5 GartmoreHouse
StirlingScotland’sLochLomondcomesto life
in autumn– theviewsacrossthewater
fromthetopof BenLomondin particular
revealanoakwoodlandablazewith
colour.Overnightopportunitiesarerightly
limitedin thenationalpark,butthe75-acre
GartmoreEstateprovidesa historicbaseon
thesouth-eastcorner.
Thehousedatesbackto the18thcentury.
It wastheformerhomeof ScottishLabour
PartyfounderRobertGraham,while
RobertBurnswrotepoetryin thelounge.
Theestateis nowrunasa not-for-profit
charitywiththefocusoneducational
holidays,soyoucanlearneverythingfrom
millineryto spooncarvingduringa stay.n(^4) The Hare and Hounds
Gloucestershire
You have to give some serious props
to the interior designer of a hotel that
so wholeheartedly commits to a theme
throughout. At this comfy Cotswolds inn,
you will find hare patterns on bed cushions,
hound paintings in the lounge and a hunting
frieze featuring both animals above the bar.
If that isn’t proof enough that you are
deep into the Gloucestershire countryside,
then wander less than a mile down the road
to Westonbirt, the National Arboretum
[above],whichbacksonto PrinceCharles’s
HighgroveEstate.Hometo morethan
15,000labelledspecimens,including
someof Britain’stallesttrees,it becomes
a blanketof reds,goldsandgreensfrom
lateOctoberonwards.
http://www.limewoodhotel.co.uk http://www.gartmorehouse.com
http://www.cotswolds-inn-hotels.co.uk
© NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/JOHN MILLAR/JAKE EASTHAM/ PHIL CROWDER/ VISIT ENGLAND/WESTONBIRT ARBOTETUM, FORESTRY COMMISSION
3 Lime Wood
Hampshire
Lime Wood is a Georgian country house
given a Regency-era makeover on the
façade, so it is every bit the rural English
dream. There’s a lush spa and pool for
Indian summers, whereas bedrooms in the
Coach House have wood-burning stoves
ideal for cooler autumn nights.
The hotel is perfectly situated for
exploring the New Forest and they will
even loan you a complimentary pair of
Hunter “wellies” (wellington boots).
This 219-square-mile national park [left]
was proclaimed a royal forest by William
the Conqueror. Heather and bracken add
purples and greens to the kaleidoscope
of autumnal leaf colours.
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