Staying at Swangrove House: A historic retreat on the Badminton Estate

Originally a hunting lodge, Swangrove was transformed in 1703 into a maison de plaisance for the 2nd Duke of Beaufort, built from local Cotswold stone with its distinctive gables, castellations and little pepper-pot turrets. More than 300 years later, so much of that character remains.

And then there is the Robert Kime interior. Rather wonderfully, Kime described Swangrove as the ‘happiest and jolliest job’ he ever did, and you can see why. The rooms feel collected rather than decorated, full of old fabrics, paintings, furniture and layers of English country-house history.

At night the wind howled around the ancient walls, but in the morning it softened to a gentle breeze, with little chinks of blue sky appearing on the horizon.

Before we headed out to explore the surrounding countryside, we’re lingered over coffee by the open fire, listening to nothing but birdsong and the gentle crackle of the flames.

There is something rather special about staying somewhere with such a sense of place, where you can feel the centuries around you, but still settle in and make yourself completely at home.

For more information, visit Swangrove House at Badminton