Review: Relaxing UK Family Break at Woolley Grange

The people at Woolley Grange have thought of everything when it comes to families. The Jacobean manor on the edge of the Cotswolds is part of the ‘Luxury Family Hotel’ brand and I was fairly confident we’d be in good hands for a post-Christmas UK getaway.

It was to be our first trip as a family of four after my husband’s pro-longed stay in hospital. He’d been there for 10 months with a number of complications. It began with a bacterial infection which led to heart surgery. He also suffered a stroke, leaving him with cognitive issues from which he continues to recover. He’s doing amazingly well considering everything he has been through!

He’d been home for a month and we were all in need of a break. We wanted somewhere that would keep our two daughters (6 and 2) entertained and provide us with some much-needed relaxation and pampering. Most of all, we wanted to get away from it all, get a change of scenery and have some quality time together.

Step up Woolley Grange. We booked three nights on its ‘recharger package’. It looked as though it could provide us with the exact break we needed – but how did it measure up?

The Hotel

As a Londoner, anywhere with a bit of green serves as countryside but this was proper countryside. Woolley Grange is in a secluded pocket of Wiltshire, miles and miles of fields with the hotel surrounded by 14 acres of gardens.

Located just outside the Cotswolds, on paper, it’s only two hours from us in South West London. In reality, travelling on the 27th December (when everyone else seemed to on the road) it took us longer.

The hotel is 12 miles from Bath and close to the pretty village of Bradford-on-Avon.

Arrival

As soon as we entered the manor, we felt at home. There was a fire roaring in one of the lounges, a casket of mulled wine available and friendly staff welcoming us. The girls were drawn to the bookcases holding some of their favourites books, leafing through them as we waited to be taken to our room.

The hotel is a bit of a maze of corridors with creaky floors which add to the charm of the 17th century hotel.

Rooms

Our room was on the top floor in an attic room with views over the grounds. It was spacious with plenty of room for the single bed and cot. It also had two chairs and some period features such as a fireplace. Our king bed was huge and very comfortable!

I had wondered why Woolley Grange was only rated as a three star hotel. I think the answer lies in the rooms. The decor and electrics in ours were a little dated. The en-suite was large but the hand-held shower frustrated my husband who struggled a little as there was no hook to place it on.

The girls loved us all sharing a room and my eldest was so excited she woke up at the crack of dawn (literally) and glimpsed the sunrise. It was worth being woken up for.

As well as the rooms in the main house, there are some located its stone cottage and pavilion. There’s a number of interconnecting rooms for families with older children.

Childcare

The first thing that attracted me to the hotel brand was the on-site creche! Two hours of childcare a day is included in the cost of the accommodation. Brilliant!

We booked the girls into the Woolley Grange Den (weeks in advance) for the morning session. Mrs T and Cheeky happily ran in and started playing with the toys. Everyday there were different craft activities and a huge room full of toys and dress up.

There are two slots: the morning session runs from 10-12pm and the afternoon 3-5pm. Children up to 8 years old can use the Woolley Grange Den.

At the weekend, they take them earlier, from 8pm (and collect from their bedrooms) so you get extra time in bed or have a leisurely breakfast as a couple.

Spa

We hadn’t booked treatments in advance (mistake) but the lovely staff at the spa managed to squeeze us in (hurrah)! My husband and I had a fabulous massage and my toes got a much-needed makeover. I also got a manicure. Mrs T got her nails done too with mini version they do for the younger guests. Although she loved the result, by the end of the day she was already picking it off! Money well spent then!

Activities

There’s plenty to do within the grounds of Woolley Grange. In fact, we didn’t leave during our stay. While we usually love to explore the surrounding area, this was a break designed for us to relax and take things slow.

In the grounds, there’s a giant Connect Four and trampoline and you can do the Woolly Sheep Trail. We ran out of time to do the trail but we did find this sheep.

The Good Life garden was fun to look around. As it was December, it wasn’t exactly in bloom but we found a tiny house, mini wheelbarrow and scarecrow.

In the summer months, there’s the option to collect eggs from the on-site ducks and chickens, pet Simon the rabbit or use the pool.

The spa has a swimming pool which we enjoyed using as a family. Paul and I also relaxed its sauna and steam room while the girls were at the creche. There’s also a outdoor heated pool to make a splash in the summer.

As it was Christmas time there were themed family activities organised. One afternoon we made a gingerbread house. The best bit? We didn’t have to clear up the mess afterwards!

For older children, Woolley Grange has the Hen House just outside of the main building which has a pool table, table football and air hockey.

Of course, we also spent time relaxing in the large, comfy sofas reading books, magazines and playing family games such as Guess Who while staff served us hot drinks. What a refreshing change to have someone else do it!

As this is a family-friendly hotel, there was no shortage of other children for the girls to play with – of a variety of ages. After a few minutes, they were firm friends and would go running off together, exploring the communal rooms of the hotel in safety.

Evenings

I could see how the daytimes would work: using the spa, reading, putting my feet up and getting some fresh county air, but what about the evenings?

There’s two options for evening meals: high tea and dinner. The former can be enjoyed as a family or just by the children (while the parents can unwind with a glass of wine).

For us, it meant Mrs T and Cheeky could eat, then get bathed and settled into bed then we could go downstairs and enjoy some time together as a couple.

There’s also a cinema club with a film showing every night at 6pm and 8pm. The girls enjoyed watching Finding Dory whilst chomping on some popcorn. The later screening would work well for older children watching a film while the parents eat dinner. This family-friendly hotel brand has thought of everything.

The other stand-out feature of the hotel is the complimentary evening listening service. While the staff listen in on the children, the parents can enjoy dinner in the restaurant. What a luxury! You can also book babysitters. We used a video baby monitor too.

Food

We ate some very good food at Woolley Grange. The evening meals were of a very high standard. It had a good variety with vegetarian, gluten free and dairy free options. With our ‘recharger package’, the meals were included in the price. The wine selection was good and there’s the option to order carafes rather than a full bottle of wine.

The children could choose from a fairly large menu at high tea (served from 5pm) which is also available at lunchtimes.

At breakfast, there was a continental buffet option. I particularly loved the homemade granola while the girls had a good choice of cereals and pastries. We could also order hot food such as porridge, waffles, eggs benedict, full English and more. Mr T was delighted with her waffles!

One of the days we tried the afternoon tea. They do a version for children and I treated myself to the champagne one.

We got plenty of sandwiches and sweet treats while the girls enjoyed their jelly and ice cream and babyccinos.

Mrs T seemed to think the sandwiches doubled up as a moustache.

Beyond Woolley Grange

If you can tear yourselves away from Woolley Grange, the Roman town of Bradford-on-Avon is a walk or short drive away. The picturesque town’s narrow, historic streets are filled with boutique shops and restaurants. There’s also plenty of walks to explore in the surrounding countryside and along the Kennet and Avon Canal. The historic city of Bath is a 20 minute drive away – or you can catch the train to the spa city from Bradford-on-Avon.

Verdict

For families wanting an easy break in the countryside, Woolley Grange is an excellent choice. The period property is homely and spacious with plenty of charm. Children can run free without being frowned upon and they certainly won’t get bored. It’s a place which understands families and as such allows the parents to unwind and get a real break. Woolley Grange has perfected the balance for a family break: pampering for the parents, family fun and entertainment for children of all ages.

Would we go again? Absolutely. In fact, we recently returned from a half-term break at  another hotel in the Luxury Family Hotels brand, Ickworth. Review coming soon.

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