Barnsley House | A Cotswold Spa hotel with fine dining and beautiful gardens

This patch of the world is a favourite with romantics. The historic charms of the Cotswolds will win you over with its thatched cottages and charming villages galore. Barnsley House offers a great starting point to wake up in luxury and enjoy it to the full. This country hotel has retained all the character of its 300-year history, and has added modern treats – a top class spa, restaurant and even its own cinema.

You can choose between 18 unique rooms, each with its own personality and character. Traditional stone fireplaces, wooden floors and beams have been blended with contemporary furnishings from top London interior designers, Fox Linton. All the rooms are large, and come with added extras, like an extensive DVD library, broadband internet and a home cinema surround sound hi-fi system.

Wake up here and you can enjoy morning views of the gardens and meadows around Barnsley House. Sprawl out on your private terrace, or chill out in the sitting room or garden. You can soak in the tub or relax in a Jacuzzi. The rooms have a sophisticated feel including plasma screens in the bathroom so you can even catch your favourite programme from a hot bubble bath.

Wander through the rest of the house and enjoy the historic feel. Above the garden door, you’ll find ‘1697’ and ‘BB’ carved into the Cotswold stone. The carvings mark the date Brereton Bouchier, Barnsley village’s squire, built the property.

The hotel has a peaceful atmosphere, welcoming children only over the age of 14 years, so you can be sure of an uninterrupted night’s sleep. When there is a group with exclusive use of the hotel there are no age restrictions.

One of the highlights of this tranquil Cotswold retreat is its magnificent gardens. You might want to stroll through sunny terraces, formal lawns, ancient meadows and wildernesses. Or take some to time to explore the gardens’ many twists, turns, nooks and crannies.

The grounds are lovingly maintained by head gardener Richard Gatenby and his team. They are perfect places to unwind, with knot gardens, statues by Simon Verity, a Laburnum Walk, and an ornamental fruit and vegetable garden.

While at Barnsley House, you can treat yourself and your partner to some relaxation therapy at the Barnsley Spa & Skincare Centre. Spoil yourself with a choice of holistic and beauty treatments, in a spa with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the grounds, and aromatic herbs hanging from wooden beams. This luxury hideaway is fully equipped with five treatment rooms, a steam room, sauna, relaxation room and heated outside hydrotherapy pool.

After that, you can relax in your own private cinema. Featuring the latest high-definition projector, this 30-seat space is air-conditioned, with two-seater pink leather sofas. Here you can host a party, watch live sporting events or sit back and take in a film.

The hotel caters for weddings and can host a civil ceremony in the Potager Restaurant, which caters for up to 100 people, outside in our beautiful temple which holds 40 people, or on the front lawn in the Gothic Summer House, holding 100. Staff can also provide a wedding breakfast for up to 60 people in the Barnsley House restaurant.

Barnsley House is located in the centre of the Cotswold village of Barnsley, four miles north-east of Cirencester. It is 90 minutes from West London by car, or an hour by train from Paddington to Kemble, and one hour from the Midlands.

While you are staying at this romantic retreat, you can opt to get involved with a whole host of activities. Simply mention it to the staff when you book your room and they will help arrange it for you. How about hot air ballooning, river rowing, tennis, horse riding or a relaxed Cotswolds tour.

We recommend you visit at least a few of the nearby villages that have earned the area its romantic reputation. There is Bibury, Bourton-on-the-Water, Burford, Cheltenham, Stow-on-the-Wold and Tetbury for starters, with plenty of village markets, cosy pubs and top quality restaurants.