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Review by Ceri Wheeldon

All I can say is what a fabulous weekend I spent at Littlecote House. I love history – especially the Tudor period, so discovering that Littlecote was the venue Henry VIII used to woo Jane Seymour was an added bonus. Littlecote is set in 113 acres, and so much history surrounds the site – going back to Roman times. There is a fabulous Roman mosaic in the grounds.

 

 

I went with a friend to have a ‘girlie’ break. We have known each other for decades and tend to have the same likes and dislikes – although she is a little more sporty than me.

I arrived on Friday afternoon – ahead of my friend who was joining me later. I saw that there was a tour of the historic house scheduled almost immediately and just booked myself on. I am so glad I did. Discovering the history and personality of the house was special. Lynn, our guide made the history come alive. Just to walk through the same doorways as Henry and learn more about the colourful characters who inhabited the house, including Judge Popham who presided over the trials of both Mary Queen of Scots and Guy Faulks really was the perfect start to the weekend for me.

An opportunity to try new activities

On arrival you are given a schedule of activities you can choose to participate in – or not if you prefer to just enjoy the gardens or set your own itinerary. My friend and I went with the mindset that we were going to ‘have a go’. We tried as many things as we could fit in.

We started the Saturday with an early walk – which gave us a great feel for the place, then joined a group for a putting competition. It was all good fun, with some colourful characters participating. Perhaps I shouldn’t have given myself the name of ‘missed a lot’ for the scoring, as I certainly lived up to it – and came last!!

Next up it was archery -something I had never considered trying before. Our instructor was excellent – unfortunately although fun, archery proved to be something I had no talent for – I didn’t hit the target once – although everyone else did! I will not be applying to be an extra in ay Robin Hood remakes!!

Finally something I wasn’t the worst at. Nordic Walking. I have tried Nordic Walking before, and just couldn’t quite sync my feet with the poles. Mike our instructor was SO good. He ensured the poles were adjusted to the right length for each of us – made sure we all had our poles set at the right angle, and off we went around the fabulous grounds. That one session has inspired me to find a group locally and take it up regularly.

 

 

Interestingly, quite a few of the people taking part in the activities said that they were looking at the activities as way of finding new hobbies and interests in preparation for their retirement.

Day 2 was a little more relaxed – just croquet and line dancing. I did wonder why we were attracting an audience while participating in the Line Dancing…..had my lack of coordination and two left feet become a source of entertainment? I was relieved to discover that in fact it was because England’s world cup match was being screened in that room immediately following our class!

We had planned on having some spa treatments but they were fully booked. The pool looked lovely, but we were so busy with all the other activities we didn’t have the chance to use it.

We had a lovely room with its own terrace to could sit outside and have a glass of wine before dinner ( we had the ‘signature’ package’).

Excellent food

The food in the main restaurant was excellent – there was the buffet option, or you could choose from the chefs special.

There is a separate bistro with 2 rosettes, open only 3 nights a week, which you can pay a supplement of £18 per person, for a 7 course taster menu . We were due to leave on Sunday afternoon, but were told that we could have an early table on Sunday evening if we would like to leave later…we were so glad we did as the meal was excellent – although there were 7 courses each course was extremely light. The pea veloute in particular was delicious. It was all delicately presented. Quite a treat.

He whole weekend was special . All the staff were so welcoming. Of all the guests we met we were the only ones visiting for the first time – most were repeat guests (always a good sign). Two ladies who were great fun and seemed to book on all the activities as us, only lived 20 minutes away, but went there regularly. On this particular weekend they were enjoying themselves at Littlecote while their husbands stayed at home watching the football.

The entire break was enjoyable from start to finish. I can thoroughly recommend it. Apart from being a lovely setting, it was a great opportunity to try new activities, meet new people, and learn a little more about the incredible historic buildings we have so close to home .

Special offer for Fab after Fifty readers

Warner holidays is offering a special discount to Fab after Fifty readers. Quote FABAFTER50WLH for a discount of £20 per person per break until Dec 31st 2018.

Room Rates:

Summer - £280 July until 28th Sept

Winter - £220 28^th Sept until 14th Dec

Visit Warner Leisure Hotels for more info