Hotel Endsleigh Tavistock

Endsleigh was commissioned by the beautiful and scandalous Georgina, Duchess of Bedford. Married to one of the richest men in the country and lover of Edwin Landseer, her life revolved around her beloved Endsleigh which became known as ‘The Garden Paradise of the West’.

Hotel Endsleigh is set in 100 acres of fairy tale gardens, woodlands, follies and grottos created by Humphry Repton. We defy anyone to find a more beautiful spot in the whole of England.

There is no traffic or aircraft noise, no light pollution, just the sound of the Tamar river. It’s little wonder that the Duke of Bedford, who owned a third of Devon, chose this spot for his hunting and fishing lodge.

Endsleigh has 19 rooms each individually designed with uncluttered elegance. The furniture is a mix of old and new, with some unusual pieces. The whole thing is completely enchanting, torn straight from the pages of Hans Christian Andersen.

Endsleigh comes complete with such delights as a thatched dairy for the duchess and an unlived-in little house in the woods, built specifically so that, when the fire was lit by a boy who rowed across the river every morning, a charming wisp of smoke would emerge from the treetops to ‘animate’ the landscape.

ACCOMMODATION
The 19 generously-sized rooms are decorated in original hand-painted wallpapers, antique bathroom fittings and chairs upholstered in pretty florals. Room five has glamorous chaise longue, bird-themed wallpaper, roll-top bath and beautiful views of the garden; while room four, with its diminutive bathroom in what used to be a private chapel, is wonderfully quirky.

SUITES
Individually designed by Olga Polizzi with uncluttered elegance, the suites will appeal to those who prefer a little more space. All suites come with flat screen televisions, DVD players, a safe, free WiFi and Bramley toiletries. All of our rooms are dog friendly. The Suites can comfortably accommodate families and have a separate sitting room and walk-in showers.

BEDFORD ROOMS
Bedford rooms have the original hand-painted wallpaper and great views of the garden. In keeping with the rest of Endsleigh the furniture is a mix of old and new, with some unusual pieces.

Individually designed by Olga Polizzi with uncluttered elegance, Bedford rooms come with a flat screen television, DVD player, in-room safe, free WiFi and Bramley toiletries. All of our rooms are dog friendly. We have plenty of cots and z-beds which can be used in most rooms.

REPTON ROOMS
Repton rooms have the best views of the garden. Designed 200 years ago this was one of Humphry Repton’s last commissions and brings together a multitude of landscaping elements for which Repton was renowned.

Individually designed by Olga Polizzi with uncluttered elegance, the furniture is a mix of old and new with some unusual pieces. Repton rooms come with a flat screen television, DVD player, in-room safe, free WiFi and Bramley toiletries. All of our rooms are dog friendly. We have plenty of cots and z-beds which can be used in most rooms.

DINING
The cooking takes its inspiration from the surrounding countryside. The Restaurant is located in the original dining room featuring beautiful wood-panelling and crests of the friends of the Duke of Bedford.

In keeping with tradition, afternoon tea is the highlight of every day. Each afternoon we serve an array of cakes, scones and sandwiches. Choose to sit at a table and have it served to you or preorder our new picnic afternoon tea packed into a returnable rucksack.

WELLNESS RETREAT
Whether you are looking to stay fit, consolidate your January resolution or just get started, join us for a wonderful week of strength training with Caroline Idiens of Carolines Curcuits, yoga with Tara Lee and beautiful country walks. I defy anyone to find a more beautiful spot in the whole of England. There is no traffic or aircraft noise, no light pollution, just the sound of the Tamar river.

Tara Lee has been teaching yoga for over 20 years. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her practice. Named one of the UK’s top five yoga teachers by the Evening Standard specialising in vinyasa flow and pregnancy yoga.

Tara will offer an evening practice mixing dynamic and restorative yoga with meditation and yoga Nidra (yogic sleep). This should leave you feeling stronger, more mindful and bursting with vitality.

Tara is also a registered nutritionist supporting clients with a range of goals including increasing energy and weight loss. Every guest will receive a complimentary 20 minute discovery session to discuss any questions or concerns.

Caroline Idiens has been a personal trainer for 22 years. In lockdown she took her 30 minute workouts online and now has the incredibly successful platform Caroline’s Circuits. Caroline specialises in strength workouts and functional training which she considers an essential part in any exercise routine.

Caroline trains with hand held weights and bands and believes this is what makes the difference for our muscles, bones, overall fitness levels and mood. Her short workouts are carefully balanced and leave one feeling energised.

Head Chef, Tom Ewings, will prepare nutritionally rich menus for each day. Guests can enjoy a light or a full breakfast, light buffet lunch with a soup and a three-course evening meal. Guests will be given a guided walk of the extensive Repton gardens by Head Gardener, Ben Ruscombe-King, whose knowledge and anecdotes are restorative in themselves.

THE GARDEN
It’s little wonder that the Duke of Bedford, who two centuries ago owned a third of Devon, chose this spot for his hunting and fishing lodge. Overlooking the River Tamar and beyond into Cornwall, Endsleigh, now owned by Olga Polizzi, is set in 108 acres of gardens, woodlands, follies and grottos created by Humphry Repton.

Designed 200 years ago this was one of Humphry Repton’s last commissions and brings together a multitude of landscaping elements for which Repton was renowned. Immediately around the house there are formal gardens running down to the River Tamar.

There is a picturesque dell with little bridges crossing streams, huge Gunnera leaves and wonderful picnic spots. Beyond the formal gardens is the arboretum which contains unusual trees from around the world, still standing in the spots marked out with bamboo canes by the Duchess. Some of the trees are national champions.

Humphry Repton’s greatest legacy…
In 1814 Humphry Repton (1752-1818) visited Endsleigh and spent three days being carried around in a sedan chair, visualising the future gardens. He created a Red Book of descriptive writing and watercolours to demonstrate his ideas to the 6th Duke of Bedford. As a result the gardens were commissioned.

Repton’s plan was for an exciting, almost alpine terrain, with plenty of deliberately created viewpoints and a network of tantalising paths and steps, some leading up to a rockery or down to a pool (in his words, ‘to add glitter to the scene’) and some fading mysteriously away into the undergrowth.

On the opposite bank, much of the deciduous woodland was replaced with conifers to remind Georgiana, Duchess of Bedford, of her Scottish roots. There were, apparently, 500,000 Scots pines standing by in the nursery.

EVENTS
Alongside its 19 bedrooms and suites the hotel has some private event spaces. From weddings to intimate dinners, if you’re planning an event we would love to help. All the ground floor rooms of the hotel are licensed for civil ceremonies including the Parterre and Shell House.

Nestled into a hill of the grounds, stepping inside the little Shell House is like walking into a mermaid’s lair, with its thickly adorned walls of shells, coral and other seaside gems. The grotto is licensed for weddings, too.

The Stable can be used for conferences, parties or large dinners. It can seat up to 80 people for dinner, 100 for theatre-style presentations or 140 dancing. The Duchess Lounge, decorated in original hand-painted wallpaper, can be taken for a private dinner of up to 16 guests.

THINGS TO DO 
There are loads of places—Tavistock, Dartmoor, Buckland Abbey, endless National Trust houses and gardens—to visit round Endsleigh, but actually one could very easily spend a week simply walking round the grounds and reading.

But the real magic lies in the garden. Created by Humphry Repton for the 6th Duke of Bedford some 200 years ago, it spans idyllic woodlands, waterfalls, a rockery, an impressive arboretum, fairy-tale follies, avenues of arches laden with roses, a croquet lawn, formal gardens – and an abundance of picnic spots. So rambling are the grounds that, even after a long day exploring, you feel as though you haven’t even begun to scratch the surface. Et in Arcadia ego? Decidedly.

The Tamar runs through the grounds and the hotel is a member of Endsleigh Fishing Club, with six beats on eight miles of riverbank. Guests can fly fish for sea trout, brown trout and grayling, and enjoy some of the best salmon fishing in England.

Endsleigh Sporting Club runs the shoot at Endsleigh, offering exceptional drives around the nearly 2000 acre estate. Famous for birds that are shot in Devon and picked in Cornwall, Endsleigh Shoot has built a reputation for presenting high, fast and challenging birds.

Shoot days are typically run from the hotel with hospitality throughout the day provided from the excellent catering team. The steep wooded banks and long sweeping valleys provide the ideal topography for testing high bird shooting, with many teams well and truly beaten by the famous Swiss Cottage and Hatchery drives.

Tavistock is about fifteen minutes away from the hotel and is a lovely little market town on the edge of the moors. Country Cheeses and the Cornish Arms are all worth a visit. The are weekly art and farmers markets are especially good for present shopping.

Dartmoor National Park is the largest and wildest area of open country in the south of England, with ancient woodland, high granite tors and vast tracts of rolling moorland. Visit in spring to see lambs gambolling and hedgerows full of wild flowers, while summer invites lazy days picnicking and swimming in cool, clear rivers.

Stretching for 1½ miles, the steep-sided Lydford Gorge is a spectacular chasm in the hills. At one end lies the impressive Devil’s Cauldron whirlpool, while the 100ft high White Lady waterfall is at the other.

If you love horse riding our fancy giving it a go, Liberty Trails  organise guided horse rides through the stunning locations used by Steven Spielberg during the filming of War Horse. Depending on the time of year, you might also be able to join hill farmers as they muster their cattle across the moor.

The Camel Trail is a celebrated cycle trail that is mainly flat and traffic-free. Meander through woodland, explore disused rail stations and stop to take in far-stretching sea views. Padstow to Wadebridge is a popular and manageable route at approximately five miles. The trail helpfully terminates in Padstow at the National Lobster Hatchery.

It’s a marine conservation charity helping to highlight the importance of lobsters. The highlight of the tour is observing the baby lobsters getting ready to be released back into the water, as well as a meeting with the resident giant lobster.

Website: www.thepolizzicollection.com

Rooms: 19

Price: from 239 EUR per night