Thornbury Castle Hotel & Restaurant

When I was a boy, I loved Castles. I played regularly in a local wood which had a great big mound of earth, at its centre. My friends and I took it in turns defending the mound, which of course was `Our castle! We stripped back small sticks and ferns and threw them down onto the enemy below us.

We would set up `look outs` and take it in turns patrolling the top of the mound, alert for sudden incursions from the outlying woodland, ever wary of a sudden attack. We were imaginative children, but much of it had been nurtured during our school history lessons with glorious tales of siege and mayhem, throughout the Norman Invasion of William the Conqueror. I was fascinated by the multitude of ways in which a castle could be attacked; from firing dead rotting sheep over the walls of a castle with a trebuchet, to spread disease during a siege, to the shocking `killing ground` of the Barbican.

Huge wooden machines of war, such as the `trebuchet`, `battering rams`, `scaling ladders`, `siege towers` and `the belfry`, filled me with the adventure, excitement, noise, blood and thunder of castle warfare! I loved castles, what young boy didn’t? I recently visited stunning 16th century Thornbury Castle, and that boyhood excitement immediately returned.

Thornbury Castle, situated in the county of Gloucestershire near the Cotswolds & Welsh Borders, is the only Tudor Castle in England and the only one which is also a luxury hotel! Built to impress the most powerful people in the country, five hundred years later, this Grade I listed building now welcomes everyone, as a 26-room Relais & Chateaux luxury hotel, AA Rosette restaurant & exclusive wedding venue with regal fabrics, stunning tapestries, atmospheric dining rooms & halls providing the grandeur.

King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn both slept in one of the 26 bedchambers and walked through the hotel`s ancient gardens. It is one of the finest examples of Tudor architecture in the country situated in 15 acres of grounds, surrounded by cedar & sequoia trees, manicured lawns, Tudor walled gardens & courtyards and impressive towers. It is simply a stunning hotel with plenty of history, heritage and has many intriguing stories to tell.

The castle was begun in 1511 as another residence by Edward Stafford, the only man to rival King Henry VIII’s wealth & status at that time. It is not a true military castle, because of its minimal defensive capabilities, but is very much an early example of a fortified Tudor country house, but nevertheless still a very impressive pile! The central gatehouse & octagonal corner towers, survive along with other projecting features & towers. Once Henry had found Stafford guilty of treason & had him executed, the monarch took complete control of the castle and spent just ten days at the castle with his second wife Anne Boleyn. The Tower restaurant was said to have been Anne`s bedchamber! As we all know, it was not to end well as Henry also accused Anne of treason and she too was beheaded a year after visiting Thornbury! Henry VIII’s bedchamber can still be accessed by an ancient spiral staircase. How cool is that!

The Castle has weathered the turbulent & stormy nature of British history over the centuries. Following Henry VIII’s death, the castle passed through the hands of his children, Edward VI ( our suite of rooms was named after the monarch who died at the age of fifteen, after becoming King at the age of nine) and Queen Mary Tudor (Mary I). Today, the castle stands as proud as it did in those days of royal scheming & plotting; freshened up with much care by its current custodians and is permeated with the royal splendour of its historical past.

All of the bedrooms and suites at the hotel were refurbished in 2022. Apart from royalty many other famous figures have visited Thornbury over the years including Italian actress Sophie Loren & British Shakespearean stage legend actor Laurence Olivier. I am included in a very special group of visitors in the Visitors Book!

For twenty years between 1966 and 1986, the castle was run as one of the UK’s top restaurants by Kenneth Bell with kitchen staff which included food writer Nigel Slater & MasterChef New Zealand judge Simon Gault, early in their culinary careers.

This historic hotel has been awarded 3 AA Rosettes for food quality and 4 Red Stars for service quality and operation of the hotel. Led by Executive Head Chef, David Williams, Thornbury Castle offers diners an indulgent experience in a relaxed setting with the finest interiors. Guests can choose from a wide range of delicious and impressive menus including a 6-course tasting menu, A la Carte menu, Afternoon Tea, and Lounge menu.

The hotel proudly sources a lot of its produce from their very own walled Kitchen Garden, where a wide range of herbs are grown, the freshest are picked daily. The Head Gardener ensures that the hotels chefs have the finest and freshest ingredients available to them at all times. The restaurant aims to resource much of the Castle’s produce from within a 30-mile radius of the kitchen and is proud to support local artisan suppliers & local farmers. The Tower Restaurant is open to non – residents too. It is obviously still very much a local hotel & restaurant for the community as a fine place to stay & eat!

The Tower Restaurant: I was reliably informed by my wife that the restaurant tower was a non – regular heptagonal seven sided circular dining room! Short Sunday evening A la carte Dining Menu. A choice of four Starters, Mains & Desserts with Coffee & Homemade Petit Fours. Heavy white table linen & Light classical background music.

Amuse Bouche: A bowl of creamy Celeriac & Apple, Sourdough & plain bread rolls and home made butter.

Starters:

1. Mushroom Veloute, Pickled Shimiji, Enoki Mushroom & Truffle 2. 2. Foie Gras & Duck Terrine and Thornbury Piccalilli flavours.

Mains:

  1. Beef Cheek, Heritage Carrot, Foie Royale (an ethical alternative to foie gras) Cheek Bon Bon & Bordalaise French Sauce.
  2. Pork & Apple, Belly Pork, Lettuce, Caramelised Apple & Brawn Meat Jelly.

Dessert:

  1. Chocolate Fondant & Vanilla Ice Cream.
  2. Green Apple Cheesecake, White Chocolate, Granny Smith Sorbet & Apple Gel.

Wine: Lions Lamartine Gaillac, 2023. A medium-bodied red wine from South West France that has a crisp palate and notes of currant fruit and piney-herbal characters. Complimented the beef & pork perfectly. A fine wine to drink with or without food.

My breakfast was also well worth getting up for too!

There is a great deal to see and explore at Thornbury Castle, including archery, croquet, clay-pigeon shooting & falconry and it is very easy to imagine how grand the Castle must have been, when entertaining Kings, Barons and Earls, with dancing, feasting and music. As I walked around the castle walls looking up at the impressive structures, I was able to use my imagination to travel back several centuries, to how the castle would have looked for the people, who lived, worked or visited the castle.

Why not stop and experience for yourself their superb food and hospitality. Thornbury Castle offers excellent overnight accommodation, a unique restaurant environment, five star meals and exemplary table service in a truly unique setting. All of the castle staff, whether serving at the restaurant tables or social areas, presented a smart, professional and efficient service. After our meal we sat in front of a roaring log fire and played several games of backgammon & trivial pursuit on comfortable seating in opulent surroundings. We felt like a King and Queen!

I would fully recommend Thornbury Castle to anyone looking for an unusual restaurant location, a short unique weekend break or to celebrate a special occasion. My visit to Thornbury Castle, was one I shall remember for a very, very long time. It must rank as one of the most unique hotel stays I have had the good fortune to experience. 

Why not check it out! I can guarantee you will not be disappointed!

Disclosure: The views & comments expressed are, as usual, my own. My visit to ThornburyCastle was organised by Tanya Aspinwall, Marketing Aloud. Mobile: 07810 118074 Telephone: 01926 651274 Tanya@marketingaloud.co.uk

For more information about Thornbury Castle please visit https://www.thornburycastle.co.uk/

Thornbury Castle
Castle St, Thornbury
Gloucestershire, BS35 1HH
+44 (0) 1454 281 182
reception@thornburycastle.co.uk