Living / 17 August, 2022 / Ellie Thompson
If you’re looking for some last-minute family fun this summer, check out Horwood House, a newly refurbished hotel situated within Buckhamshire’s beautiful countryside. The hotel has curated an incredible family experience for little adventurers, petrol heads and F1 fanatics this summer!
The hotel has teamed up with Silverstone, to offer a fabulous day out for all the family. As part of this summer package, guests can explore the Silverstone Interactive Museum, located just a 25-minute drive from the hotel. The museum is full of fascinating artefacts and 60 interactive exhibits that bring together the past, present and future of Silverstone and British motor racing for a truly awesome day out. Take part in an immersive show as racing drivers and mechanics prepare their cars to race around you in a thrilling virtual grid, and pay a visit to the race day area to discover what really happens behind the scenes, on and off the track, before heading back to the hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.
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Founded in 1911, the jewel of Horwood House has to be the beautiful Grade II listed Manor House, the focal point of the estate and birthplace of the famous gardener, Percy Thrower. We arrived a little earlier than the official check-in time of 3 pm, driving up the tree-lined drive in the sunshine to find the Manor House in front of us. We headed to Harry’s Bar & Kitchen for lunch, a fabulously kitted-out contemporary air-conditioned space, which presented a much-needed break from the heatwave. The kids happily tucked into a delicious plate of tomato pasta, while we enjoyed the chicken and bacon club sandwiches with fries, a beer and a G&T. Well, it is the summer holidays, after all!
There are a couple of options when it comes to booking a family room at Horwood House, so you can choose which works best for your family. The Silverstone Museum package includes an Executive Suite, with one king bed and one sofa bed with a large shower room, but if you want a little more space and are staying longer, you might wish to opt for two double rooms with an interconnecting door complete with a bathroom each.
The bathrooms at Horwood are absolutely stunning, and as we’re moving house soon, I took some snaps for inspiration for when we redo our bathrooms in our new home. Subway tiles, new showers, and illuminated mirrors – everything felt brand new. The interiors were just gorgeous, so be prepared to be impressed!
When it comes to keeping the kids amused, there’s plenty of outdoor fun to be had at Horwood House, with tennis courts to enjoy and gardens to explore. My 5-year-old and 3-year-old both loved their adventure around the grounds, hiding from each other in the woodland areas, but all of us were glad to make it down to the spa for Splash Time in the pool to cool off.
Family-friendly splash times run daily from 9-10 am and 4-7 pm. Besides the 15m pool, the H Spa has a sauna, steam room and spa lounge, so there’s lots of scope for fun and pampering.
After swimming, we went back to our room to scrub ahead of dinner, back down in Harry’s Bar & Kitchen. The seasonally British evening menu features locally sourced fare with dishes including steak and tiger prawns with plenty of vegan/veggie options. We were served by a wonderful waitress called Natalie, and the service was impeccable. Kids eat free at Howard House this summer, with delicious dishes of sausages and mash, cod and chips and chocolate brownies with vanilla ice cream to choose from. The kids ate well, and with full tummies, we set off to bed, walking the long way around the back of the manor house to our room, in the hope of spotting rabbits in the dark.
Breakfast was held in another restaurant called 1911, much to the kids’ approval. The breakfast room is a spacious area, where families can make a bit of noise and it not matter too much to other guests. We indulged in a few bowls of Coco Pops, a cooked breakfast, and some whipped Greek yoghurt and berry compote. With bellies full, we checked out to head home.
The Silverstone package is priced at £295 per room, based on two adults and two children under 12 sharing. Includes tickets to the Silverstone Interactive Museum, accommodation for a one-night stay, £30pp dinner allocation and a hearty breakfast the following morning. Available from Sunday to Friday.
We’d like to include a huge shout-out to two of the Horwood House reception team, Maawe and Ian. We got home before midday on Sunday only to find we’d left our suitcase in the car park of the hotel. On calling reception, they dropped everything to rescue the case, and kept it safe while my husband made the two-hour journey back to get it. All in all, a fantastic stay – so much so, that my husband drove there and back twice. Oops.
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Make this charming doll’s house gift set all theirs by adding a sweet plaque to the front with their name on it.
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