Sir John Betjeman, the 20th-century Poet Laureate, described Malmesbury as “the capital town of the first king of England, a place of quaint houses, ruins and meadows”.
Malmesbury has a layered history. Once the site of an Iron Age hillfort, the town later became a centre of learning with the founding of a monastery in the 7th century. Athelstan, grandson of Alfred the Great, and the first king of all England, was buried in the town in 939. The dog-friendly, Grade I listed hotel includes original features such as wooden beams, stone arches and a medieval hooded fireplace. It offers self-catering accommodation across the road and suites and rooms within the property. The décor varies in each, with details such as four-poster beds, heavily patterned wallpaper and 50s-style telephones. Doubles from £260, including breakfast., set in gardens and woodland. The country house hotel has a spa and cinema.