor pool area located within the relaxing spa—next time I’ll definitely be taking advantage of a massage.

Rooms and Dining

One of my favorite parts of staying at Lucknam Park was how homey it feels. With only 42 rooms, you’re certainly not a number, and we got to know the wonderful staff by name. Guest rooms are situated in the main country house, the rose cottage or around the courtyard, where our room, the Lilac Suite, was located, and thoughtful touches include shelves of wellies and Barbour jackets available for loan.

We enjoyed an elegant dinner at the hotel’s Michelin-starred Restaurant Hywel Jones as well as more casual meals at the Walled Garden restaurant, where breakfast, lunch and dinner is served either indoors or al fresco. One of my favorite details was the map showing where the different ingredients were sourced from around the region.

Day Trips

Our top priority was visiting Bath, and since it was less than 30 minutes away, it made for a great way to spend the morning and early afternoon before we had afternoon tea at the hotel. With plenty of attractions like the Roman Baths, The Jane Austen Centre and Bath Abbey, you can make your outing as busy or as laid-back as you want. Since I’d already done all of the above on prior trips and we were more interested in wandering, my friend and I spent a happy day shopping and admiring the Regency architecture.

There’s nothing I love more than exploring a quaint English village, so I was excited to discover that the village of Lacock, where numerous scenes in the Harry Potter movies were filmed, was less than 20 minutes away from the hotel. Unfortunately, Lacock Abbey closed at 5 p.m. and we arrived around 4:30, but we were able to head into a few shops and check out the beautiful timber-framed homes, some of which date back to the 13th century. My friend and I found the cutest shop with locally made soaps, candles and leather bags, and I bought myself a leather horse keychain as a reminder of our trip.

How to Get There

I was traveling with an English friend who had her car with her, so she drove us from Eton to Lucknam Park. But if you’re arriving by air, Bristol airport is an hour away, and London Heathrow is roughly an hour and a half from the hotel. I highly recommend Executive Cars of Bath for a private car service, and there’s also a train station in Chippenham or Bath. While having access to a rental car would be ideal, the hotel is also situated amongst some fairly wild, one-lane country roads that aren’t for the faint of heart—if you’re a nervous driver and/or not used to driving on the British side of the road, stick to hiring a taxi for day trips.

My British Countryside Essentials