OUT OF MAYFAIR REVIEW: THE LYGON ARMS, IN THE COTSWOLDS
Disclaimer: We were invited for a press stay in exchange for an honest review.
Front Exterior of The Lygon Arms
I recently took a trip to The Lygon Arms in beautiful Broadway, a village often described as the ‘Jewel of The Cotswolds’. Broadway, in it’s all its honey-coloured glory, has been home to many noteworthy residents, including William Morris, John Singer Sargent, J.M. Barrie and Mary Anderson. It’s easy to see why anyone would like to live here - as you walk around the village, you feel as though you’re in a wildly romantic film set in the British countryside.
Historical records dating back to c860 show that that Broadway was once centred around St Eadburgha’s Church and the stream at Bury End, but the village really came alive in the 1500s when it became a stage coach stop for travellers going between Worcester, Oxford and London - coaching inns were a popular accommodation choice. The Lygon Arms, situated on the High Street, dates back even further than this, to 1377, yet evidence suggests that a coaching inn stood on the site long before the current Tudor building.
Lygon Lounge - A cosy spot for Champagne and Monopoly
The Lygon Arms, formerly ‘The White Hart Inn’, is dripping in historical tales and celebrity secrets. During the Civil War, Oliver Cromwell spent a night here before the Battle of Worcester (I can’t imagine he slept too well), and King Charles I visited for a meeting with his supporters. King Edward VII arrived in 1905, and his grandson, Edward VIII (who later abdicated over the scandalous Miss Simpson incident), paid a visit in 1913. On the note of scandal, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were sighted at the hotel in 1963, during the height of their passionate love affair.
When I arrive in Broadway with my husband, daughter and dog, I feel like I was walking in the footsteps of my grandparents, who once took a very similar trip. There’s a real buzz in and around the hotel - couples are walking in and out, arm in arm, and a large group is arriving for a meal in the restaurant’s private dining room. Individuals of various ages emerge, radiant, from the spa and dogs of all shapes and sizes can be seen catching up in the courtyard by the majestic chestnut tree.
Our check-in is super speedy, and we are soon shown to our Courtyard Classic Room behind the main house. The traditional, ground floor Courtyard Room and Suites are accessed via the courtyard and they overlook landscaped gardens. Inside, our room is beautifully spacious, boasting plenty of traditional artwork and antiques, period features and an enormously comfortable bed. Mod cons include an in-room tablet, free WiFi, bathrobes and slippers, tea and coffee making facilities and Noble Isle products.
Accessible rooms are available and dogs are very welcome. Pierre le Croissant, my Jack Russell X Chihuahua, was ecstatic to find a Le Chameau bed and bowl and Michel Roux treats in our room and we are equally as excited to spot a ‘dog shower’ outside the room, ready and waiting for mud-fuelled chaos. Another advantage dog owners have in the courtyard is the easy access to the hotel’s own pleasure garden, which is dog friendly, perfectly peaceful and less than a 2 minute walk away.
The Lygon Bar and Grill
We visit The Lygon Bar and Grill (above) for an early dinner, praying that our four month old baby, Margot, will behave enough for us to enjoy three entire courses. A carefully curated and concise dinner menu falls into my hands. English Pea and Shallot Ravioli sways me, served with pesto, Evesham asparagus, shoots and toasted pinenuts. James opts for Coln Valley Oak-smoked Salmon, served with caviar, watercress, lemon and wasabi. Both dishes are light, fresh and flavoursome.
For the mains, we order a brilliant Pan-fried Sea Bass from the famous grill, served with mussels, saffron, spring onion, leeks and courgette. A flavoursome Grilled Cauliflower Steak joins the table, served with pickled red onion, gnocchi, romanesco and Colston Basset. This is true taste of summer, and artfully plated.
We round things off with James’s trusty favourite - a Sticky Date and Toffee Pudding with butterscotch and ginger caramel ice cream. Utterly divine. Margot is exceptionally well behaved at the dinner table, so we order cocktails to celebrate our success. It’s a difficult choice, but we settle on The Taylor/Burton Affair, with Violet Gin, Parfait Amour Liqueur, Lemon and Gomme Syrup - suitably scandalous; and the Low-groni, with Cotswold Green, Campari, Martini Rosso and orange - it packs a (sensible) punch.
Lygon Spa
I visit The Lygon Spa for a bespoke facial in the morning - my first, much-needed treatment since the baby arrived. ‘Please make me look less dead’, I cry, despairing, for I had not slept since early December. My friendly therapist smiles knowingly. I don a fluffy robe and enter into a blissful world of ELEMIS and OSKIA as my skin is gently massaged, exfoliated, hydrated and restored. When I emerge, I felt lighter, brighter and fresh faced, pleased to have ditched the make-up. I bump straight into the hotel’s GM on my way to the Lygon Lounge, where I intend to spend the next hour relaxing on a Chesterfield with Hemingway and a peppermint tea, therapist’s orders. I am so relaxed that I can barely speak, and he knows why. You could easily spend a whole day in the spa, and I make a mental note to return, alone.
The Verdict
It’s safe to say that I can 100% recommend The Lygon Arms. My grandmother certainly wasn’t lying when she said it was ‘the place to go’ in The Cotswolds and long may we continue this family tradition of walking in each other’s footsteps. I can’t wait to return again when my little girl is a little older so she, too, can fall in love with the Sticky Toffee Pudding.
Pierre le Croissant says, “If you have a dog and you love them, book The Lygon Arms immediately. I have had some excellent walks in and around Broadway and can highly recommend Michel Roux’s ‘Random Rewards’ - Ostrich with Cherry, Seaweed with Orange, Venison with Blueberry, Salmon with Trout. And who doesn’t love a long lie-in in a Le Chameau bed after a long day of exploring The Cotswolds?”
The Lygon Arms, High Street Broadway, Worcestershire WR12 7DU
Reservations: 01386 852 255 / reservations@lygonarmshotel.co.uk
