Hotel Review
Nestled in the heart of the picturesque Surrey Hills countryside, Wotton House Hotel is a historic 17th century country house hotel set within 13 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens. The hotel was originally the centre of the Wotton Estate and the birthplace of the diarist and landscape gardener John Evelyn, who constructed the first Italian garden in England there.
Location:
Wotton House is situated just off the A25 between Guildford and Dorking and is 35 miles from central London. The hotel is easily accessible being 10 minutes from Junction 9 of the M25 motorway and for guests arriving by train there are frequent services from London Waterloo to Dorking taking 50 minutes. The hotel is then a quick 15 minute taxi ride from the station.
Arrival and check-in:
The hotel is approached by a long, tree lined driveway that set the scene as we approached the characterful building with its octagonal turrets. There’s a turning space by the main entrance where guests can stop briefly to drop off luggage but as we were travelling reasonably lightly we went straight to the car park which has ample free parking for hotel guests.
On entering the hotel’s lobby we were greeted by Annalise who warmly welcomed us to the hotel, enquiring if we had travelled far and visited previously. Check-in was very speedy and after having our dinner reservation confirmed and information given about the Leisure Club opening hours and access, we were soon on our way to find our room.
We had been booked into Rose, one of the hotel’s premium rooms on the first floor of the old Manor House. Please note that although there is lift access to the newer parts of the hotel, it’s necessary to use the staircase to reach the more historic parts. We managed with our small suitcases without problem but the reception team are more than willing to assist with luggage if needed.
The Room:
We fell in love with Rose the second we opened the door, with its high ceilings and huge windows overlooking the manicured gardens it was absolutely beautiful and more than lived up to its pretty name. I liked the welcome touch of a personalised card, complimentary handmade chocolates and jar of locally produced honey made from the estate’s bees.
I’m not sure I’d come across such a huge bed before which was even larger than a super King. It came dressed in the finest Egyptian cotton linen and was extremely comfortable. The room also boasted a cupboard with a fully stocked hospitality tray, fridge with complimentary still and sparkling water, a safe, iron and board.
The room was furnished in muted shades of grey and green enlivened with matching tartan curtains and seat covers. An ancient map of the surrounding area was positioned above the bed giving a nod to the heritage of the building and I adored the old travel trunk propped on top of the wardrobe.
Moving into the stylish bathroom, this was traditionally styled in keeping with the building comprising a bath with shower over, luxurious Antipodes toiletries, bathrobes and slippers.
The hotel has 127 guest rooms and suites all tastefully furnished with light wood furniture. Suites and premium rooms are all attractively named after flowers such as wisteria, petunia, magnolia and poppy. These all have an ancient framed key outside the door which was lovely to see but I’m glad we now have key cards as the old keys would have been very heavy to carry around.
Dining:
Dinner: The hotel’s 1877 restaurant is named after the year that Wotton House was extensively renovated and enlarged following a large fire. The restaurant offers a stylish and elegant dining experience with a mix of seating options. We were shown to one of the tables in the centre of the restaurant that surrounds a large olive tree and settled ourselves down on the comfortable chairs.
Service was friendly and attentive and we were attended to by Jose who was charming and told us that he had worked at the hotel for a number of years. Wine is reasonably priced and over glasses of our chosen red we studied the menu which emphasises the use of locally sourced ingredients. I opted for a starter of seared tuna whilst across the table my son opted for confit of duck. These were both beautifully presented and decorated with edible flowers. Moving on to mains we chose the duo of spring lamb and seared Surrey beef with truffle and caper butter, both cooked to perfection and tasting very flavoursome.
After a little rest desserts followed with chocolate tiramisu made with 70% Guiana dark chocolate and a trio of custard doughnuts which I couldn’t resist trying as its not something that I’d seen before on an a la carte menu. The doughnuts were dainty and a fun sweet treat to conclude my meal.
Breakfast is also served in the 1877 restaurant and is offered buffet style with a wide range of fresh fruit, cheese, yoghurts, cereals, juices, smoothies and hot drinks. Hot food was also available and although the food was self-service my fried eggs had soft, runny centres just as I like them. These were accompanied by home made sausages, honey cured bacon, tomatoes and delicious baby mushrooms cooked with rosemary.
Afternoon Tea: This can either be taken in the hotel’s bar or restaurant and on the Sunday afternoon of our visit we were invited back into the restaurant where tables had been laid with starched white linen and mismatched delicate china cups and saucers, all designed to create a sense of occasion. Unlimited tea and coffee is on offer so we both started with pots of Earl Grey alongside our glasses of Prosecco which are available as an optional extra. I always love an afternoon tea and the one at Wotton House was up with the best. When our three tier cake stand arrived it was filled with dainty sandwiches, warm chorizo and comte cheese sausage rolls and miniature smoked salmon vol-au-vents.
We then moved up a tier to enjoy the delicious freshly baked scones served with clotted cream and strawberry jam. After ordering another pot of tea we made a start on the exquisite sweet treats on the top tier comprising tiramisu tartlets, Black Forest choux buns and caramel and apple mousse. Neither of us could clear them all so we requested a box to take the remainder home to enjoy later that evening.
The Facilities:
Wotton House Hotel offers a wide variety of high quality facilities starting with the delightful 1877 cocktail bar lounge which leads out onto a large terrace overlooking the Italian gardens. The bar is also open to non-residents with a daily casual dining menu available.
Enjoy a walk around the estate and Italian gardens and soak up the views from the top of the hillside above one of the exquisite Roman temples. The Grade 2 Italian gardens are home to two Roman temples and numerous original mosaics.
For those who haven’t come prepared with the right footwear for a walk there’s no need to despair as guests can grab a pair of Hunter wellies from the porch if needed. Opposite the boot shelves is a cute basket filled with sticks that have been gathered to keep our furry four legged friends amused.
Flowing through the estate is the River Tillingbourne which had its own mill at one time. Whilst on our walk we spotted several ducks and a family of swans. Tennis racquets can be collected from the Leisure Club whilst garden games including Hoop La are spread out across the lawns for the enjoyment of the entire family.
The Leisure Club is located at one end of the hotel and includes a fully equipped gym, sauna, jacuzzi, steam room and large heated indoor pool.
Weddings: It’s hard to think of a more romantic setting for a wedding with the grand vaulted ceilings, marble pillars and original fireplaces of the Old Library, which lends itself beautifully to an indoor ceremony. The stunning Italian Gardens are also a delightful setting for outdoor ceremonies and with only ever one wedding taking place on any one day the venue can be moved to indoors if the weather isn’t at its best. Wedding celebrations can then continue in the light and airy Evelyn Suite. Wotton House has been awarded the best country venue at the UK wedding awards and its easy to see why with the stunning facilities on offer.
Alongside weddings, meetings, events and family parties can all be catered for in a range of rooms of varying sizes. As our stay was over a Saturday night a wedding was taking place during our visit and as the building is very large this had no detrimental effect on other guests at the hotel and if it wasn’t for the white tablecloths and flowers set out on the far end of the terrace we wouldn’t have been aware that a ceremony was taking place.
Out and About:
Below are my suggestions of things to see and do in the surrounding Surrey Hills.
Dorking
I recommend spending a couple of hours in the historic market town of Dorking. Browse the shops on the high street, pop into one of the cosy cafes for a coffee and learn about the town’s history in Dorking Museum which is free to visit.
This small museum is arranged in chronological order documenting the major events that have occurred in the town over the years. There’s even mention of the nearby Wotton Hall Estate. It was fascinating to learn that the Evelyn family acquired the moated manor house in 1579 and also the gunpowder mills on the Tillingbourne at Wotton and Abinger. John Evelyn’s father, Richard employed a hundred servants, dressed in green satin doublets with feather-trimmed and braided hats demonstrating their prosperity as they made their fortune from gunpowder milling.
Denbies Wine Estate
Located just a 15 minute drive from the hotel is Denbies Wine Estate which is one of England’s largest single estate vineyards. The estate, independently owned and run, comprises of 380 acres with a production capacity of up to a million bottles. The first vines were planted on the estate in 1986 when winegrowing in England was a rarity.
I recommend taking both the indoor and outdoor experiences. Information boards provide a fascinating insight into the workings of the vineyard and English wine production. We then learnt about the geology and history of the estate whilst sipping a glass of sparkling wine, then found out more about the wine making process from vine to bottle. Conclude the tour in the atmospheric cellars whilst sampling a selection of Denbies award winning wines.
Following on from the indoor tour we then booked onto the 50 minute vineyard tour which guided us around the estate at a leisurely pace pausing at some of the most beautiful spots of the vineyard and the North Downs, taking in the views and enjoying a glass of sparkling cuvee. Denbies Wine Estate
RHS Wisley
Slightly further afield one can visit RHS Garden Wisley. This flagship garden of the RHS is home to some of the largest plant collections anywhere in the world.
Planting schemes are continuously evolving, and although most of the spring bulbs had finished flowering and the beautiful wisteria walkway and azaleas were yet to bloom there was much to enjoy.
We explored RHS Hilltop which is the home of Gardening Science and where a Spring flower competition was taking place. Other highlights of the garden include the Rock Garden, Bowes-Lyon Rose Garden, Mixed Borders, Tropical glasshouses and the Exotic Garden. RHS Garden Wisley
Shere – a short distance from Wotton House lies the picturesque village of Shere. With its characterful buildings, narrow winding streets, small shops, quaint pubs and cosy little tearooms the village resembles the lid of a chocolate box. The timber framed houses with their thatched roofs date from between 1569 and 1620.
A prominent feature of the village is the Old Fire Station overlooking the village stream which was built in 1885 and today serves as public conveniences. You may recognise the village as Shere was one of the filming locations for the well known films The Holiday and Bridget Jones Diary.
The Silent Pool – another local beauty spot on the edge of the village of Albury located midway between Guildford and Dorking. From the car park, a footpath leads to the Sherborne Pond and continues on slightly further to the spring fed Silent Pool which is surrounded by trees. Legend has it that the pool is haunted as it has a long history of mysterious happenings. Whilst there, pop into the Silent Pool Distillery to browse its shop and to perhaps join one of their distillery tours.
Overall:
Our stay at Wotton House was an absolute delight from arrival to departure. The grandeur of the building has a very relaxing effect and it was a joy to spend time there away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Our guest room was beautiful, food delicious and with all the members of staff we came into contact with being well trained and polite its the perfect location for either a romantic weekend, family gathering, celebration, or merely as a base for exploring the scenic Surrey countryside.
Details: Wotton House Country Estate Hotel, Guildford Road, Dorking, Surrey, RH5 6HS.
We were guests of Wotton House and as always all views and opinions are entirely my own.
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