Thornbury Castle Hotel Review: Our Tudor Castle Stay
Looking for somewhere extra special to stay during your trip to the UK?
Then we highly recommend Thornbury Castle. You won’t get more special than staying in a 16th century castle which boasts Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn as former guests!
Part of the Relais & Chateaux hotel group, Thornbury Castle is the only Tudor castle in England open as a hotel. It has everything you would want; luxurious bedrooms packed with historic character, an award-winning restaurant, stunning grounds and – as we discovered- friendly, knowledgeable staff.
English hotels don’t get better than Thornbury Castle.
Overview
The hotel was built in the 16th century by the then Duke of Buckingham, Edward Stafford, who was later found guilty of treason and beheaded on Tower Hill in London.
Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn stayed here in 1535 and Queen Mary I visited in 1525.
Guests can stay in oak-beamed, stone walled rooms which will make you feel as if you’ve stepped back in time. There are grounds to explore, lots of activities on offer and a restaurant and bar.
Check-in is from 3pm with check-out at 11am. Late check-out is available for an additional fee.
Location
The castle is in Gloucestershire countryside near the Cotswold and Welsh borders, close to the village of Thornbury.
It is a 30-minute drive from Bristol and 2.5 hours by car from London.
If you want to travel by public transport, you’ll need to take a train to Bristol Parkway from where you can catch a local train to within 7 miles of the castle or two buses to the castle. Alternatively, take a coach to Bristol and catch a bus onwards to Thornbury from where you could walk to the castle or take a taxi.
Rooms
The rooms (or bedchambers as Thornbury calls them) are, quite simply, stunning.
They’re packed with authentic historical features which blend perfectly with the castle’s modern amenities.
Our room had a four poster bed with drapes, a chandelier, paintings and stone-mullion windows. Some of the rooms have walk-in showers whilst others have roll-top baths. An unexpected treat if planning a visit in winter is the underfloor heating in the luxury ensuite.
However, we were most surprised by the size of the rooms. We had expected castle rooms to be small but our room was larger than most 5-star hotels we have stayed in. We even had a lounge area.
Historic does not mean basic and you’ll find all the modern amenities you expect from a luxury hotel such as a mini-fridge, TV, a minibar and tea and coffee making facilities. We loved the thoughtful extra gift of a bottle of Sloe Gin!
There are different levels of rooms to choose from but for the ultimate romantic and decadent getaway, book the Catherine of Aragon Tower Suite. It’s at the top of the main tower accessed by 77 spiral steps and features 24-carat gilding and the largest four-poster bed in any UK hotel!
All rooms include breakfast and you can also book half-board packages.
Amenities
Dining
The on-site restaurant led by head chef David Williams, boasts 3 AA Rosettes and 4 Red Stars for service and quality. We think it lived up to its reputation!
There are different menus to choose from including a 6-course tasting menu costing £95, a Lounge menu and an a la carte menu. Three courses from the a la carte menu costs £75. You can also indulge in an afternoon tea. We were impressed by the variety of vegetarian options including the vegetarian tasting menu.
Lots of the ingredients are grown in the hotel’s kitchen garden so you’re guaranteed freshness.
For dinner, I chose a butternut squash and goat’s cheese tortellini for starters followed by an 8-hour slow roasted pork belly served with pickled mushroom, carrot and foie royale. It was deliciously tender and cooked perfectly. For dessert I had an amazing green apple cheesecake served with white chocolate.
Doug went all fish with treacle cured salmon to start followed by Cornish trout served with gnocchi, lobster and roast gem.
The food was superb – both in quality and presentation. My mouth is drooling just writing about it! Dinner was made all the more special by our lovely waitress Leanne.
Breakfast is served between 7.30am and 10.15am with afternoon tea available between 1pm and 4pm (£45pp). Informal dining is available all day in the Lounge and Library from 12pm to 9pm but note that reservations are required after 6pm.
A la carte dining is available between 6pm and 8.30pm. Night owls can also choose from a food and drinks night menu between 11pm and 5am. It’s not cheap though with toasties costing £14.95 and desserts £10.45. Room service is available for an additional £6.
The bar serves the usual array of soft and alcoholic drinks including wine, beer, gin and champagne. The prices were reasonable and cheaper than drinks in London pubs near tourist hotspots.
Finally, if you prefer something private and outdoors, you can pre-book a picnic hamper to take to your favourite spot on the grounds.
Activities
Guests can hire bikes on-site which come complete with helmets and locks so you can feel comfortable exploring the surrounding countryside. We thought bike hire was very cheap at £5 per hour or £25 for 6 hours.
You can also play croquet on the lawn for free, or, for an extra charge, you can have a go at archery, axe throwing and falconry. If you want to do one of the extra activities, we recommend booking in advance. Falconry costs £420 for 2 guests and lasts 90 minutes. Archery and axe throwing costs £98 for 1 guest but if there are four of you it will only cost £190 for 90 minutes.
If you really want to splurge, you can book a horse-drawn carriage ride through the village of Thornbury. You can choose between a fairytale-esque Cinderella carriage or a more traditional black carriage. Both carriages are open-air so are weather dependent. Rides cost £750 for 30-minutes.
Most visitors stay at Thornbury for the history so why not learn more about your surroundings by joining a tour with a local historian. The tours last 1.5 hours and include the interior and exterior of the castle. Tours run every day either at 11am or 2pm and cost £20pp.
If you prefer to do your own thing, you can walk the Thornbury Heritage Trail which passes the castle. It’s an easy circular trail of 2 ¼ miles and will take around two hours to complete (with stops). Most of the trail is on paved paths around the village though there is a stretch of rural unpaved footpath. All you need to do is follow the bronze plaque markers. Wall plaques along the way provide historical information.
Finally, if you really want to wow family and friends back home, why not dress up in a Tudor costume and take photos around the grounds? Costumes cost £40 per adult, £20 per child and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Activities nearby
Guests can also book activities close to the castle such as clay-pigeon shooting, horse riding or tennis.
You can also visit Old Down Country Park, a short 10-minute drive from Thornbury Castle. It’s a 66 acre park with adventure playgrounds, zip wires, woodland trails, animals and gardens. They also have a fabulous farm shop which is well worth visiting.
Spa
The hotel does not have a gym or a pool but it does offer spa treatments.
You could treat yourself to an Indian head massage, a back, neck and shoulder massage or a deep tissue massage. You can also enjoy reflexology and aromatherapy treatments.
Prices range from £68 – £120.
The Grounds
Make sure you allocate some time to explore the 15 acre-grounds of the hotel. You can visit the Privy Gardens, the Rose Garden (which boasts 200 stems) or browse tonight’s dinner ingredients in the Kitchen Garden.
In addition, you can see the castle graveyard, Goodley Gardens and croquet lawn.
My opinion of Thornbury Castle
I was excited to stay at Thornbury Castle and it didn’t disappoint. It was everything I had hoped it would be and more. The rooms, the gardens, the food – everything was high quality and felt special.
We enjoyed a short stay but there is plenty to do for those on an extended break.
Our stay was made all the more special by the friendly and attentive staff; they are a credit to the hotel. For example, we were shown to our room by Kayla who spent time telling us about the historical features of our room and the history of the castle.
Thornbury Castle is, without doubt, a one-of-a-kind hotel. If you want to feel like royalty on your trip to the UK, we recommend booking a room at Thornbury Castle.
