Sherborne, north Dorset · Hotel
A Georgian townhouse hotel in Sherborne with a walled garden, spa and a kitchen that has held a Michelin Green Star for its sourcing.
The Eastbury is a Georgian townhouse on Long Street in Sherborne, a couple of minutes' walk from the abbey and the town centre. Behind the honey-coloured stone frontage sits a mature walled garden of about an acre, which supplies the kitchen and gives the hotel a quiet that its high-street address does not suggest. It is a family-owned independent rather than part of a group.
Accommodation is split between the main house and a garden wing, with room grades running from compact classic doubles to suites and a small number of garden rooms with private terraces. The style is country-house traditional with some updating: proper armchairs, heavy curtains, decent bathrooms. Dogs are welcomed in designated rooms.
The Seasons restaurant is the reason many people book. The kitchen works closely with the garden and with north Dorset producers, and the hotel has been recognised for the sustainability of its sourcing. There is also a small spa with a treatment suite and a hydrotherapy pool, added in a converted building at the end of the garden.
Sherborne makes a good inland base and a very different one from the coast. The abbey, the ruined Old Castle and Sherborne Castle with its Capability Brown grounds are all within walking distance, and there is a direct rail link to London Waterloo. The Jurassic Coast is roughly an hour's drive south, so this works better as a base for exploring north and central Dorset than for daily beach trips. It suits couples, walkers in the Blackmore Vale and anyone who wants a good dinner at the end of the day.