Nestled in nature, with giant tree canopies for protection, from the moment you turn off down the winding drive, the Lime Wood offers a refuge of peace, calm and tranquility.
The location
The hotel itself overlooks pretty manicured grounds and out into the surrounding woodland. If you want to stay close, you can borrow some wellies and one of the hotel’s complimentary bicycles and take in the nearby scenery with a trudge through the woods or past the lake.
If you want to head to one of the local villages, you can get to the pretty chocolate box village of Lyndhurst in 6 minutes by car, with its traditional pubs and the nearby Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary, where you can head for a walk through the nature reserve where deer roam freely. A fifteen minute drive in the opposite direction will take you to Brockenhurst, home to The Pig (where you can stop for lunch or dinner). Likewise, you can also reach Beaulieu within a quarter of an hour. Named the fifth most beautiful village in the UK and Ireland, its pretty lanes and serene landscapes welcome tourists and bird watchers. You can stop for afternoon tea, explore the ancient Palace House and grounds or visit the National Motor Museum.
For ocean lovers, a drive due south will get you to Highcliffe Castle and its golden sandy beach below in 30 minutes, or nearby Mudeford for crabbing. Bournemouth beach is a 40 minute drive, or nature lovers can head south-east to the Keyhaven Marshes Nature Reserve. For the breathtaking Jurassic coastline head south-west for an hour and a half toward picturesque Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door.
The room
We stayed in one of the hotels’ Forest Suites in the main house, overlooking the pretty pond, garden and pavilion. Complete with a sitting room, where classical music played out of a Roberts radio, a fully stocked pantry with a choice of teas, a luxurious marble bathroom with a separate power shower and stunning traditional interior touches blended with modern comforts, it was the perfect refuge to take in the views and unwind. I’d notified the hotel that I was pregnant and they even left a pregnancy pillow on the bed to ensure I was as comfortable as possible.