Child-Free Weekend At Pennyhill Park

For our wedding anniversary this year we made a long awaited (but not particularly radical) decision. Why not go on a weekend away – without our daughter! Unbelievably, in over two years, we had never done this before. Ooooakay, you got me, that is a tinsy winsy lie. We have. BUT it has always been for weddings. And while there may be no shortage of romance in the air – it’s not usually between us. Surrounded by hundreds of other people, it’s all about celebrating, socialising, drinking and dancing the night away which doesn’t qualify, in my books anyway, as quality time with just the two of us. Plus, we’d always be rushing back, feeling slightly worse for wear, to collect our little cherub.

So, where would we go for this exciting weekend of freedom? We deliberated for quite some time… Bordeaux, Majorca, Ibiza. But no… when we factored in travel, flights and waiting time we’d no sooner have arrived than we’d have to turn around and come home again. So, we centred on the UK. Maybe the Cotswolds, the seaside. But no. We had limited time and wanted to maximise it as best possible so we cut out travel and looked at somewhere closer to home. Or, rather, near my parents who were looking after Mrs T.

And so we settled on Pennyhill Park in Surrey. We’d only heard good things about the spa hotel, set in 123 acres of countryside. We were less than 30 miles from central London but it felt like we were out in the sticks!  Less time travelling more spa time! And this isn’t just any spa. Oh my lordy it was sheer bliss! From the huge indoor (and outdoor) swimming pools to the ice cave and outside hydro pool – there were enough facilities to keep your body and mind relaxed for days. My favourites included the heated beds, herbal sauna and the massage chairs. In fact, the facilities were so good and so relaxing that I didn’t miss having a treatment (they were all booked up).

It felt so liberating to be able to relax and totally lose concept of time. No worrying about getting my daughter’s lunch ready, no nap time. No constrains of the toddler routine! Bliss!! I could read the newspaper AND it’s supplements. Upon arrival, I devoured Conde Nast’s Traveller whilst sipping champagne when normally I would be caught up in in the tea time, bath time, bed time ritual.

Not only is Pennyhill Park a haven for relaxation, it also has a top class, two-michelin starred restaurant, Michael Wignall’s The Latymer. Oh wow! Our meal really was something special. We went for the tasting menu and I would go so far as to say it is quite possibly one of the best meals we’ve ever had. Intricate and intelligent with an array of tastes and textures (I loved the nitro ‘rocks’), it was a real ‘thinking’ dinner while each plate was like a work of art. Only problem was by the time we got to the 8th, 9th and 10th dishes (all desserts), I was pretty much done. Now, if looking at food pictures is your thing (guilty!) get your eyes around these plates (if it’s not then just skip down to the bottom).

 Tuna Tartare  Me with my Squab! Celeriac  Cassoulet of Clams  Deer Cheese dish Summer Cherry Raspberry (with mint areos)

The two-day stay just went too quickly and with routine out the window, time just slipped away and then it was time to go. No opportunity to beat my hubby at clay pigeon shooting, nor a game of tennis, golf or horse riding. Activities I was well up for when we arrived but, in reality, this was an opportunity for us to embrace having no plans whatsoever. The ONLY downside was that our room wasn’t massive and the chintz in it was a bit on the high side. Then, compared to The Latymer, their other restaurant, a bustling brasserie, felt far too simple with there being too much of a gulf between the two. But, the food was tasty and we enjoyed hanging out in the spacious bar next door (where we befriended a random American couple). The main building (where we stayed) had a great ‘country retreat’ feel to it, complete with the sight and smell of burning log fires.

I could have stayed there for a week if it hadn’t have been for Mrs T – oh, and the hefty price tag! But, for a decadent splurge on a special occasion it was just perfect. And so, after a leisurely Sunday breakfast following a much needed lie in, we headed back to pick up our little lady – excited to see her again – but vowing to do this again, sometime soon.