A few weekends ago my boyfriend and I had the pleasure of spending a romantic and relaxing weekend down in the New Forest, a beautiful part of the country and one that I regret not spending more time in during my days at university in Southampton. I had been determined to revisit the area for a long while and was very excited to get back into the countryside. Our weekend was great; we were graced with lovely warm weather (the hottest day of the year so far..) and spent plenty of time strolling through the forest and across the heath land, and of course enjoying an ice cream or two down on the coast. Whilst I’ll be telling you more about what we got up to on our weekend in another blog post I thought for now I’d share with you a review of our fantastic hotel, Burley Manor.
Staying at Burley Manor, New Forest
Getting There
Burley Manor is really easy to find, located just a ten minute drive from the M27/ A31 slip road. The hotel is signposted at various points along the way and it is quite simply a case of continuing ‘straight on’ until you arrive at Burley Manor.
If you chose to stay at Burley Manor you would most probably be arriving by car, as the village and the hotel are quite difficult to reach by public transport. The closest train station to Burley Village is New Milton, approximately a 15 minute taxi journey away.
Location
Burley Manor is located on the north western edge of the New Forest in the quaint village of Burley. Burley is your typical New Forest village; picturesque and peaceful, with free roaming cattle; traditional buildings and is surrounded by colourful heathlands. Should the mood take you, the village offers a few souvenir shops and a few pubs; Bicycle hire can be arranged, should you feel the need to exercise and explore by alternative means and a half-an-hour drive gets you to the south coast (Lymington, Christchurch ..)
On Arrival
Arriving at the hotel was quite a moment in itself. The historic grade II listed building (dating back to 1852) sits at the end of a long driveway and is surrounded on all sides by beautiful countryside, including a red deer sanctuary to its front.
Having parked up, we headed for the main entrance, eager to look around the hotel’s interior, check-in and collect the keys to our room for the night. It was immediately visible that the hotel is nicely maintained and kept in good shape.
Passing through the rather grand entrance, we emerged into the wood panelled reception area and were warmly welcomed by the lovely ladies staffing the desk. Once we were checked in, we were given a quick tour of the hotel’s various public areas which included the (formal) lounge to the left of the reception, the bar and its more relaxed seating area, as well as the restaurant, before being led to our room.
The Room : Garden Suite
We were soon in our room – number 36 – at the far end of the hotel’s outbuilding. What a fabulous room it was! Airy and spacious, yet still cosy, the room provided a very welcoming space in which to relax. Our room aptly named as a ‘Garden Suite’, looked out over the ‘garden’ and offered a small wooden terrace, kitted out with a table and chairs, for guests to sit out and enjoy the warm summer evenings. There was also a seasonal swimming pool – open from June to September.
The room’s design included a small hallway, a well-equipped bathroom and the main living/ bedroom space. The bedroom featured a king-sized bed with a gorgeous orange headboard (shame I couldn’t sneak it home with me in my suitcase), a dressing table, flat-screen TV, seating area and very generous tea and coffee making facilities plus two complimentary bottles of water and a little glass jar filled with freshly baked cookies compliments of the kitchen… I can assure you that the cookies did not last long at all!
I was impressed at the tasteful décor evident throughout the hotel – an obvious blend of old and new design. By combining bold colours and patterns, with antique and retro furnishings and accessories, for example an antique wardrobe in the hallway, large leather trunk at the foot of the bed and the retro phone and radio on the bedside tables, the hotel has a unique character, but one that really works!
The bathroom was, although not particularly large, equipped with everything you could need – wash basin, toilet, bath with shower addition, and luxury Temple Spa toiletries (which smelt amazing btw). It was also fitted with retro-chic bathroom tiles, which complimented the orange colour scheme, and most importantly, we were able to enjoy the luxurious addition of fluffy white robes and slippers.
The hotel also offered complimentary Wi-Fi throughout, which proved to be both fast and reliable.
Food
Dinner:
By describing itself as a ‘Restaurant with Rooms’ I had high expectations when it came to the food on offer. At the heart of hotel is the atmospheric restaurant, and one which despite its location within the English National Park, prides itself on its Mediterranean-style cuisine. Whilst the dishes cannot be described as local (I’m not complaining, I love food from the Med), the produce most definitely is; the food is locally sourced, the hotel being supplied by local farmers.
Our evening meal reservation was for 8pm and, in spite of the fact that I had devoured numerous cookies back in the room, I was definitely ready for our 3-course dinner. We arrived a little ahead of time but that seemed not to cause any problems and we were quickly shown to our table.
The menu on offer featured a variety of different dishes – from standard starters, to tapas and sharing dishes, as well as mains. As we waiting for our food to arrive we were left to enjoy some freshly baked bread with a selection of infused olive oils; chilli, rosemary and garlic, and lemon.
It was not long before our starters arrived. We both enjoyed the Bresaola with mozzarella bites and fresh tomatoes.
For mains I ordered the butternut squash tortellini. I must admit that I was slightly worried that the pasta dish would be in quite a rich sauce but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the sauce was actually very light and flavoursome.
Dom definitely won with the best choice of main course though – I mean, there’s nothing quite like roast duck! It was cooked to absolute perfection, blushing slightly in the centre and so succulent. Definitely 10/10 for that!
For dessert – I know, but we couldn’t resist! – Dom demolished a plate of honey ice-cream served alongside freshly baked madeleines, whilst I enjoyed a dish of roasted plums with a roasted praline ‘crunch’ and crème fraiche garnish.
The taste was a very fragrant dish – perhaps a little more wintery than expected due to all the lovely spices, but very nice all the same.
Breakfast:
As one would might expect, the breakfast buffet was an equally pleasant experience. We ended up sitting at the same table as the previous night as a Wedding Party were being served in the adjoining conservatory room. There was a generous buffet table packed out with cold meats, cheeses, fruits and pastries, and we were also provided with a menu listing a number of popular brunch items. There was something to satisfy everybody – from fruit and yoghurt, to French toast, and of course the tradition English ‘Burley Breakfast’.
When it comes to brunch, I tend to opt for the sweeter option, so ordered the French toast with berries, whilst Dom dived into the cooked breakfast; gammon steak, sausage, Portobello mushroom and scrambled eggs.
As importantly as the food there was also a good choice of drinks – hot and cold – including juices, mineral water and that all important morning fizz (for a surprisingly small additional fee!)
The Verdict
Perfect for: romantic country escape
Our short stay at Burley Manor was very relaxing and provided a great opportunity to unwind after a long week at work. Both the hotel and the New Forest provide a great weekend escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, providing not only top quality accommodation but also lovely countryside and peaceful surroundings. The staff’s attentiveness and friendly nature was particularly impressive and I absolutely loved the way that the hotel had been thoughtfully decorated, creating unique character in a period building. Finally the food was great – even if you aren’t staying at the hotel, but instead passing through the area, I would recommend booking yourself in to enjoy a meal – you will not be disappointed!
What did you think of my Burley Manor review? Have you recently enjoyed a stay there yourself, or would you consider it for an upcoming trip to the New Forest?
If you want to know anything else about the hotel or if you enjoyed this post, please leave me a comment in the box below and let me know!
Happy exploring,
Love, Victoria xx
*Disclosure: Many thanks to Polymedia PR for organising our trip and to the team at Burley Manor for putting us up during our time in the New Forest. We were guests of Burley Manor for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. All opinions are, as always, my own.
