London
Castle and country house hotels near London: six places to sleep in history
Gravel crunches under the wheels and the avenue opens onto a house that has seen dukes, prime ministers and scandal. An hour ago you were at Paddington. These are the country houses that turn a London weekend into something else.
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Some of England's finest country houses sit within easy reach of London, and many are now hotels. You sleep where dukes and statesmen lived, dine in old state rooms and walk through parkland laid out for another century.
Most are under an hour from the centre by train or car. That makes them easy to pair with a few days in town, or a weekend of their own when the evenings draw in and the fires are lit. We have picked six, grouped by the landscape around them.
In short: castle hotels near London
The best country house near London is Cliveden House above the Thames, under an hour from the centre. Coworth Park near Ascot has a large spa and its own polo field, and Great Fosters was a royal hunting lodge in Windsor Forest. To sleep behind real castle walls, 900-year-old Amberley Castle in Sussex is worth the longer journey.
Our first choice: Cliveden House, for its history and its parkland above the Thames.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Cliveden House
Top picks
For history: Cliveden House
For spa and country life: Coworth Park
Closest to Heathrow: Great Fosters
For a real castle: Amberley Castle
For a long spa day: Pennyhill Park
On the Thames
Cliveden House
The house stands high above the Thames in parkland now owned by the National Trust. The Astors made Cliveden one of England's great society houses, and in 1961 the minister John Profumo met Christine Keeler by its swimming pool. The scandal that followed shook the government.
The pool is still there, and you can swim in it. The Elizabeth line runs from central London to Taplow, a short taxi ride away. Ask for a room in the main house if you want to sleep where the history happened.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Cliveden House
Danesfield House
This white house from around 1900 sits on a bluff above the Thames between Marlow and Henley. During the Second World War it was RAF Medmenham, where analysts pored over aerial photographs of Germany.
Today it is a hotel with a spa and gardens that run right to the edge above the river. Good for a couple who want riverside walks by day and the view from the terrace at night.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Danesfield House
The pool from the Profumo affair
John Profumo met Christine Keeler at this pool at Cliveden in 1961. Photo: Hotels.com (Expedia Group)
Windsor and Ascot
Coworth Park
Coworth Park belongs to the Dorchester Collection, the owners of The Dorchester in London. The house sits in wide parkland near Ascot, with its own polo field and stables, and a spa under a grass roof.
Windsor Castle is a short drive away. Choose it for London-level luxury in the country, with a ride in the morning and the spa in the afternoon.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Coworth Park
Great Fosters
Great Fosters was built in the 16th century as a hunting lodge in the royal forest at Windsor, and the moat around its garden is older than the house. Inside are oak panels and fireplaces you could stand up in.
The hotel is in Egham, about ten minutes from Heathrow. That makes it a fine first or last night of a trip, when you would rather wake in a Tudor garden than beside an airport motorway.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Great Fosters
Pennyhill Park
This Victorian manor in Bagshot, Surrey, has one of the largest hotel spas in England, with indoor and outdoor pools. The England rugby team has used it as a base, and the grounds are big enough for long walks.
Pennyhill suits a weekend where the spa is the point and the city can wait. Book treatments when you book the room, as weekends fill up.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Pennyhill Park
Sussex: behind real castle walls
Amberley Castle
Amberley Castle is more than 900 years old and sits at the foot of the South Downs in West Sussex. The gate still has its portcullis, and white peacocks wander the gardens inside the walls.
The train from Victoria to Amberley takes about an hour and a half, so plan on two nights. Rooms are named after Sussex castles, and several have four-poster beds. Good for a couple who want to sleep in a real castle, not a house that looks like one.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Amberley Castle
Before you book
Ask for the main house: Several country houses have newer wings. If you want the history, ask for a room in the old part.
Book dinner with the room: The restaurants are a big part of the stay, and tables go first at weekends.
Train or car: Cliveden and Great Fosters are easy by train and a short taxi ride. Coworth and Amberley are simplest by car.
Pair it with the city: Two nights in London and one in the country show you two very different sides of England.
Editor's pick
Cliveden House
Cliveden House is the place for a weekend where history is part of the stay. You sit by the fire in the Great Hall where the Astors entertained, and in the morning you walk through the grounds down to the Thames. In summer you can swim in the outdoor pool among the lavender. The house is under an hour from London, so it works as well at the end of a city break as it does for a long weekend of its own.
Frequently asked questions about castle hotels near London
What is the best castle hotel near London?
Cliveden House is the best country house hotel near London, with Astor and Profumo history, National Trust parkland and less than an hour's journey from the centre. If you want a genuine medieval castle, Amberley Castle in West Sussex is the best choice, though it is about an hour and a half away by train.
How far is Cliveden House from London?
Cliveden House is about 45 kilometres west of London, on the Thames near Maidenhead. Take the Elizabeth line from central London to Taplow, then a short taxi ride. By car the drive from the centre usually takes under an hour, depending on traffic leaving the city. From Heathrow it is about half an hour.
Can you stay in a real castle in England?
Yes, several genuine castles in England are now hotels. Amberley Castle in West Sussex is more than 900 years old, with curtain walls and a portcullis, and is about an hour and a half from London by train. Many other castle hotels are country houses built for the aristocracy rather than fortresses, but they have as much history and often larger grounds.
Which country house near London is best for a spa weekend?
Pennyhill Park in Surrey and Coworth Park near Ascot are the best choices for a spa weekend near London. Pennyhill has one of the largest hotel spas in England, with indoor and outdoor pools. Coworth Park has its spa in a separate building in the grounds. Book treatments with your room, as weekends fill first.
When is the best time to stay in an English country house?
The country houses around London are worth visiting all year, but autumn and winter bring their own mood, with fires lit and mist over the parkland. In spring and summer the gardens are at their best. Weekends before Christmas and around Valentine's Day fill first, so book early if you plan to go then.