The best stately homes for foodies to visit

Highclere Castle, Hampshire

The starting point, of course, has to be the actual stately home Downton is filmed in. While Downton Abbey itself is fictional, the grand manor it's filmed in is very real; and owned by the 8th Earl and Countess of Carnarvon, no less.

Located just over 60 miles from London – making it a good day trip from the capital – Highclere has an impressive historical record, as the first recorded mentions of an estate here were from back in 749 AD. But it was the Victorian age that saw the location transformed into the recognisable landmark it is today, and was built by Sir Charles Barry in 1842, the architect who also built the Houses of Parliament.

Visitors will want to come and explore some of the 300 rooms of the opulent buildings, as well as the expansive gardens including the healing herb garden and the wildflower meadows as part of a pre-booked tour. These vary in prices according to the season, and if they’re a special event – one popular tour includes a Champagne afternoon tea. If you want to make a weekend of it, there are two on-site lodges that are available for overnight rental (from £529 a night). Winter time – especially around Christmas – is a particularly magical time to visit the Castle; think carols and mulled wine around roaring fires. Some traditions rightfully haven’t changed for 100 years.

Hampshire, England, UK - 4th August, 2012: Highclere Castle is an English country residence circa 1600 which has become known to millions around the world as Downton Abbey from the TV series of the same name. Now a major tourist attraction around 1,200 people per day visit this iconic location to enjoy the splendour of the house and walk in the footsteps of the much actors much loved by their fans.

Cliveden House, Berkshire

Another stately home that’s made an appearance on screen, Cliveden House was the subject of the 2018 docu-series, A Very British Stately House, exploring the inside of one of the UK’s most luxurious manors. First built in 1666 by the second Duke of Buckingham (for his mistress, apparently, a storyline worthy of Downton in itself) this Grade I-listed estate and its 376 acres of beautifully manicured grounds is also part of the National Trust. Inside the building, it just gets better with silver-service 5-star rooms and a spa for the ultimate opulent relaxation.

No day trip to Cliveden is complete without a meal in their elegant dining room. Originally the drawing room of the manor, the expansive, gold-panelled restaurant looks out across the gardens, and guests can sink back into baby-blue velvet dining chairs to soak up the views. Stop by for a cuppa in style – their luxury afternoon tea starts from £60 per person. Walk off the decadent scones and pastries by exploring the grounds afterwards. For a special occasion, the very best of the house can be enjoyed in their Great Cliveden seven-course tasting menu (£165), that includes dishes decadent enough for royalty: Oscietra caviar, Wagyu beef and scallops have all been served up recently.

A breath taking view of Cliveden House in England

Penmaenuchaf Hall, Wales

When it comes to scenery, you’ll be unlikely to find a more dramatic spot than Penmaenuchaf Hall, perched on the Mawddach estuary at the foot of the rugged Cadair Idris, with the wider mountainous backdrop of Snowdonia National Park. It's a great place to visit if you're looking to immerse yourself in a full stay in a stately home, rather than just a day trip.

Taken over by couple Zoe and Neil Kedward in 2022, the impressive stone-fronted Victorian manor was given a full tasteful restoration, and now the 14 bedrooms (from £122 per night) each have their own unique characters; for quiet luxury that has been inspired by mythical Welsh tales. Guests will want to run, not walk to the newly launched Mynydd Bar which celebrates local artistry in the impressive oak-panelled bar. A cocktail is best enjoyed on one of the jewel-coloured velvet chairs, looking out at the incredible view outside.

But the views from inside their Afon restaurant are just as spectacular – we’d recommend splashing out on the eight-course tasting menu (£99), which recently has included Bala lamb served with courgette flowers, Isle of Wight tomatoes with fedw cheese, and a dark chocolate and sour cherry pudding.

The setting means it’s practically mandatory to take a hike around the mountainous terrain when staying at Penmaenuchaf Hall, or for the more adventurous, a bike ride. When arriving back from a big, windswept trek, and taking off welly boots in the stately hall, you’ll experience the Welsh word, “hiraeth”: nostalgia for the place your soul feels most at home.

Heckfield Place, Hampshire

Another option for a country estate hotel experience, rather than day trip. We jump back to Georgian times with a stay at Heckfield Place, which has been “gently evolving” for more than 250 years, to make it a very modern hotel that is still pleasingly steeped in the past.

The statuesque red-bricked manor – Grade II listed – has been furnished to any royal’s standard, which is fitting as Heckfield was the family home of Viscount Eversley in the 19th century. But in a pleasingly modern touch, the entire estate is also eco-friendly, falling in with the practices of the organic working farm surrounding the lodgings; and which naturally translates to the jewel in Heckfield’s crown: their restaurants, Marle and Hearth, headed up by culinary director Skye Gyngell.

Marle – which holds a green Michelin star – is not a cheap affair (mains around the £40 mark) but the food is exceptional, and follows a similar inspiration of Gyngell’s Spring restaurant, a real seed-to-table ethos. Recent dishes include lobster panzanella made with home farm tomatoes; seabass crudo with almonds and cherries, and home-reared Heckfield pork and fennel.

Elsewhere on site, there’s wild swimming to be tried out in their lake or a treatment in their ultra-refined Bothy spa – accessed through a secret garden – which promises to help you take a step back from modern living. The hotel also organises tours around nearby Highclere Castle, allowing you to do the Downton double.

Double rooms from £550 a night.

The Newt, Somerset

A former stately home – Hadspen House, dating back to 1687 – has turned this small part of Somerset into a destination since its renovation and launch as The Newt in 2019.

Less a hotel, and more a whole lifestyle concept – keen guests can become members – once you check in, you’ll never want to leave. The immaculate gardens are jaw-dropping and the 2,000 acre of working farmland all feed into the venue’s eco-credentials; to become as sustainable as possible and live off the land. The restaurants are also available to book and visit just for a meal, even if not staying as a hotel guest.

Inside, there’s a keen eye for style with contemporary, warm decor. In each of the on-site restaurants; The Botanical Rooms, The Farmyard Kitchen and The Garden Cafe, the food offerings could not get fresher – every dish on the menu has at least one ingredient that can be traced back to the farmland estate; which boasts 267 varieties of apple (you can even take a tour of their cider press). A three-course dinner at The Botanical Rooms costs £95, and might include Cornish crab, estate cucumber and fettuccine or wild sea bass, estate beans and Newt cider.

The spa has attracted a cult-like following across the UK thanks to special little touches, like their signature Garden Massage, which begins with a barefoot walk through their herb garden. Elsewhere on site there are enough activities to keep every member of the family entertained – from bike rides, swimming and the elevated walkway through the wood; beekeeping and foraging lessons, to a tour of the replica Roman villa on site, or the Story of Gardening museum.

Just down the road is the creative enclave of Bruton, with even more artsy-goings on at gallery Hauser & Wirth Somerset, as well as delicious food in Da Costa, their Italian-inspired restaurant. Travel tip: pick up some Newt goodies from their farm store at Castle Cary train station for the ultimate train picnic; it’s easily the UK’s best train shop/cafe.

Hambleton Hall, East Midlands

This Victorian mansion up in the East Midlands may have started out life as a fox-hunting lodge; but with previous guests including the likes of Noel Coward, it’s been a magnet for others looking for an elite-tier mini-break ever since its renovation into a hotel in the 1980s.

There are just 17 rooms, so overcrowding is never an issue here, leaving you free to roam the spacious 150-year old stately home, and the 17 acre gardens, which all look out onto the photo-worthy vista of Rutland Water. For a dip, guests should pad down to the heated, open-air swimming pool, or, if it’s in summer, make like the high-society in Downton and have a little game of croquet on the lawn; martinis optional.

The star at the heart of Hambleton Hall is their Dining Room restaurant, which has held a Michelin star since 1992. The ethos here is British dining with a flair, and a recent trip saw dishes like poached tails of langoustines and roast Merryfield duck with hoisin and watermelon on their three-course dinner menu (£135). The fruits of the estate’s labour – and your plate – can be seen on a walk through their walled kitchen garden; while further wanderings will take you out through a topiary-tastic parterre, and out to their secluded “Sitooterie”, a spot perfect for quiet contemplation. It’s so last century, in the best possible way.