Now you can honeymoon in the same opulent suite as Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn at Thornbury Castle, as Wersha Bharadwa discovers during her stay at Britain’s only true Tudor Castle – the ultimate royal setting for a five star honeymoon or wedding.

Flashback: Honeymoon like a king at Thornbury Castle

location

Let’s start with the curb appeal – you haven’t seen anything quite like it. On the edge of the Cotswolds and the Severn Valley and just 45 minutes from Bath, the 500 year old Thornbury Castle is England’s only true Tudor castle.

Thanks to a recent multi-million pound refurbishment and restoration by English Heritage, it now functions as a Relais & Chateaux hotel, perfect for a romantic weekend away, honeymoon or luxury wedding.

Located in Thornbury, Gloucestershire – just 15 minutes’ drive from the M5 – the drive through pretty farmland and orchards is an awe-inspiring experience. Once inside the 15-acre estate, pass the picturesque St Mary’s Church (built 1340) en route to the castle’s central gatehouse, outer walls and Tudor gardens.

First impressions

Every step past the parking lot reminds you that you are entering a real castle with a fascinating history. The entrance to the Grade I Listed Pile leads past high stone walls and octagonal corner towers, and through heavy oak doors that proudly display Thornbury’s coat of arms.

Originally built as a fortress by Edward Stafford in 1511, the loopholes can still be seen in the walls of the battlements. The castle’s famous founder, the Duke of Thornbury (a cousin of Henry VIII) even had a small part in Shakespeare’s Henry VIII, following a real-life starring role in which he was executed in 1521 on probably dubious charges of treason and when Tudor-style the property was confiscated by the king.

While you’ll likely leave for your honeymoon without an entourage, you’ll love being greeted by warm and welcoming reception staff in the same flagstone courtyard once graced by Tudor royalty.

GM Simone Arcucci is an experienced hand in the luxury hospitality industry (he previously ran another Wedding Ideas favourite, Stapleford Park) and as such the staff has been impeccably trained. All are super down to earth, on the ball and also seem to have an encyclopedic knowledge of Thornbury’s history.

Local historian Tony Cherry of Thornbury & District Museum hosts bespoke tours and takes guests into the stories behind the castle with cream teas on oversized sofas beside a roaring open fire in the original great hall, where armor watches over heavy woods. original Victorian mosaic tiles on the floors and modern furniture.

Tony tells us everything from the English Civil War to the Duke of Thornbury’s family history, before guiding us to run our fingers over initials and Tudor roses carved into the huge fireplace that have stood the test of time.

Later we take a walk to explore the outside of the castle and the old yew garden where we discover small beehives hidden in the thick stone walls. Most of what guests can now see – including the stone arches, battlements and interior paneling – are later decorative additions made by the Howard family (under Victorian architect Anthony Salvin), who inherited the castle in 1824.

suite dreams

Romance is serious business here, and half the work is already done for you in one of the 26 elegant suites where you sleep. Most overlook the Privy Garden and the Goodly Garden – two of England’s oldest Tudor gardens.

From the suites in the towers you can see Wales across the River Severn. Standard Double Rooms come with king-size four-poster beds, and you’ll appreciate the lack of stuffiness in the country-style decor along with top-of-the-line smart TVs, bottles of free homemade sloe gin, and Nespresso machines.

Additional splendor is found in the King Henry VIII Suite – the same sumptuous bedroom the King shared with Queen Anne Boleyn for 10 days in August 1535. It’s one of three tower suites housed in one of the castle’s octagonal towers (complete with gargoyles) which is only accessible via a spiral stone staircase and a chunky wooden door with an oversized metal key.

There are no elevators (due to the building’s listed status), but the staff effortlessly helps with luggage and room service. As the former Duke’s own bedchamber – and featuring bay windows, a fireplace and an ornate stucco ceiling – the four-poster bed is fitted with cloud-like pillows and Egyptian cotton linens so fresh you’ll be lulled into the deepest, most divine sleep of all time. Thick wooden shutters and the quiet stillness out in the countryside certainly help.

Happy to stretch the budget? Then the most opulent suite to book is the 71-square-metre Catherine of Aragon Tower Suite, located at the top of the tower and only accessible via a 77-step spiral staircase.

The room features exposed stone walls, 24k gold plating and the centerpiece is a four-poster bed tucked away behind duck blue and gold velvet curtains. It is a huge, bespoke creation, wide enough to house all six of King Henry’s wives. The hotel claims it’s the largest four-poster bed in a UK hotel, so it’s worth booking the Minimoon for that alone.

Eat Drink

Dining is a superlative experience with a selection of modern and international dishes on offer in four dining rooms. Visit the pretty library, where two-story bay windows offer lovely views of the gardens, and where oil portraits and large tapestries hang on the walls. Jamie serves us expertly crafted pre-dinner cocktails (order Headless Mary or Skeps made with spiced rum, ginger, and Lapsang Souchong tea) alongside freshly roasted almonds, olives, and canapés.

This is exactly why you book dinner; the pomp and celebratory flair of morsels and bites of exciting delicacies for which Thornbury’s chef, Carl Cleghorn, is famous (we can’t get enough of goat’s cheese morsels on homemade tapioca chips).

Old-school glamor reigns supreme in the wood-paneled main dining room with brocaded chairs (Sophia Lauren and Laurence Olivier were once guests), and the focus is clearly on decadent but unpretentious British cuisine.

Carl’s carefully prepared meals emphasize local and seasonal produce; You’ll enjoy succulent venison on tasting menus in winter and delicious, sustainably sourced Gigha halibut in summer. Ordering slowly is the way to go; That way, you can clean up your palettes with extra cocktails while you’re getting along.

More fun can be had with a bottle of Thornbury’s own flagship white wine; A small vineyard belonging to the winery has been quietly producing wine from Müller-Thurgau grapes for 500 years. Guided tours and masterclass tastings are available year-round by appointment, along with grape picking opportunities for guests staying during the harvest (typically late September and early October).

The plates are filled with herbs and vegetables from Thornbury’s own vegetable garden and Carl personally serves us a theatrical eye-catching main course of quality duck. The signature custard – the chocolate fudge – is simultaneously rich, smooth and creamy, and the chocolate mousse with passion fruit and yoghurt sorbet is the most delicious after-dinner treat you’ll find anywhere. Definitely make room for it at the end (even if that means doing without the delicious sourdough rolls).

Breakfast is truly unforgettable – try the tart French toast with cinnamon, American bacon, crispy and perfectly browned, silky maple syrup and fresh raspberries – it’s heavenly.

Getting married at Thornbury Castle

Fans of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall or Philippa Gregory’s The Other Boleyn Girl will absolutely fall in love with the castle; everything conspires to give brides a proper taste of princess life.

The Tudor Gardens can be hired for outdoor weddings and the North Wing, which includes the Tudor Hall, the Boyling House and the Great Furnace, provides an elegant setting for over 120 guests with feature walls, a grand fireplace and stone mullioned windows .

It’s a state-of-the-art, light-filled space for modern civil weddings and receptions, where you’ll find perfect spots for lace tables and dance floors. Thornbury also offers couples an exclusive elopement package, where you and your friend can start the day with room service breakfast, followed by exclusive use of the library for your ceremony, followed by a six-course tasting menu.

what you will love

• As Thornbury is at heart an idyllic country retreat guaranteed to make your honeymoon or wedding the most memorable stay of a lifetime. The extensive gardens mean there is plenty of time to hone your skills in royal pursuits such as archery, falconry, ax throwing and croquet
• With only 26 rooms, you’re free to roam and the common areas never feel crowded
• Another quirky attraction is the recent discovery by staff of a secret safe built into the wall and tucked away behind a cleverly concealed wood-paneled wall in the Baron’s living room — a private function space on the second floor that’s also an alternative, beautiful place to host civil affairs weddings and cocktail receptions

how to book

Rooms from £249 B&B. Thornbury Castle (00 44 1454 281182, thornburycastle.co.uk), Castle St, Thornbury, Gloucestershire, BS35 1HH. Find out more on Instagram and Facebook.

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