An anti-ageing facial in a Wiltshire manor house

It takes two hours to get to Warminster from my home in north London - so it's not the closest destination for a night away - but I had heard good things about Bishopstrow House. Set in beautiful Wiltshire countryside, it's a beautiful old manor house that dates back to 1817 and it's one of the von Essen hotels - a renowned group of luxury hotels which boasts many famous names including Cliveden in Berkshire.

The first thing that struck me about the place was the intimacy - Bishopstrow instantly felt like mine! The house is not so big that it's forbidding; instead it's cosy. And the bedroom suite we were shown to was wonderfully luxurious and yet instantly comfortable. Some luxury hotels have an untouchable feel about them - you don't feel you can mess them up because they look so perfect. Our suite was warm and roomy and perfect.

We tore ourselves away from the suite and went for a walk around the grounds to discover that they are truly charming. A trickling little river, lots of divine spots for grabbing an hour's reading, tennis courts, deer - this was a real haven. It is the kind of place you could very much relax into...

Dining

Dinner that night was in the Mulberry Restaurant which looks out onto an idyllic view of the surrounding countryside - you are talking fine dining of the finest order here. I had cured vine tomato and basil salad as a starter, roasted rump of lamb with sweet carrot bavarois with roasted white asparagus for main course and basil and orange crème brulee for dessert. I'm giving you the summarised versions of the dishes here, but the menu descriptions were a little longer, and fuller descriptions would have been justified because the flavours were so  intricate and so fabulous.

Following the fabulous foodie experience we headed to the drawing room where the restaurant staff are happy to serve coffee. And once again, the charm of the place worked its magic - we just felt so at home! The beautiful arc bay window, the oil painting and sketch studies of palm trees, the fireplace, the candelabra - somehow it all worked together to create a perfect after dinner hang-out. There was another couple in the room but they seemed as blissfully unaware of us as we were of them.

Next morning ...

There are no tea-making facilities in the bedroom but a pot was brought to us in the morning, with a newspaper - a nice touch that meant I didn't get to breakfast gasping for a cuppa. I ordered the full breakfast which was beautifully cooked, then sat in the gorgeous drawing room for half an hour with the paper and finally headed off to the spa.

Anti-ageing facial

What did I want from my facial I was asked by the consultant. I wanted something anti-ageing and deep cleansing and both of these issues could be addressed, I was told, in an Elemis Skin Specific Facial. This focuses on skin maintenance, combining conditioning with Eastern massage techniques. After an hour of the face therapy I left feeling thoroughly rejuvenated and cleansed. I met my partner by the pool and we spent the rest of the morning lapping up the treats on offer at the Halcyon Spa. The pool is a blissful temperature and the steam room is bathed in a luxuriant dark blue light, but the highlight of the spa for me was the tropical rainforest shower - it shot out wild bird noises,  bursts of steamy rain and shots of unexpected cool water. Very amusing!

It wasn't easy to tear ourselves away from the hotel we'd felt so at home at, but at around 1pm we did force ourselves to drive away. The reception staff had tried to steer us towards a quaint nearby village to visit on our way back but we fancied Warminster, which they warned us did not have much to offer. To us Londoners it was charming and very real - a lovely little town with great sandwich shops, haberdashers (very rare in London) and lovely local art, plus there some nice nooks to explore off the high street. From there we wended our way back to the big smoke, dropping off at Stonehenge along the way.

I have the feeling that Bishopstrow is a country bolthole we will return to - it's the perfect place for a truly luxurious night of relaxation and comfortable splendour.

Bed and breakfast at Bishopstrow House from £129 for two people sharing, including full use of the spa facilites. A £75 per person Spa and Dine Twilight Package is available at the Halcyon Spa until the end of August 2010. Based on two or more guests, having a 30-minute treatment, full use of the spa facilities; two course Al a Carte dinner and a glass of house champagne. Contact the spa reception on 01985 212 512 quoting SDCOE to book.

More information on the Halcyon Spa

More info on Bishopstrow House

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