Best Castle Stays in South West England (2023)

Most famous former guest: King Edward VII. Pentillie Castle is a stunning Grade II listed Georgian manor house for rent in the heart of the Tamar Valley on the Cornwall & Devon borders. It has a history going back to the 17th century, is immaculately renovated inside, and comes with 55 acres of woodland and gardens. The location too is excellent, being just off the A38 and a short drive from Dartmoor National Park, Bodmin Moor, The Eden Project, various beaches and some of the West Country’s loveliest villages. THE ACCOMMODATION: There are eleven double bedrooms at Pentillie, nine of them en-suite and two of them with shared bathrooms. Most can be converted to twin rooms if requested. All are tastefully furnished, immaculately clean and comfortable, and have particularly opulent bathrooms. Most also offer soothing views out over the gardens or the river. You have a spacious, extremely well-equipped AGA kitchen at your disposal should you wish to cook or catering can be arranged for you with local chefs, as well as picnic hampers and/or ‘DIY dinners’, prepared in advance and refrigerated, that can then be simply heated at your convenience. There is a great amount of living space here READ MORE

The 5 Star Lympstone Manor Hotel in South Devon is a Georgian era manor house turned exclusive contemporary hotel that has realistic ambitions to become one of South West England’s very finest. It describes itself as a ”new generation’ country house hotel and it oozes style and class; the superb interior design blending old and new with great panache. The setting is tremendous too with gardens running all the way down to the Exe estuary and the Jurassic Coast, and to top it all it has a restaurant that achieved its first Michelin star within six months of opening. THE ACCOMMODATION: They have a range of individually styled, soundproofed rooms and suites all with hand crafted beds, temperature regulating duvets, plush fabrics and stylish furniture. Many come with balconies with estuary views and some of the suites have an outdoor hot tub on the private terrace. The bathrooms are particularly fantastic at Lympstone with enormous rainfall showers, romantic roll top baths and luxury L’Occitane toiletries. The hotel in general has an immaculate sense of style and there is much to learned here about interior design and attention to detail. Classic and contemporary art go hand in hand, warm, soothing colours READ MORE

The very grand, 5 Star Bovey Castle is a Dartmoor and South Devon institution. It  has served as a luxury hotel for nearly 90 years now and still has oodles of old fashioned British elegance and class. It has a gorgeous setting too, by the River Bovey and Dartmoor National Park, and a vast country estate surrounding it that includes one of England’s finest golf courses. ACCOMMODATION: They have 60 rooms at the castle, singles and doubles, and family rooms that can sleep up to four. Out on the estate grounds there are also a number three-bedroom, three bathroom, self catering lodges. All the rooms are spacious, comfortable and well appointed, with the style being modest, understated luxury. The colour schemes are demure and soothing, fabrics are soft and inviting, and everything has a whiff of early 20th century class, despite the large flat screen satellite TVs and Nespresso coffee makers. Little touches include thick bathrobes, slippers, luxury ESPA toiletries, complimentary bottled water and decanters of estate produced sloe gin. The estate lodges are a relatively new addition and therefore more modern in style, though not glaringly so. They are well equipped, spacious and will probably suit families whose children READ MORE

Most Famous Guests: King Henry VIII & Anne Boleyn. Thornbury Castle Hotel is a true luxury B&B retreat at the edge of the South Gloucestershire Cotswolds, and one of the finest examples in England of a genuine, immaculately preserved, Tudor castle. You can soak up history with a stroll through the castle itself and its beautifully tended grounds which include, surprisingly enough, a 500 year old vineyard, or treat yourself to a massage in the privacy of your own bedchamber and also enjoy some of the Cotswold’s very best food at the castle restaurant. THE ACCOMMODATION: The castle has 27 rooms in total ranging from classic baronial style bedchambers to some quite lovely superior and deluxe rooms and suites, as well as a cute two bedroom annex cottage in the castle yard. Check your options on the booking page here. Most of the beds are four poster or coronet in style and you’ll find period features throughout, including, in some rooms, an old style fireplace. Their bathrooms are suitably luxurious too and all in all no modern comforts are spared. FACILITIES & THINGS TO DO:   The castle has plenty of common areas; opulent old style sitting rooms and of course READ MORE