http://www.harpersbazaar.com/ukExquisite epicurean delights, artful interiors and sweeping
vistas... these are the very best of Britain’s luxury retreats
NO PL ACE
L IK E HOME
Thyme THE COTSWOLDS
Located on the Southrop Manor estate, Thyme describes
itself as ‘a village within a village’. At its heart is a postcard-
perfect hotel with elegant stone buildings rising from clipped
hedgerows. In the mornings, wander over to the newly refur-
bished Ox Barn restaurant for a breakfast of ricotta and
fresh figs drizzled with honey on homemade sourdough, or
poached eggs heaped onto buttery radicchio. Later in the
day, you can test your own culinary skills at Thyme’s cookery
school, where classes range from making spring garden
salads to mastering English pub classics. The Meadow Spa
champions natural British beauty brands, and you can opt for a relaxing massage or
a facial tailored to your skin’s needs. Venture outside the walls for a picturesque walk
through chocolate-box villages and across fields, and on your return head to the
Swan, Thyme’s 17th-century coaching inn, which serves warming dishes by log
fires long into the night. MEG HONIGMANN
Thyme, from £355 a room a night (www.thyme.co.uk).