Cliveden has no match in Britain, a country house of epic proportions that dates to 1605. It has been home to earls, dukes and one Prince of Wales, but it’s best known for the Profumo affair, which almost sank a government; its famous pool and beautiful new spa are at your disposal. It sits in 376 acres of National Trust land with sublime gardens, marble fountains, sculptures by the dozen. You’ll think you’ve arrived at Versailles and not without reason – the Astors bought Madame de Pompadour’s drawing room and had it installed here! The Great Hall, a panelled masterpiece with vast portraits on its walls, is a fine spot for cocktails before dinner. Elsewhere, Corinthian columns, muralled ceilings and a dining room for ambrosial food, perhaps Orkney scallops, Anjou squab pigeon, rice pudding soufflé with Balvenie ice cream; there’s a bistro in the old stables, too. Bedrooms, some in the main house, others in the wings, have huge beds, period art, white marble bathrooms. Some have hot tubs on private terraces, stately suites are vast, the riverside cottage is divine. Windsor is close.
