Travel: Bovey Castle, Devon

F you’re looking for a place in which to celebrate a significant occasion, you’ll not find many more special than Bovey Castle in Devon. “Where else can you wear your Hunter wellies at 8am, golf spikes at 3pm and Manolo Blahniks for dinner?” its website asks. It’s a fair question. Set amid 400 acres of dramatic Dartmoor National Park countryside, this is arguably England’s finest luxury hotel and country estate. No expense was spared when Viscount Hambleden built his magnificent lodge in 1907, but thanks to a multi-million-pound investment in spa, swimming pool and accommodation by its present owners, today’s guests can experience a level of relaxed opulence that compares favourably with that enjoyed by the huntin’ and fishin’ chums of the WH Smith heir. n

Wining and dining? Great food and wine are part and parcel of Bovey Castle and new executive chef Roger Olsson creates truly exquisite culinary sensations. In the art deco-style Edwardian Grill we chose from a fantastic selection of freshly baked breads, and dined on dressed crab from nearby Brixham (£12.50), terrine of chicken and foie gras (£10.50), a sublime signature dish of whole roast lobster with béarnaise sauce (£33.50) and a heavenly pan fried wild sea bass (£23). A three-course ‘chef’s selection’ menu represents value for money at £35, while on the well-chosen wine list it is possible to find a bottle for under £30, but you have to look pretty closely. A couple of pre-prandial champagne cocktails in front of a roaring fire in the sumptuous Oak Bar had already set us back the best part of £25.

Breakfast is also served in the Edwardian Grill and I doubt my Arnold Bennett (£16.95) will be bettered if I live to be 100.

Less formal food and drink is available from morning till night at the Castle Bistro.

Room service? The spacious bath and shower room had enough soft white towels and Elemis toiletries to last us a month, while the vast bedroom commanded glorious views of the tranquil Dartmoor Valley, Bovey Castle’s 18-hole championship-standard Old Course, and the courtyard where falconer Martin Whitley puts on a spectacular avian show every morning.

Worth getting out of bed for? As well as the myriad holistic spa treatments (the missus is most pleased with the state of her tootsies after her £70 pedicure, as well she might be), swimming pool, golf course and stunning scenery, activities include fly fishing, archery, rifle shooting, tennis, canoeing, survival skills, ferret racing, raft building and everything else in between. We opted for a hands-on course in making cider and sloe gin (£20), which entails a hazy and hilarious 90 minutes of booze-related shenanigans in the secluded Long Barn.

Budget or boutique? Five-star service and style don’t come cheap, but it’s worth every penny. Offers include a two-night break inclusive of dinner from £285 per person.

Little extras? Chocolates, fizz and nuts in the room to stave off any improbable hunger pangs. Then there’s the iPod docking station in the rooms and beds turned back and drapes drawn in the evening.

Guestbook comments? The professionalism and genuine enthusiasm of all the staff is really what makes the whole Bovey Castle experience so memorable. Nothing is too much trouble for the dedicated team.

Bovey Castle, North Bovey, Dartmoor National Park, Devon, England (0844 474 0077, www.boveycastle.com)

ANDREW HOYLE

Budget airline FlyBe flies daily direct from Edinburgh to Exeter, which is 30 minutes from Bovey Castle, with car hire deals available from Avis. Alternatively you can land your helicopter in the grounds.