The Credentials:
Lime Wood is a luxury boutique country house hotel set in extensive grounds, within the beautiful surroundings of the New Forest national park.
The classical structure—originally a 13th century Regency country house—has been expertly renovated in a contemporary style, offering 17 suites, 15 bedrooms and two new Forest Cottages (a five-minute stroll or short buggy ride from the main house). The interior of the hotel has a sitting room, dining room, bar, cellar, library and billiard room and is decorated with bespoke and antique pieces throughout.
Dine:
Under head chef Luke Holder and Michelin-starred Angela Hartnett, the hotel’s restaurant Hartnett Holder & Co combines seasonal English dishes with Italian principles. The focus is on local, organic or reliably sourced food, with most ingredients coming from the forest. The restaurant itself is modern and stylish, with a relaxed yet sophisticated atmosphere.
We enjoyed a great range of autumnal forest food; the young salad with goat’s cheese and pickled vegetables and the veal/tuna carpaccio with a sicilian lemon zest were both flavoursome and light, and the mushroom (foraged that morning!) risotto and truffle agnolotti were delicious and hearty (the agnolotti actually outstanding).
A rabbit stew with white cocoa beans and sea bass with octopus and green olives pushed me out of my food comfort zone (I think the chef was showing off by this stage) but both were creative and impressive. A delicate lavender sorbet completed the feast.
Breakfast, a combination of a huge healthy buffet and a traditional English cooked breakfast, is enjoyed in The Scullery. I wanted to experience everything, so ordered the full English but minus the salt, fried bread and black pudding—delicious.
Sleep:
Our cottage was one of two recent ‘Forest Cottage’ additions to Lime Wood. Perfect for the rainy weekend, it was fully equipped with board games, books for the kids (The Gruffalo range and Ella’s Kitchen), two sizeable baskets of snacks, a fully-stocked pantry (Luscombe juices and local ales) and every other amenity you would require to move in on a permanent basis.
The master bedroom (king-sized bed), kids’ room with a desk and bunk beds, two bathrooms (stocked with full and travel-sized Bamford products), kitchenette and living area with log fire were spread over two spacious floors.
Spa:
The Herb House Spa remains my favourite indulgence when I’m in the forest area. The steaming outdoor hot pool, sauna with forest view, gym opening up onto the roof garden and hydro pool are all divine. The wholesome Raw & Cured food bar serves an abundance of creative raw options, organic salads and juices, with many fragrant herbs from the herb garden incorporated into the dishes.
I had the detoxifying but gentle organic Voya Rehydrating & Anti-ageing Facial, which included a pressure point massage using fresh pieces of seaweed, which were also placed on my face to absorb toxins.
The gym contains the latest technogym equipment, still in pristine condition, and offers a large range of classes and bespoke fitness packages. Acclaimed personal trainer Matt Roberts is now collaborating with the hotel to offer a range of fitness retreats.
Who Goes There?
Families and groups of friends, mainly from London, and a smattering of other western Europeans and Americans.
Out & About:
A colourful range of Hunters in every size can be borrowed from The Boot Room to explore the surrounding area on foot; there are numerous routes covering everything from a short stroll to a more serious hike into the isolated depths of the forest, taking in gorse, woodland and streams. Lyndhurst village, complete with cute cafes, antique shops and Bentley dealer, is 1.5 miles away.
The forest contains over 193,000 acres of unspoilt heathland and 143 miles of track. Shooting, sailing and horse riding are all available close by as well.
The Worst Thing:
Lime Wood Hotel was almost impossible to find fault with, but to be really picky the only thing I could say is that the pool area got quite busy when it was raining outside!
The Best Thing:
Lime Wood is an all-season destination with exceptionally beautiful surrounding landscapes and a huge variety of indoor and outdoor pursuits throughout the year.
