The background

The Eastbury is a luxurious Georgian country house hotel in Sherborne, Dorset, with a two AA-Rosette restaurant that has an extremely good reputation, lush green gardens and a boutique spa. The hotel is a winner of multiple awards, including the best luxury value hotel at the Condé Nast Johansens Awards 2020. The handsome hotel is just minutes away from central Sherborne, its historic abbey and famed school. It’s also a great jumping-off point for exploring the area including Glastonbury, Yeovil, Cerne Abbas and Shaftesbury as well as Thomas Hardy country and the author’s former cottage in Dorchester. 

Rooms

The accommodation is spread over the main building and a series of contemporary garden potting-shed suites. There is also a self-catering Eastbury Cottage next to the hotel with three bedrooms, its own garden and wood-fired hot tubs, ideal for families. Each of the stylish rooms features a sumptuous bed with luxurious Egyptian cotton linen, pretty artwork and comfortable furnishings as well as thoughtful touches such as home-made treats with the tea and coffee or some home-infused sloe gin to sip on. The spacious Victorian Garden Potting Shed Suites are perhaps some of the most appealing rooms with the additional feeling of privacy provided by their position away from the main building in the hotel’s walled garden, as well as a generous amount of space for relaxing and a little private terrace with a wood-burner and logs provided. The Victorian Garden Potting Shed Suites are all dog friendly, as are a number of the hotel’s other rooms and the restaurant also has a section where four-legged friends are welcome.

Dining

Seasons Restaurant at The Eastbury Hotel has an excellent and well-deserved reputation for really good, inventive cooking using seasonal and local ingredients. Starters include Asian-inflected dishes such as duck leg bon-bon with pak choi, peanut and hoisin or roasted aubergine with tomato miso and garden herbs. Mains include a delicious pork belly with sobrassada, roasted fennel, peach, fennel and mint salad or a fragrant sea bass, cauliflower couscous, pine nuts, chilli and curry sauce. Seasons also serves a selection of bistro classics for those craving really good fish and chips, a burger, ribeye or Caesar salad. To follow, diners can pick from a tempting selection of carefully chosen local cheeses, or an inventive range of desserts including mascarpone panna cotta with peach, mint and elderflower or orange and yoghurt parfait with raspberries and puffed rice.

Keeping as local as possible, you can enjoy a Sherborne Castle wine with your meal, or the house Seasons Watercress Warrior Beer from the nearby Cerne Abbas brewery, as well as a selection of excellent bottles from further afield, and well-mixed cocktails. 

Breakfast is served in the same space with views over the gorgeous walled garden and a fantastic, hearty selection of classics including a good full English made from locally sourced ingredients. 

Amenities

The Eastbury has a gorgeous boutique spa at the bottom of the hotel’s pretty gardens. You can reserve an hour at the spa to enjoy its wet facilities including an indoor hydrotherapy bath, sauna and Jacuzzi showers as well as an outdoor hot tub. The spa has recently launched a Gaia treatment menu, embracing the all-natural and delicious scents of the British skincare brand. As well as a selection of indulgent Gaia massages and facials, The Eastbury spa menu includes a Gaia Indian head massage, hot stone massage and a selection of Gaia Rituals such as the whole-body Gaia Mud Cocoon and relaxing Gaia Serenity Treatment that includes a back exfoliation and hot stone massage plus a jade face and scalp massage. Whatever you select, the intimate and peaceful surrounds of the boutique spa will make it a restorative addition to your stay. 

The hotel’s friendly and informative staff can also advise on local attractions to visit plus the best walking routes in the area.

The verdict

The Eastbury Hotel is a perfect country escape from London – Sherborne is easy to get to by train (direct from Waterloo) as well as car and makes the perfect jumping-off point to explore the area. Once you’ve arrived and started relaxing at The Eastbury, however, it might be hard to drag yourself away from the pretty garden, relaxing spa and delicious food. Welcoming, luxurious and good value, The Eastbury is a fabulous choice for a celebration or just a break from the everyday.

theeastburyhotel.co.uk