A weekend away
We could all do with a little time away from reality right? Well there's no better place to escape to than us, especially when we have a cheeky little deal on....
We have 9 cosy bedrooms at the G&D and if you book one for a Friday or Saturday night, you'll get the following nights stay for only £50, when you have dinner with us. Sounds good eh?
Ts&Cs a minimum spend of £50 on dinner must be met onyour first nights stay in order to qualify for the deal.- Deal valid on new direct bookings only between 1st July and 1st November 2022 a table must be booked when booking your room. This deal is not valid on rooms booked via third party sites, or any rooms that had already been booked prior to the deal publish date of 22/07/2022
Considering you now have a whole weekend to explore the area, here are some places to visit near by:
Highclere Castle
https://www.highclerecastle.co.uk/
Highclere Castle is the real life home of Downton Abbey and only a short drive from us. The Castle is open on set days of the year, with availabilty being found on their direct website.
A brief history of the Castle
The first written records of the estate date back to 749 when an Anglo-Saxon King granted the estate to the Bishops of Winchester. Bishop William of Wykeham built a beautiful medieval palace and gardens on the park.
Later on, the palace was rebuilt as Highclere Place House in 1679 when it was purchased by Sir Robert Sawyer, Attorney General to Charles II and James II and direct grandfather of the current Earl.
In 1771, 'Capability' Brown made plans for the alteration of the grounds, water and symmetrical Georgian house at Highclere for the 1st Earl of Carnarvon.
In 1842, Sir Charles Barry – who was also working on the Houses of Parliament at the time – finished his final designs for the 3rd Earl of Carnarvon, transforming Highclere Place House into Highclere Castle.
The Countess’ research has revealed that, in 1867, the Constitution of Canada was drawn up in the British North America Act by 4th Earl of Carnarvon and John A. Macdonald, later the first Prime Minister of Canada.
The history of planes begins at Highclere Castle in 1910, with Sir Geoffrey De Havilland making his first flight on the Highclere Estate at Seven Barrows.
In 1922, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon discovered Tutankhamen’s Tomb with trusted colleague and friend Howard Carter.
During the First World War, Highclere Castle was converted into a hospital for wounded soldiers run by the 5th Countess of Carnarvon.
Throughout the Second World War, Highclere Castle was home to evacuees, whose names you can see etched into the roof lead. During the conflict, military planes from four nations crashed on the Highclere Estate whilst on active service.
The current Earl’s father was the Queen’s racing manager from 1969 until his death in 2001.
Today, the Castle is home to the 8th Earl and Countess of Carnarvon.
Laverstoke Mill - Bombay Sapphire Distillery
https://distillery.bombaysapphire.com/
A 20 minute drive from us, you'll find the home of Bombay Sapphire. The distillery is open to the public for self guided tours and cocktails masterclasses. Both are bookable via their website. Situated in an area of outstanding natural beauty, its a great spot to sip a cocktail.
Renovation
In renovating Laverstoke Mill, Bombay Sapphire has taken the utmost care to preserve the natural ecology and heritage of the site. To build a long-term legacy at Laverstoke Mill, Bombay Sapphire has also committed to building a sustainable future. The award-winning sustainability measures in design and construction are at the heart of this state-of-the art distillery.
History
There has been a Mill on site in Laverstoke since at least 903 AD but the first official records show Laverstoke Mill as a corn mill marked in the Domesday Book of 1086. In 1719 A French Huguenot called Henry Portal leased Laverstoke Mill and converted it to make the finest quality hand-made paper.
So there is no excuse now, for not spending a weekend with us.
