Traditional with a modern touch, this is a really comfortable B&B in the historic Dorset town of Sherborne
If you've ever fancied yourself as an 18th-century gentleman (or gentlewoman for that matter) then The Eastbury might just be the place for you. Situated in genteel Sherborne, the ancient capital of Dorset, it's about as homely a luxury boutique B&B as you'll find: a beautiful Georgian house with a spectacular garden, and most importantly, 26 guest rooms that couldn't be more comfortable. Not only that: the forward-thinking owners added a spa in 2019, equipped with a sauna, steam room, hydrotherapy pool, gym and an outdoor hot tub and lots of treatments, deep in the heart of the surrounding woodlands. Really, coming down to Sherborne for the weekend couldn't be more enticing.
The Eastbury's rooms range from cosy doubles with wooden beams to larger luxury doubles and five suites fashioned out of the garden's 'Potting Shed' –with moss and sedum roofs, en-suite wet rooms and private terraces, these are spacious and contemporary and also dog-friendly. Each bedroom is individually decorated, and is traditional without being fussy or old-fashioned – think big comfy sleigh beds, pastel shades, antique dressers and Lloyd Loom armchairs; all rooms come with Egyptian cotton sheets, robes and slippers, flatscreen Freeview TVS, tea- and coffee-making facilities and biscuits; a few have four-posters, and some have free-standing baths in the rooms, while they all have en-suite bathrooms equipped with White Company toiletries. Most importantly, all the rooms are comfy and spacious. There's even a 17th-century self-catering cottage adjacent to the B&B, should you need a bit more room. With three luxurious en-suite bedrooms, there's also a lounge with a wood burner and a private garden with a wood-fired hot tub.
Like all good country B&Bs, The Eastbury has plenty of public spaces in which it's impossible not to relax – a couple of lounges, a library and billiard room, not to mention the glorious walled garden outside. And they offer a delicious afternoon tea, too. There's a contemporary yet extremely domestic feel to the property, where nothing is too much trouble, but you're also left to your own devices to do, well... nothing in particular.
Sherborne is a lovely place to stay, an ancient market town known mostly for its posh school but with lots of other things to see, including its originally Saxon abbey, two castles (one ruined, one not) and a thoroughly delightful, incredibly well preserved old centre full of winding streets with shops to browse and pubs to linger in – the sort of place that gets used regularly as a film set (you may recognise it from the most recent film version of 'Far from the Madding Crowd'). You're also uniquely well placed for seeing not only the delights of Dorset to the south but some of the best of Somerset to the north. Really, though, the B&B is so comfy, and Sherborne is such an alluring yet undemanding town, you might want to just stay put. We would!
Read More