A Slow Stay
Cherkley Court has been many things since it was built in the 1860s — a Victorian residence, the home of the press baron Lord Beaverbrook, a venue for Churchill and his War Cabinet. Its current life as a hotel is the most considered yet: 470 acres of Surrey hills, a Japanese garden of unusual seriousness, and interiors that hold their grandeur with a quiet sense of humour.
Half an hour from London on a clear road, far enough to feel properly out. The rooms are split between the main house, the Garden House and a small cluster of cottages on the estate — a structure that lets you choose between formal and intimate without leaving the property.
The interiors were the work of Susie Atkinson of Studio Atkinson, who treated Cherkley as a country house first and a hotel second. Antiques sit beside contemporary commissioned pieces; the colour palette runs from deep greens and ochres in the main house to softer naturals in the Garden House. Nothing matches in the showroom sense; everything belongs.
Rooms in the main house are the most theatrical — high ceilings, four-posters, oversized bathrooms. The Garden House feels more like a private home, each room individually designed. The cottages on the estate sleep families or small groups and have their own terraces facing the gardens. Whichever you choose, the linen is heavy, the bath water is hot, and the silence at night is total.
The Garden House Restaurant has held a Michelin star for several years under chef Dean Boyle, working with produce from the kitchen garden and the estate's own farm. The Grill in the main house is the looser, more sociable option — British classics, properly done, the kind of dining room you stay in until late. Sunday lunch is taken seriously.
The Coach House Health Club houses a 20-metre indoor pool, outdoor heated pool, sauna, steam room and a treatment menu from Bamford. Below the main house, the Beaverbrook Cinema is a 32-seat screening room with proper armchairs and a programme that runs from new releases to old classics. There is also a tennis pavilion, a riding stable and walks that take a full morning to complete.
The North Downs begin at the edge of the estate. The South Downs are an hour south; Hampton Court and the Thames are twenty minutes north. Gatwick is half an hour east, which makes Beaverbrook a sensible first or last stop on a longer European journey. The local towns — Leatherhead, Dorking, Reigate — are unflashy in the right way.
Indicative rates — vary by season and availability. Breakfast typically included. Confirm directly with the hotel for current pricing.
Reserve at Beaverbrook
