What’s the hotel like? Think Mansfield Park with mod
cons and you’ll be on the right track. Then carry on thinking Mansfield
Park, because Lainston House, a gorgeous 17th-century red-brick mansion in
63 acres of parkland, is in the heart of Jane Austen country. Fortunately,
the connection ends there, so there’s no corny Darcy Drawing Rooms or
Bingley Bars. In fact, the handsome Cedar Bar got its very sensible name
when it was panelled from head-to-toe with the wood of one huge tree that
fell in 1930.
All 50 rooms are individually decorated, but what they do have in common is
sumptuous bathrooms. For full-on wallowing, go for Olive, with its
free-standing Victorian bath and enormous double walk-in shower. For
escapism, pick Greenwell, an apartment-sized room up in the lofty beams; or
the external Garden Suite, with a spa bath. For views, choose Delft,
overlooking the house’s mile-long avenue of lime trees.
If you can’t make it out of your bath for the generous full English before
10am, breakfast can be served in your room at any time. Anyone who’s eaten
in the hotel’s excellent restaurant the night before will probably welcome a
few hours’ extra digestion time.
If you want to do more than sleep off your meal, take a walk around the
grounds (there are the ruins of a 12th-century chapel as well as all the
greenery); or to the village of Sparsholt. Or have a game of boules, shoot
some clay pigeons or borrow the mountain bikes.
It’s still February. We wouldn’t want to cycle too far in the cold... Although
Lainston House is suitably countrified, Winchester town centre is an easy 2½
miles away — park up and go for some indoor sightseeing. Start with the
splendid cathedral, founded in 1079. King Canute’s bones, Jane Austen’s
grave, and the Anthony Gormley sculpture in the crypt cover the centuries
nicely. Pay an extra £1 and you can climb up to the Norman Triforium gallery
and see the 12th-century illuminated Winchester Bible and a medieval French
translation of the Koran. Round the corner is Jane Austen’s house (though as
the friendly sign at the window says, it’s PRIVATE and you CAN’T come in).
Stroll up the hill to see Arthur’s Round Table hanging, dartboard-like, in
the medieval Great Hall (admission free). Then stroll back for one of
Winchester’s best pub lunches at the Wykeham Arms (75 Kingsgate Street;
01962 853834).
And further afield? Plenty more, including Georgian
Alresford, where the Watercress Line steam railway begins (01962 733810;
£9); and Chawton, with another former home of Jane Austen that actually
welcomes visitors (01420 83262; £4). The New Forest, about 20 minutes away,
has walking and pony-spotting potential galore.
Who should go? Bathing belles.
Who shouldn’t? Hydrophobics.
- Lainston House Hotel 01962 863588, www.exclusivehotels.co.uk.
Doubles start at £155, room-only (£130 extra for a junior suite).
Weekend breaks from £220pp for two nights’ B&B, with
dinners
