Great West Way Travel Magazine | Issue 07
Follow the paths through England’s idyllic countryside, quaint villages and elegant towns where our best-kept secrets from the past meet twenty-first-century hospitality.
Follow the paths through England’s idyllic countryside, quaint villages and elegant towns where our best-kept secrets from the past meet twenty-first-century hospitality.
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walks to work off the essential afternoon tea, served in the
imposing Great Hall. Meander through the six-acre parterre,
with its distinctive triangular beds, be uplifted by the fragrant
intermingling of flowers and classical statues in the Long
Garden and come over all romantic amid 900 roses in the
heavenly scented Rose Garden.
Make your visit even more special with a New Year House
Party (31 December 2022–2 January 2023). Glamorous
gatherings, indulgent feasts and, of course, plenty of
Champagne to kick-start 2023 in the most stylish way.
Great Chalfield Manor, Wiltshire
As well as these aristocratic super stars, there are many
smaller historic houses dotted across the Great West Way.
Great Chalfield Manor is a late medieval manor house, built by
the self-made Thomas Tropenell to proclaim his arrival into the
landed gentry. He gave his new house all the necessary mod
cons of the day including a gate house, moat, great hall and
fashionable oriel windows, features which can still be seen, as
the house has hardly been touched since his time. This relative
neglect accounts for the house’s gentle charm and explains
why it’s a popular film location: the BBC series Poldark and
Wolf Hall were both filmed here. Visit on the 17 December to
join in the fun and festivities during their annual Christmas fair.
Iford Manor Gardens, near Bath
For garden-lovers, a perfect day out on your Great West Way
journey could be the wonderful Iford Manor, close to Bath and
the idyllic Frome River valley. Here you can dreamily wander
around 2.5 acres of historic gardens that sit at the heart of
the Grade-1 listed gardens designed by Harold Peto during
his tenure at Iford from 1899-1933. Explore freely getting lost
amongst the colonnades, pools and steps, as you enjoy the
magnificent rural views over the valley. The garden contains
many steep, narrow and uneven paths, as well as long flights
of steps without handrails – very much part of the garden’s
charm and design. There are a host of lovely Christmas events
happening across the Iford Manor Estate this December
including wine tasting and Christmas wreath making
workshops, followed by a delicious lunch.
Kelmscott Manor, Oxfordshire
Kelmscott Manor, a short detour off the route, was the iconic
country home of William Morris; poet, designer, craftsman,
socialist and founding father of the Arts and Crafts movement.
This Grade I listed house was loved by Morris as a survival of
traditional craftsmanship in harmony with the nearby village
and surrounding landscape, which lies towards the very upper
reaches of the Thames, inspiring many of his most important →
Left to right: Cliveden House bar; The summer
home of William Morris, Kelmscott Manor
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