Words by Rosie Cattrell
With a 200-year-old story waiting to be uncovered, an English countryside paradise borders this enchanting hotel.
If you owned over a third of Devon in the early 1800s, you might consider seeking out the perfect setting for your summer country home a rather daunting task. However, for the Duke of Bedford and his wife Georgiana, one particular spot in the county presented an opportunity for a residence surrounded by exceptional natural beauty, fit for a Duchess.
Rooted in the fresh green fold of the Tamar Valley, Endsleigh’s enchanting riverside setting seems sampled straight from the pages of a fairy tale. Amidst 108 acres of breath-taking gardens and wild woodlands dotted with follies and grottos, there’s a kind of magic to be found wandering the grounds of this Grade I-listed estate, now under the ownership of expert hotelier, Olga Polizzi.
Acquired in 2004, almost 200 years after the first stone was laid, Olga and her daughter Alex channelled their famed expertise into bringing the property back to life, transforming Endsleigh into the luxury hotel that we know today. “Endsleigh’s a rather beautiful, unusual house. When I bought it,” Olga recalls, “I really bought it more with my heart than with my head. There are not many places in England left like this.” In a state of disrepair, restoring the property back to its former glory would have been no easy task, but now any visitor is privy to the magic of days long gone by as they explore the charming character which has been so carefully revived.
“It’s a very special place. All you’ll hear is birdsong, the wind, nature – there’s no light pollution. If you want to relax, read and walk, it’s the perfect place,” Olga reflects. Complete with a well-stocked library, seemingly endless reading nooks and comfortable perches with astonishing countryside views – not to mention a wonderful immersion into the natural world as you wander the grounds alongside the tranquil murmurs of the River Tamar – I’m inclined to believe her.
Designed by Humphry Repton himself as the final commission of his career, the Endsleigh gardens are the crown of the estate, which, understandably, came to be known as ‘The Garden Paradise of the West’. Towering champion trees guide you through the woodlands, and giant-leaved gunnera line the dell in summer, transporting you to the tropics. The formal gardens that run from the hotel to the river are reminiscent of 19th century days spent wandering the lawns at leisure with the Duchess in search of today’s picnic spot.
While Endsleigh’s Eden-esque exterior is of another world entirely, the hotel itself draws you into carefully considered interiors, crafted by Olga in such a way that honours the property’s lavish and romantic past, but also meets their exceptional standards for a luxury stay to rival some of the best in the world.
With endless crests of the Bedford’s relatives and friends edging the wood-lined walls, the Endsleigh dining room remains almost exactly as it was in the days of the Duke and Duchess. Even original wallpaper put up by the Bedford’s lines some of the bedrooms in a delightfully touching nod to the past, the birds and flowers imprinted on the paper having watched the long years unfold.
LEFT: The Long Border - By Paul Massey
CENTRE: Fishing corridor - The Polizzi Collection
RIGHT: Taken by Bradley Coles
Each room and every suite have been individually designed with a classic, uncluttered elegance in mind, a pleasant combination of antique pieces adorning the spaces along with the familiar comfort of simple modern touches. Olga’s latest completion of two new suites in the old stables presents yet another enchanting Endsleigh experience, bringing the room count up to 21.
What used to be the hay loft of the old stables, Suite 22 (known at The Lady Olga Suite) proved to be an exciting project, with sloping ceilings and lots of dormer windows providing a challenge when it came to designing the rooms. “The spaces have worked out well and are quirky and charming. This suite is particularly romantic, cosy and unusual, somewhere I would like to stay myself,” Olga considers.
Find your way across the courtyard and through the old stable door to walk over original one-inch concrete tiles into a panelled hallway housing a unique 18th century statue of a mother and child. Colefax and Fowler’s ‘Greenacre’ wallpaper guides you up the staircase to a beautiful 19th century French writing desk overlooking the stable courtyard, while a pretty bedroom is set into the eaves to the right, beckoning a restful night’s sleep. A bespoke floral sofa at the foot of the bed keeps the secret of a pop-up television hidden within, allowing for comfy movie moments.
Opposite is the bathroom with its freestanding bath and shower, and through the pantry and bar area is a spacious sitting room that invites lingering glances out over the extensive gardens, along with the cosy addition of a wood-burning stove and a dining table for six. One last door reveals a cabin room fit for a younger family member, with every shutter throughout the suite a replica of the original and rather unique Endsleigh shutters.
To uncover Suite 21, you must enter from the gardens of the hotel, the hallway parallel to a large, quirky bathroom complete with a freestanding rolltop bath and walk-in shower. A bunk-bed room welcomes little ones, while the large bedroom and sitting room boasts high ceilings and a sumptuously stylish finish. A calming colour palette throughout makes this a most relaxing space in which to unwind in the fresh natural light.
Taking inspiration from the surrounding countryside, Endsleigh’s food offering is as exceptional as you might imagine for such a setting. In keeping with an age-old tradition, afternoon tea is the highlight of each day spent here, and it’s easy to imagine the Bedford’s whiling away an afternoon with finger sandwiches, cakes and a pot of tea. For those seeking a secluded sunny spot in the grounds, a preordered picnic afternoon tea packed into a returnable rucksack allows for delicious summer moments. As Alan Titchmarsh so eloquently puts it, “if a hotel were ever built in paradise, it would be like Endsleigh – a fairy tale cottage set in an Arcadian landscape with delicious food and blissful rooms.”
Days spent at Endsleigh feel like endless illustrations of a nostalgic daydream come to life. Naturally, a setting as enchanting as this invites star-crossed lovers to wed with nature and loved ones all around. From intimate ceremonies in the likes of Shell House, its walls adorned with ancient shells and coral, to the blissfully romantic garden occasion sheltered by canvas and accompanied by the hum of bees and gentle birdsong – sunlit days and starlit evenings cast you back to magic Endsleigh moments shared by a Duke and his Duchess.
With only the stars to illuminate the sky overhead each night, and the sleepy sounds of the Tamar to lull you to into peaceful dreams, romance roams free on the edges of Endsleigh.
TOP LEFT: Afternoon Tea - By Paul Massey TOP RIGHT: Suite 20, Bedroom - By Paul Massey
MIDDLE LEFT: Suite 20, Bathroom - By Paul Massey MIDDLE RIGHT: The dining room - By Paul Massey
BOTTOM: The Library - By Paul Massey