Hartwell House is heaven for mums 

Liz Nicholls

Thanks to the mother of all afternoon teas, divine dinners, sumptuous spa & beautiful bedrooms, Hartwell House is fit for a queen 

Queen Marie Josephine (Louis XVIII’s wife) is one of the residents who have called Hartwell House home. And today, it’s the perfect venue to treat your mum like a queen, top to toe.   

Owned by the National Trust and filled with antique treasures, this Grade-I listed stately home is no ordinary hotel. It’s part of living history. A Jacobean jewel nestled amid 94 acres of gloriously green Capability Brown garden and parkland, this majestic residence dates back nearly 1,000 years to Edward the Confessor. Hartwell House was mentioned in the Doomsday Book as belonging to William Peverel, a natural son of William the Conqueror.  

Lovingly restored by Historic House Hotels, there are 48 superbly appointed bedrooms and suites, award-winning dining and a spa offering 111SKIN Harley Street London treatments, the luxury anti-ageing skincare range created by aesthetic surgeon Dr Yannis Alexandrides. 

Having hosted royalty, presidents and everyone in between, Hartwell House can boast superbly friendly staff who treat every guest like royalty, which is why judges have awarded it four Red Stars: the AA’s supreme accolade for hotels. 

Afternoon tea takes pride of place in the Great Hall – the oldest part of the house – which is richly ornate, warm and welcoming with open fireplaces. From the floral china to the magical macarons and stunningly light scones, this is a treat of fairytale proportions. As we’re celebrating tea this month, special mention to the whole page of fine teas to choose from (I recommend the chocolate brownie). This free-flowing infusion is the perfect accompaniment for a feast of delicate finger sandwiches and pastries so indulgent, you’ll wonder why the French didn’t try to settle here permanently.  

The interior is a mix of gorgeously Georgian, with rococo marble chimney pieces, decorative ceilings and a baroque great hall. Perfectly pink, ladies can glide up the grand stairway, watched by a brilliantly bonkers party of carved figures (look out for Winston Churchill and a rather unflattering Maggie Thatcher). B&B stays start from £295 per room (including use of the spa facilities) and the rooms are more like palatial apartments, featuring sumptuous four-poster beds and breathtaking views of the grounds. Some have names (the Duchess d’Angouleme room was once occupied by the Louis XVI’s daughter), all are infused in history but with all mod cons, and some are even doggie-friendly. 

You’re invited to dress for dinner (after a cocktail in the library) in the dining room, all concave mirrors and trompe l’oeil, designed in the style of Sir John Soane, and based on a room in 11 Downing Street. Executive Head Chef Daniel Richardson has been at Hartwell House for 30 years (it’s the sort of place that inspires loyalty) who works closely with local suppliers and the hotel’s gardening team to create exquisite dishes that celebrate seasonal produce as well as an award-winning wine cellar.