Woolley Grange is a family home to its foundations. Built in 1665 for a clergyman and his crew, the higgledy-piggledy Jacobean manor was later inhabited by generations of the Baskervilles, the last of whom – dog-loving great-cousin Henry – was muse for Conan Doyle’s iconic (less child-friendly) The Hound of the Baskervilles. Its walls were further woven with bloodlines during World War II, when expectant mothers fled here from London – resulting in the “Woolley babies” who still trickle in to experience their first crib.
Luckily for them, since 1989 they’ve found it to be a Luxury Family Hotel – the original and oldest sibling in a handful of UK spots renowned for their ability to offer grown-up but fam-friendly stays: think baby monitors to enable weary parents to dine downstairs; a cinema room with popcorn delivery and a laissez-faire, eat-supper-where-you-can attitude. Always housed within an architecturally special, storied building (another, Fowey Hall, inspired The Wind in the Willows’ Toad Hall), the collection’s a family business – obviously – founded by former London accountant Nigel Chapman, who himself once lived here with his brood.
In late 2025, Woolley reopened following a ‘new but nostalgic’ update to all rooms and social spaces, steered by London-based StudioJill, from the Bears Den children’s club (hello, ‘two daily hours of childcare included’) to The Orangery, lending everything a modern-but-make-it-comfortable cool; woodburner-warmed prestige. The earthy Wiltshire countryside is drawn inside via tactile textiles and rustic shades, a playful spirit present through eye-catching artworks and furniture pieces (kids charge through the ‘overstuffed-sheep’ treasure hunt; spot the cockerel lamps).
Service is sweet and seen-it-all: tray-balancing breakfast staff breezily dodge spinning tots, while couples dine in peace in the Drawing Room; young male therapists switch smoothly from massage to facial requests in the soothing spa (with separate child-friendly and adult-only times). No one should miss the steamy new sunken hot tub – and stay in the sprawling Hayloft Suite in the original coach building if you can: listen out for owls-a-hootin’ for the full spooky-cosy Grange encounter.
Fast Facts:
Location: Woolley Grange, Wiltshire, UK
Rating: Premium four-star.
The vibe: Indulgence for the whole family.
Food + Drink: Seasonal and largely sourced from its own gardens, with something for any-size appetites, from a Full English to dippy eggs with soldiers; a ribeye to a killer house cocktail.
Amenities: three restaurants, spa with treatments, indoor (and upcoming outdoor) pool, outdoor hot tub, kids’ club and tween’n’teens games room, outdoor play areas, walled garden.
Our favourite thing about the hotel: How it balances true luxury and laidbackness, so everyone, from new parents to grandparents, couples and solo travellers, feels welcome.
What’s nearby? Bradford-on-Avon and, beyond, Bath.
Any personal neighbourhood reccs? Handmade Bradford-on-Avon gift shop and gallery offers eclectic works by a local collective under the impressive Vaults arch – and, of course, Bath is always worth marveling at.
Rooms? 25
Pricing: From about 266 USD
Closest International Airport: Bristol International Airport, 47km away.
Wiltshire, United Kingdom
