A ‘Barbecue Butler’ Will Grill for You and Serve Champagne in Your Personal Dome at This Funky English Countryside Lodge

Observing it from afar, you may assume the Homewood, a lodge inside a quintessential English nation property on a grand, tree-lined drive, could be a bit, effectively, uptight. However as quickly as you enter its grounds, you may understand that is removed from the case.

The lodge's whimsical tackle the refined English countryside vacation is clear within the random particulars that exist simply to make you smile: a yellow submarine on the garden, a bush formed like a bear, a poodle statue named Sue.

Cabinets lined with Hunter wellies in each measurement sit exterior the doorway, simply begging visitors to seize a pair and get muddy on a stroll previous sheep, alpacas, and cottages to the lovely native pub. Inside, the furnishings is shiny, the partitions are adorned with quirky art work, and numerous chandeliers cling from the ceilings.

It's a spot the place you're simply clearly meant to unwind, have enjoyable with these you like, and by no means take your self too severely.

The backyard is filled with embellished domes, used in the course of the festive season for wintry afternoon tea and now for Champagne and barbecues. The barbecue eating domes include Huge Inexperienced Egg ceramic charcoal barbecues, Taittinger Champagne, wine, and a three-course meal, all dealt with by your barbecue butler — who gives you a flip on the grill, if you would like. The temperature-controlled domes are meant for 4 to 6 folks and are bookable for lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner seven days every week.

One other on-site eating choice is Olio, a restaurant that playfully blends British and Mediterranean dishes and contains an outside patio with a pizza oven. Substances are thoughtfully sourced from close by family-owned companies and from the brand new on-site backyard — chef Darren Stephens added gardener to his resume whereas the hospitality business was stalled as a consequence of COVID-19. The backyard can be the supply of the colourful hibiscus and different botanicals used to create the lodge model’s personal Kaleidoscope Gin.

If winding down out of your meal in a personal sizzling tub with sundown views over the inexperienced countryside seems like your sort of English dream, ebook the recent tub suite in the principle home or one of many sizzling tub rooms within the Mallingford Mews, the unique lodge home which was just lately became an opulent 10-bedroom standalone extension. Once you enter the mews, you may discover a choice of candies and a fridge stocked with drinks and ice cream, simply one other cheerful contact.

Beside the heated swimming pool, the shared sizzling tub has its personal bucolic views, and an indoor hydrotherapy pool, sauna, and steam room turn out to be useful when that British rain begins to kick in.

Once you fall in love with Homewood’s distinctive model of appeal — and you’ll — lengthen your journey with a go to to its sister lodge, only a 10-minute drive away in a very completely different setting. Cleverly named The Chicken, Bathtub, this city offshoot is a comfy dwelling base for exploring Bathtub, the UNESCO World Heritage Centre recognized for its Roman baths.

Right here, homeowners Ian and Christa Taylor handle to duplicate the identical mixture of English class and cheeky flamboyance discovered on the Homewood, with an emphasis on the latter. No two rooms are the identical, every with its personal funky art work and design and a few with luxuries like stylish copper bathtubs or a backyard sizzling tub.

Downstairs within the colourful restaurant, head chef Leon Smith pays the identical consideration to sourcing from native purveyors, and outdoors, these within the know could acknowledge the eating domes — as a result of within the age of COVID (and let’s be trustworthy, most likely past it) you’ll be able to by no means have too many meals in a personal bubble.

Nina Ruggiero is Journey + Leisure’s deputy digital editor. A New Yorker dwelling in Los Angeles, she’s happiest on a seaside, a cobblestone avenue, or in a lodge bathtub with a view. Discover her on Instagram @ninamarienyc.