We visited the Abbey for a one night stay after my husband ate in the restaurant last year and fell in love with it's charm, (and that of the hosts!) From the moment we walked through the enormous front door we were transported to a historical wonderworld. Katie could not have been a more hospitable host and really welcomed us like visiting friends rather than hotel guests.
The room was enormous, traditionally decorated with a huge comfortable bed and top notch linen, and a huge window overlooking the gardens and pool.
Pre dinner drinks on the terrace were a treat and a lovely place to enjoy the fading sun and stunning view, but walking into the cloisters for dinner was the real show stopper! Beautifully laid tables, all white linen and country flowers, and a huge white canvas awning made for the most romantic dining space I've ever had the pleasure to eat in.
The set menu was all beautifully executed and my seafood allergy was thoughtfully avoided by an alternative (a delicious pea soup).
The atmosphere was like a grown up house party and soon the dinner guests were chatting to eachother and comparing tasting notes (or maybe that was just our end of the courtyard!)
We were lucky enough to have a chat with the chef, Tom, who happily shared his lavender creme brulee recipe and our waitress Collen was a total sweetheart (and a mean cyclist by all accounts!) Archie, who kindly stayed up late to serve us after dinner drinks deserves a special thank you too.
We completely fell in love with The Abbey and will be back to sample it's abundant charm soon.