Four British holiday retreats fit for royalty
Settling for a holiday in the UK needn’t mean roughing it, says Chris Carter.


Wild swimming at the home of Anne Boleyn
Hever Castle in Kent (above) was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s ill-fated wife, says Suzanne Blumsom in the Financial Times. “With towers, battlements, a moat and drawbridge… [it certainly] lives up to all the fairytale expectations.” Much later, around the turn of the last century, William Waldorf Astor, America’s richest man, and later a British peer, added the 38-acre lake and the various follies around it. “We drove up to the replica Tudor ‘village’, built by the Astors… The buildings, interconnected with a pretty courtyard at their heart, are attached to their original 13th-century castle by a corridor over the moat. Two wings (which made up the original Astor home and their servants’ quarters) were turned into a 28-room B&B eight years ago.”
Visitors can now even swim in the lake until the end of September and again from April (£11, or £15.95 for newcomers, hevercastleswimming.co.uk). “Stepping into the warm water, your feet squelch into an oozy mud. But there is also a welcome absence of monotonous swimming lanes… and chlorine. Just glorious open space and water.”From £180, hevercastle.co.uk
A medieval castle with all mod cons
Kilmartin Castle, a 16th-century fortress in Argyll, western Scotland, “is extraordinary”, says Ted Thornhill in the Mail Online. It is an “imposing, dramatic, thick-walled fortress – but with mod cons, delightful luxury boutique touches and a splash of cool (this is a castle where guests can spin vinyl)”.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
The “bonhomie-infused” owners are laid-back and welcoming and, while “medieval authenticity abounds… you’ll be as comfortable here as in a five-star hotel”. In the bedroom, “a beautifully upholstered antique double bed sits beneath a wall with semi-exposed stonework and a vaulted ceiling. Upcycled vintage travel trunks form one of the side tables… This turret en suite even has a heated floor, as do the other turret bathrooms and the entire ground floor.” But the “pièce de résistance” is the handmade standalone copper bathtub at the end of the bed. “Outside a storm was raging, but we couldn’t hear a thing. We were in our own little medieval wonderland.” From £200, kilmartincastle.com
A hallmark of prestige
Buxted Park, in east Sussex, “has been a hallmark of power and prestige for 800 years”, says Jenny Rowe in Britain magazine. It has hosted the prince regent (later George IV) and Queen Victoria, while some of its seven palatial suites are named after other guests: Winston Churchill, Robert Browning and William Wordsworth.
“Nowadays Buxted Park retains its air of magnificence, but as a hotel it is also functionally slick and sophisticated, manned by impeccable staff who get the balance between friendliness and discretion just right.” The historic woodland, overlooked from the “sun-catching” terrace, “is the perfect pre- or post-dinner sojourn”. Ashdown Forest, Hever Castle, Glyndebourne Opera House, Rathfinny Wine Estates and the terminus of the vintage steam Bluebell Railway line are all nearby. From around £270, handpickedhotels.co.uk/buxtedpark
Visit Hampton Court’s local
Hampton Court has new neighbours, says Liz Edwards in The Sunday Times. The Mitre is a 17th-century coaching inn that is just over the road from the palace and it has been given a whole new lease on life. “The result is a hotel with 36 bedrooms, two riverside restaurants, suntrap terraces and a residents’ library stocked with help-yourself decanters, where the lead-in rate of £180 seems entirely reasonable.”
“Hundreds of plants add life and birds are a running theme” – and not just the ones to be found on the Thames. Henry VIII is also dotted around – in the “Do Not Disturb” signs, the name of the house ale and a few of the room names. “The nicest suite, with high ceilings and river views from its big brass tub, is named after Catherine Parr, the wife who survived him [while] the swanky Henry VIII suite is, as you’d hope, above Parr.”
While “the food’s great” and the welcome “warm”, “really the Mitre is all about the location”. Naturally, the river and the palace are the star attractions – The Mitre offers complimentary tickets to the latter. mitrehamptoncourt.com
Chris Carter spent three glorious years reading English literature on the beautiful Welsh coast at Aberystwyth University. Graduating in 2005, he left for the University of York to specialise in Renaissance literature for his MA, before returning to his native Twickenham, in southwest London. He joined a Richmond-based recruitment company, where he worked with several clients, including the Queen’s bank, Coutts, as well as the super luxury, Dorchester-owned Coworth Park country house hotel, near Ascot in Berkshire.
Then, in 2011, Chris joined MoneyWeek. Initially working as part of the website production team, Chris soon rose to the lofty heights of wealth editor, overseeing MoneyWeek’s Spending It lifestyle section. Chris travels the globe in pursuit of his work, soaking up the local culture and sampling the very finest in cuisine, hotels and resorts for the magazine’s discerning readership. He also enjoys writing his fortnightly page on collectables, delving into the fascinating world of auctions and art, classic cars, coins, watches, wine and whisky investing.
You can follow Chris on Instagram.
-
Who is the richest person in the world?
The top five richest people in the world have a combined net worth of $825 billion. Who takes the crown for the richest person in the world?
By Vaishali Varu Published
-
Top 10 stocks with highest growth over past decade - from Nvidia, Microsoft to Netflix, which companies made you the most money?
We reveal the 10 global companies with the biggest returns since 2013. One firm has posted an astonishing 9,870% return, meaning a £1,000 investment would now be worth almost £82,000.
By Ruth Emery Published
-
Calilo – sustainable luxury on a Greek island: MoneyWeek Travel
MoneyWeek Travel Rupert Hargreaves visits Calilo, a resort on the Greek island of Ios, where sustainability and luxury live in harmony
By Rupert Hargreaves Published
-
England’s sparkling wine industry has potential for early investors
Global warming has changed the game for England’s sparkling wine industry – even growers in Champagne are planting in England. Brave investors might like to join the party early.
By Simon Wilson Last updated
-
Hotel Indigo Durham review: a delightful stay in Durham – MoneyWeek travel
MoneyWeek Travel During a stay at the Hotel Indigo Durham sees Matthew Partridge revisit his old student stomping grounds.
By Dr Matthew Partridge Published
-
The Brando, a Polynesian paradise – MoneyWeek travel
MoneyWeek Travel Sustainability meets the last word in luxury on Marlon Brando's island in French Polynesia, says Chris Carter
By Chris Carter Last updated
-
The 10 cheapest countries to travel to
Features Looking to get away but want to keep costs low? Check out these 10 holiday destinations which remain cheap despite rising inflation.
By Nicole García Mérida Published
-
A South African adventure
Reviews From buzzy Johannesburg to big game drives, South Africa has it all, says Katie Monk
By Katie Monk Published
-
Villa Gaia Rock: perfect harmony in Corfu
Reviews Blend in with your surroundings at the new Villa Gaia Rock in Corfu.
By Chris Carter Published
-
Indulge your wild side with a safari in deepest Kent
Reviews Get up close to the animals at Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve, says Matthew Partridge
By Dr Matthew Partridge Published