- Highest New Entry 2022
Lympstone Manor is a dream made reality, specifically the dream of celebrated chef Michael Caines MBE. Overlooking the Exe Estuary and Devon’s Jurassic Coast, this Georgian country house, built by the Baring family in the 1760s, rests among 28 acres of tranquil parkland that stretches down to the foreshore. The grounds are a haven for wildlife and encompass the hotel’s own vineyard and sculpture collection.
Decorated by resident artist Emma Solley in a way that captures the dramatic relationship between sea, sky and landscape in this beautiful part of the world, this rural retreat has 21 rooms and suites plus six shepherd huts and, as you would expect, a sophisticated yet relaxed Michelin-starred restaurant.
Each room’s design is inspired by the birds you might see in the skies above the estuary and each feature an original work by local painter Rachel Toll, twin gold baths and panoramic views. The ground floor suites have private terraces, marble soak tubs and fire pits.
Meanwhile, families can escape to the dog-friendly shepherd huts in the surrounding woodland with their decked patios and log fires.
After wandering the Lady’s Walk, a circular path that takes in the whole estate, admiring the vineyard, the network of ponds and the sculpture park, guests can choose from three dining rooms for lunch and dinner. Each has its own character, offering frequently changing seasonal dishes drawn from the West Country’s bountiful larder, always including Michael Caines’ eight-course signature menu.
Or go casual in the Pool House Restaurant & Bar with its stunning views of the Haldon Hills and its heated pool and spacious terrace alongside a championship tennis court and croquet lawn.
And, of course, the wine is central to the Lympstone Manor experience. There are two cellars with 600 bins representing fine wines from around the globe and a tasting room, with a special focus on wines made from Devon-grown grapes including Lympstone’s own methode champenoise sparklers.
A truly exquisite venue which came in as Highest New Entry for 2022 and rightfully so.
