Patsey Murphyvisits Woolley Grange
'LUXURY HOTEL" usually means "No children, please". What fun, then, to discover a grand 17th-century Jacobean manor crammed with antiques and oriental rugs which is welcoming to children of all ages. Woolley Grange Hotel, eight miles outside Bath and with a view of the famous White Horse at Westbury, is a place where adults can relax and fine-dine while children are minded in a nursery or diverted in well-stocked playrooms and playing fields. Irish hoteliers, please copy.
Woolley Grange was dilapidated when Nigel Chapman and his wife restored it in 1989. We couldn't believe our luck when we were shown to our rooms, furnished with big brass beds, and with vaulted and beamed ceilings, kilims on the floor and curiosities on the walls. One room is particularly romantic, with an enormous claw-footed bath in the centre of the en suite, and a window overlooking the Wiltshire hills.
It's full of higgledy-piggledy passageways, steep staircases, nooks, crannies and panelled sitting rooms with wood fires.
On 14 acres, the hotel has a certified organic walled garden stocked with fruit trees and vegetable tunnels. There is an outdoor swimming pool, tennis court, croquet lawn, soccer nets, a trampoline and an assortment of bikes, bats and balls at every turn. Behind the main house, the Woolley Bear's Den is a registered nursery supervised 10am-4.45pm every day, and it's stocked to the brim with art supplies, toys and books with cosy resting and eating areas. Outside, there's a playground with swings and climbing frames, and for older kids, a hen house has been transformed into a groovy pad stocked with DVDs, game consoles, air hockey, pool and table football.
We had a drink by the fire before dinner, served with complimentary hors d'oeuvres, and were given vegetarian and carnivorous menus to study. Our three-course dinner was outstanding (about £36 a head). We chose the Woolley Grange claret from an interesting wine list, and the service was both polished and unobtrusive.
We slept well, with rain pattering on the skylight and deeply comfortable bedding. Rooms come stocked with a jar of cookies, mineral water, and robes for children as well as grown-ups. Bottle warmers, changing mats and cots are all supplied and, in this atmosphere of welcome rather than toleration, everyone seems happy and out for a good time.
At breakfast we had kippers and there was a lot of baby talk, as young parents swapped tips and tales.
Check-out time in the UK tends to be 11am, not noon, alas, but we lingered a while, reading the papers. Bath is eight miles away and besieged with traffic, so use the park-and-drive options. The Longleat House and Safari Park is nearby, Stonehenge is less than an hour away and the Bridge House in Bradford on Avon is famous for its afternoon tea. Bristol Airport is about 35 miles away.
The Woolley Grange Hotel and others in the Luxury Family Hotels group raise the standard high for introducing children to a bit of posh, in majestic settings they will always remember.
WhereWoolley Grange Hotel, Woolley Green, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, BA15 1TX, 0044-1225-864705, www.woolleygrangehotel.co.uk.
AmbiencePosh relaxed English manor. Registered on-site nursery with a team of nannies and overflowing with toys, art supplies and books. Games room for older children. Babysitting and listening services. Cots, bottle warmers, you name it.
Best rateMidweek from £175 (€225), including dinner and breakfast. Weekends from £240 (€310).
LeisureHeated outdoor swimming pool, croquet, soccer posts, trampolines, air hockey, table football and pool. In-room massage and beauty treatments available.
Local diversionsBath, Longleat Safari Park, Stonehenge. Bristol is the closest airport.
RestaurantGreat food, including full vegetarian menu. Polished but not intrusive service.
WineListed by taste rather than country.
AccessNew rooms and suites in the garden wing are approachable via a ramp. The main house is, however, a maze of corridors.
It's full of higgledy-piggledy passageways, steep staircases, nooks, crannies and panelled sitting rooms