Lime Wood

Rooms

Rooms are spread between the Main House and garden lodges: the Coach House (an Italian loggia-style building), the Crescent (a Franco, Scottish-New England influenced style) and the Pavilion (enchanting Charles Morris design).

Some come with four-posters, some with roll-top baths, some with wood-burning stoves. The important thing is that all are superbly comfortable; there are simply no duffs. Stay in the Main House if you want less of a stagger after dinner, but stay in one of the lodges to get closer to the forest.

We were delighted to stay in a Forest Suite, which had just been decorated by Susie Atkinson, with no expense spared. We loved it all. The charming sitting room with an open fireplace and comfy chairs was brimming with quirky detail: coffee-table books including 'The Joy of Less' and 'The Swedish Art of Balanced Living'; a jaunty modern painting of a dog; a spotty lamp, and a rainbow-coloured bound collection of Jane Austen novels. Our bed was sublimely comfortable (you can throw open the door into a private garden to see the forest and hear birdsong), and the gorgeous limestone bathroom couldn't have been nicer, with a vast walk-in shower and deep roll-top tub. As for the minibar... full-size bottles of top-class spirits, cut-glasswear, vintage teacups, even fresh ice. We were seriously impressed.

But wherever you stay you can expect great beds, big bathrooms with walk-in rain showers and Bamford toiletries, and a quality feel that comes from finely tuned attention to detail and deep pockets. There are not one but 2 nightly turndown services: the first turning on lamps and leaving a divine Bamford pillow spray; the second popping a heated spacemask.com on your pillow, along with a Shavasana essential oil blend for your pulse points. Utterly spoiling!

More rustic in style are the Forest Cottages, Cabin and Lake Cabin. These all have living areas including kitchens, so they're perfect for a family or longer stay. We saw the secluded Lake Cabin and it's hard to imagine a more romantic bolthole for a special occasion. It has a stunning pink and grey mosaicked floor, a beautiful green velvet Chesterfield, and the most romantic terrace overlooking the lake, complete with an alfresco bathtub and wood-burning stove.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Hairdryer
• In-room treatments available
• Minibar
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

Lime Wood's food formula encompasses everything from super-cool to super-healthy, boosted by seasonal fare from their herb garden, smoke house and spoils foraged from the forest. The restaurant, Hartnett Holder & Co, is a joint venture between Lime Wood’s Luke Holder and high-profile chef Angela Hartnett. Their menu is Anglo-Italian; the decor an eclectic mix of bright leather cocktail chairs, chandeliers and fine art.

We loved our amuse bouche of arancini balls with rosemary, along with homemade sourdough. A porcini tart for starters had perfect pastry and incredible mushrooms, but its gremolata was sadly overshadowed by far too much parmesan. A red-mullet main with crab on toast was divine, though rather too tall atop its mountain of rather bland beans. Best of all was a fig and hazelnut tart for dessert, accompanied by an incredible fig leaf ice cream. (A much better choice than the 'ginger custard', whose oat crumble was so gingery I couldn't eat it). Needless to say we adored the bergamot truffles and cognac sticks that accompanied our fresh-mint tea. We tried their own-brand new wines too, which were jolly good.

Breakfast is a picturesque buffet in the delightful Scullery, the long table groaning with poached pears, New Forest yoghurt, plump fresh strawberries and parma hams. There are oranges for squeezing; tiny quails eggs for poaching. Be sure to order something cooked, too - we were tempted by the French Toast with blueberries, but as always went for poached eggs with avocados, chillies and lime on sourdough.

For healthy options, try the Herb House spa's Raw & Cured. Our imaginative fresh rhubarb, plum and ginger juice completely hit the spot.

Features include:

• Bar
• Kids' meals
• Organic produce
• Restaurant
• Room service

Activities

• Inspired by forest surroundings, you could spend days immersed in The Herb House spa's 10 treatment rooms, mud house, hot pool, indoor pool, outdoor pool, Caldarium and steam room, and rooftop sun deck and meditation area, as well as partaking in yoga, pilates, meditation, forest bathing or personal training sessions. As for treatments, you name it, they've got it. Divine
  
• Book a cookery course at the outstanding kitted-out cookery school: Hartnett Holder &Co Backstage. They offer a wide variety of relaxed, hands-on courses including 'Beginners Bread', 'Charcuterie' and 'Feel Good Food'. Max class size is 10; full- and half-day courses available (book in advance)
  
• Borrow a pair of Hunters and walk out into the New Forest; borrow bicycles for a bike ride or ask the concierge to arrange a horseback trek
  
• Make use of your in-room foraging book or spend time with Lime Wood's own forager who can tell you how to harvest hedgerows for wild salads, and find vegetables, fruits, berries and nuts through all seasons
  
• Luxuriate in the sublime surroundings. Let everyone else run around whilst you relax and read in the drawing room, play games in their snuggery or have a snooker competition
  
• Visit pretty seaside Lymington (25 minutes' drive), Highcliffe beach (16km) or quiet coastal Keyhaven, with sailing clubs overlooking the Solent
  
• Play a round at the New Forest Golf Club (5 minutes' drive) or Brockenhurst (15 minutes' drive)

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cycling
• Foraging
• Golf
• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Horse riding
• Plantlife / flora
• Pool table
• Sailing
• Shopping / markets
• Swimming

Kids

Lime Wood is chic but not too chic for kids. It actively welcomes them (the rainbow of Hunter wellies in the hallway also includes children's sizes). But it has a distinctly smart if homely feel, so you feel best behaviour when mixing with other guests is expected.

The in-room 'pantry' drawers have treats aimed at children, though we couldn't resist the Sherbet Fountains ourselves!

Best for:

Babies (0-1 years), Toddlers (1-4 years), Children (4-12 years)

Family friendly accommodation:

All Generous rooms and above can hold an extra bed or baby cot. We'd particularly recommend the 2-storey Forest Lodges (each with a second twin bedroom or single bedroom) and the Forest Cottages and Cabin, all of which have a double bedroom plus a set of twin or bunk-beds, as well as simple kitchenettes. Most also have their own entrance, making them hassle-free

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

Distances:

• Medical facilities: 10-minute drive

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Lime Wood is in the middle of the New Forest in Hampshire, south England, just outside the town of Lyndhurst.

By Air
Southampton (22km) and Bournemouth (28km) the closest, though Bristol and London airports are also with a few hours' drive. The hotel offers transfers. Alternatively, you can arrive by helicopter, straight into the hotel grounds by prior arrangement; please enquire when booking.

By Car
It's a 90-minute drive from London and 2 hours from Bristol, there hotel offers a valet service and free on-site parking. If you want to hire a car, see our car rental recommendations.

By Train
Ashurst station is a 10-minute taxi ride away. Trains take 1 hour 40 minutes from London. See National Rail for links throughout the UK.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

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