A taste of the high life at Lucknam Park near Bath (From Hampshire Society)

A taste of the high life at Lucknam Park near Bath

4:26pm Wednesday 3rd February 2010

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Lucknam Park in the heart of the countryside but just six miles from Bath stands imposingly at the end of a sweeping, mile-long avenue of lime and beech trees.

During the Second World War they were used to hide Spitfires and Hurricanes, but when we visited there was a helicopter parked in front of the hotel.

All in all, I was glad to have just replaced the missing hubcap on my battered old Volvo as we crunched to a halt on the gravel forecourt of the grand Palladian house.

Bath is world-famous for its Georgian architecture and Roman baths. And Lucknam Park is just a 15-minute drive from it, hemmed by pretty villages and gorgeous Cotswolds country. It is a perfect place to while away a weekend or celebrate a special occasion like our 20th wedding anniversary.

The five-star hotel is set in 500 acres of parkland with some wonderful walks and an equestrian centre. Built in 1680 by a Bristol trader who made a huge fortune importing tobacco from Virginia to England, the house was a family home until 1987.

Investors transformed it into a luxury country house hotel, refurbishing the interior and gradually restoring the garden.

The hotel is upmarket and plush but family-friendly with pushchairs parked in the elegant hallway, a wood panelled-library and Georgian bow-fronted drawing room.

There is plenty of space for children to run around outside, as well as ponies, mountain bikes, croquet, a five-aside football pitch and two tennis courts.

Each of the 11 suites and 31 bedrooms is individually decorated. Some have four-poster beds while all have marble bathrooms and chic Parisian Anne Semonin toiletries.

We were given the Cornflower suite at the front of the house with wonderful views of the park. Champagne and chocolates were in our room on arrival – I felt I had stepped into another, more glamorous, life.

First stop was a visit to the new health and beauty spa, which opened last year and cost a staggering £14million to build.

They don’t come much swankier.

Set at the back of a walled garden, it is high-tech and minimalist, with a vaulted glass roof and interior of teak, local limestone and glass mosaics. My architect husband was seriously impressed.

The spa “menu” offers a wide range of treatments for men and women, plus a Little Miss collection. I opted for a de-stress botanical oil and herbal back therapy said to “melt away tensions”.

While I was being pampered and pummelled, my low-maintenance husband opted for a jog around the park.

Unfortunately, he forgot to pack a suit and the dress code in The Park Restaurant is formal. Thankfully, the friendly, helpful staff turned a blind eye to his jeans and we were able to sample the delights of the dining room after pre-dinner drinks and canapés.

Since his appointment as head chef at Lucknam Park in 2005, Hewell Jones has raised the standards of the cuisine to win a coveted Michelin star.

All the ingredients are local and organic. Mains included a choice of venison, pork, lamb, pigeon, halibut, turbot and seabass.

Next morning we went for an early morning swim to burn off a few calories before a full English breakfast.

The spa has a 20m indoor pool with a fireplace along its length, an indoor-outdoor hydrotherapy pool leading into the garden, saltwater plunge pool plus sauna, aromatic steam cabins and rainwater style showers. There is also a brasserie with an open kitchen and wood-fired oven.

After a hour in the pool we had breakfast. Then, sadly, it was time to leave.

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