Hyll: Can The Cotswolds’ Newest Hotel Really Help Us Slow Down?
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28 minutes ago
This country house newbie is all about the joy of being idle
If there’s one part of the British countryside that’s oversaturated when it comes to hotels, it’s the Cotswolds. Cosy boutiques, grand manor houses, foodie pubs-with-rooms: its honey-hued towns are certainly not short of top places to stay. Yet the latest opening, Hyll in Charingworth, promises to bring something new and unique, framing itself as the ultimate slow living escape. But does it deliver? C&TH’s Ellie Smith checked in to find out.
Inside Hyll, North Cotswolds
Describing a hotel as relaxing is hardly groundbreaking stuff. But Hyll, the North Cotswolds’ newest opening, has made relaxation its USP – and somehow, it works. The first property in new brand Madfabulous Hotels, it’s the brainchild of Paul Baker and Sarah Ramsbottom, a friendly Mancunian couple with a background in hospitality.
Everything about this property is designed to make you slow down, something which feels increasingly difficult in a world where busyness is so often equated with success. This is particularly the case for those who, like me, live in London, a city notorious for its fast pace (according to a survey from the British Council, Londoners walk faster than anyone else in the country).
‘We wanted to extend the appeal of the Cotswolds with a warm, Northern, “make yourself at home” attitude,’ says Baker. ‘Ideally guests will kick off their shoes, put their feet up and be unafraid to nod off in a comfy chair by the fire.’
STAY
Of course, city dwellers have long been escaping to rural locations to get away from it all. But Hyll kicks things up a notch by carefully crafting itself as a place to, quite literally, Do Nothing. Upon arriving in my bedroom, I’m greeted with a little book titled just that. ‘This book is not a guide,’ it reads. ‘It’s an invitation. To stop chasing. To slow down. To remember how to be idle, thoughtful and gloriously unproductive.’
The pages that follow delve into topics related to slow living, charting the history of our national obsession with productivity, exploring the concept of time and noting the differences between aimlessness and boredom.
I’m feeling inspired. I vow to forget about the to-do list of life admin I wrote up on the train to Moreton-in-Marsh (an hour and a half from London Paddington, then a 15-minute taxi to the hotel), and instead meander downstairs to curl up on one of the many sofas.
The hotel is housed in a lovingly restored 17th century manor house formerly known as Charingworth Manor, set amid 60 acres of meadow and woodland atop of – you guessed it – a hill. With just 26 bedrooms, spread across the main house and a courtyard area, it has a distinctly homely, boutique feel. There are three living room areas decked out with fireplaces, newspapers, magazines and board games, as well as a collection of books curated by local Stow-on-the-World store Borzoi Books.
A quick tour of the space tells me the guests are all fully embracing the concept. In one room, three women are playing cards and chatting over a bottle of red; in another a couple are listening to music from the vinyl player while tucking into some 4pm Eggs Benedict (‘There’s the time on the clock. And then there’s the time in your bones’). My husband and I dived in headfirst with a dreamy afternoon that consisted of reading, Scrabble and a – very leisurely – walk around the grounds, donning wellies from the hotel’s boot room.
The interiors complement the vibe. Rather than going for the well-trodden Cotswold farmhouse aesthetic, Manchester-based design studio Youth opted for a Scandi-esque, stripped-back look, with an earthy, neutral colour palette. Hyll feels less polished and chocolate-box-perfect than many of its neighbouring hotels, but this is no bad thing – it sets it apart, and in some ways adds to the cosiness and sense of familiarity.
Rooms are spread across the manor house and the courtyard, all with different quirks but sporting the same minimalist feel, and all boasting ultra-comfy Naturalmat beds, Verden products, slow pour kettles, dressing gowns and slippers. We stayed in a Manor House Room, which felt spacious with its own living area and a white marble bathroom complete with a deep bath overlooking the rolling greenery outside.
EAT
Food is a highlight at Hyll. Head chef Mark Coleman and his team cook up a hearty, seasonal menu that spotlights Gloucestershire’s great produce: vegetables hail from the Drinkwater’s farm next door, and meat from the Salt Pig in Kingham. Dinner included juicy scallops topped with hazelnut butter, served on a bed of peas and watercress sauce, and Briar Hill lamb, paired with cannellini beans and charred broccoli – plus some dangerously moreish crispy crushed potatoes, cooked with truffle and aioli. Be sure to save some space for the baklava tart dessert, made with Hyll’s own honey and served with blood orange sorbet.
On Sundays, there are roasts on offer – and look out for the monthly supper club series, which invites diners to gather round the table with a special guest, whether that’s an artist, painter or author.
Come morning time, stroll downstairs when you fancy it (well, until 10.30am on weekends) to enjoy a buffet of granola, chia pots and pastries, plus made-to-order dishes including buttermilk pancakes and a Full English with field mushrooms, dry-cured bacon and fried sourdough. Can’t drag yourself out of bed? No problem, you can also choose to have a breakfast hamper delivered to your room for the ultimate weekend treat.
DO
…nothing, remember? Grab a blanket and sit on the lawn with a cup of tea, soaking up the sprawling country views, play a game of solitaire, or stay in your room and meditate (shortly after arrival we received a link to a 15-minute online session via the Hyll WhatsApp). Sit in the bar and get stuck into some great conversation with your travelling partner over a cocktail (I can vouch for the picantes). Ask the team for an adult colouring book, a puzzle, or a kite to fly.
Saying that, if you do get antsy there’s plenty to do and see nearby. Explore the local towns of Chipping Campden and Moreton-in-Marsh, go for lunch at the nearby Nicholson’s Nurseries, browse the pretty gardens at Hidcote, or climb to the hilltop Broadway Tower. Then replenish back at the hotel with an in-room massage or facial.
THE FINAL WORD
Having opened its doors just a couple of weeks ago, it feels like Hyll is still finding its feet a little (the restaurant was understaffed, for instance). But it’s off to a very promising start. My stay was genuinely restorative, and I returned to London feeling noticeably more zen.
Living in London, it can be easy to get swept away in the go-go-go hustle culture, but coming here was an important reminder that quicker isn’t always better. There are endless benefits to living more slowly and mindfully, even if just for a weekend. As Do Nothing puts it: ‘Slowness is often where the good stuff hides. A slow morning. A long stare. A second cup of tea. These aren’t delays. They’re treasures. Little pockets of human pace in a world that’s forgotten how to stroll.’
