Wild Ponies and Regency Roots at Lime Wood
Wild ponies line the grassy banks as visitors pull up to Lime Wood, setting the tone for a New Forest stay that countryliving.com reported. A long driveway track leads through the hotel grounds before the impressive Georgian manor comes into view for a grand reveal. Today, the building stands as a 33-bedroom hotel, but it has had several lives as an 18th-century Regency house known as Le Poussin at Parkhill, a wartime Fire Brigade base, and a school that T.S. Eliot taught at. Eliot taught.
Hunter wellies are poised by the door for muddy woodland walks, countryliving.com reported. Just beyond reception lies a billiard room featuring a pool table and a Tracey Emin painting nonchalantly hanging on the wall.
Forest Hideaway Suites and the New Forest House Addition
Overlooking the lawns, grounds, and surrounding New Forest, main house rooms come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from charming eaves rooms to spacious areas with open fireplaces, countryliving.com reported. Forest Hideaway Suites are set back from the main house among the trees, offering seclusion alongside creature comforts like a vintage-style Roberts radio, deep-set tubs, and French doors opening onto a private terrace.
The latest addition joining the lineup is Forest House, a five-bedroom country retreat accommodating up to 10 guests. Designed by British designer Susie Atkinson, it features charming country interiors complete with a private pool and garden.
Herb House Spa Hydro Pool and Treatment Offerings
Herb House treatments feature powers of their own, according to countryliving.com, which noted that a Ground BIOME facial induced such deep relaxation that the reviewer nodded off for a few blissful minutes. After reaching peak relaxation, guests can slip off to the indoor Hydro Pool to soak up the lush New Forest backdrop just outside.
Visitors can swim laps in the 16-metre pool framed by floor-to-ceiling windows before taking a final dip in the outdoor hot pool on the calming terrace. The spa’s extensive offering includes traditional stone massages and collagen treatments, alongside natural treatments by Ground, Bamford, and Sarah Chapman.
Hartnett and Holder Dinner and The Scullery Breakfast
Hartnett and Holder, headed up by award-winning chefs Angela Hartnett and Luke Holder, serves a menu bringing together Angela’s Italian heritage, signature styles, and seasonal locally sourced ingredients, countryliving.com reported. The menu celebrates the simplicity of Italian cooking with dishes letting the produce shine, paired with a selection of Hampshire sparkling wines. Primi and secondi feature vine-ripened tomatoes and fresh salads, while New Forest strawberries and raspberries appear in desserts like parfait and sorbet, alongside a famous table-side served tiramisu.
After dinner, guests visit the Courtyard Bar for a negroni, featuring swivel Chesterfield-style bar seating, a cigar dispenser, and a retractable skylight. Breakfast is served in The Scullery, featuring a continental buffet of seasonal fruit, fresh yoghurt, warm banana bread, buttery pastries, and freshly pressed juice.
Condé Nast Traveller Triple Crown Recognition and Room Rates
Earlier this year, Lime Wood joined Condé Nast Traveller’s Triple Crown club, voted for by industry experts, editors, and travellers, countryliving.com reported. Stays at Lime Wood Hotel start from £378 per night.
