The Rebirth of Cowley Manor

At Cowley Manor, a hotel located in the Cotswolds in picturesque Cheltenham, any sense of the present decade quickly fades away. The historic building, constructed in 1855 on the site of a 17th-century home, has recently undergone major renovations. 

In 2023, following its acquisition by Experimental Group, French interior designer Dorothée Meilichzon took on the task of transforming the hotel, ushering it into its next era. The result is a location that combines the old-world excellence of the manor’s exterior with an impeccable mixing of 70s and mid-century modern interiors, while maintaining the coziness of a country manor. 

To understand the subtle touches that Meilichzon applied, one must travel back through the intriguing history of the manor. Originally owned by one of the final Anglo-Saxon Kings, Edward the Confessor, before being exchanged for the land of Westminster Abbey, the 55-acre property was passed through several families before falling into institutional use, then becoming a hotel in 1999. During those years, local legend says, Lewis Carroll made several trips to the manor, taking inspiration from its grounds and writing Alice in Wonderland in a nearby town. 

Sprinkling motifs from the iconic children’s novel throughout the hotel, Meilichzon pulled the White Rabbit from the pages and onto the golden door knockers for each room and the checkerboard print from Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass onto rugs. Even the nighttime turn down service plays a role in the dusting of magical touches, leaving a single macaron under a glass cloche with the instructions to ‘Eat Me.’ But the manor grounds are where the magic is solidified. 

The 19th century Italianate gardens, maintained by head gardener David Masters, are a splendor of autumn leaves at this time of year – golden ginkgo biloba, orange sequoias and red cypresses. Taking pride in his natural playground, Masters’ approach to his job feels like another of the old world features of the manor, unbelievably passionate and knowledgeable in a niche that appears to be slipping away in the modern age. 

Walking around, it’s easy to feel Carroll’s whimsical Wonderland. Seven natural springs pass through the grounds, the most prominent of which sits just below the rear of the manor, flowing down through a water staircase and into a lower spring, the home of two beautiful white swans. 

The garden extends through to the dining experience, where herbs, vegetables and honey produced from bees in the fields are used to create the decadent meals. Worth a visit within its own right, the restaurant, captained by renowned chef Jackson Boxer, has been restored to its original dark wood walls, creating a warm setting which contrasts beautifully against the 70s-style furnishings. 

Arguably one of the most impressive views of the manor is seen from the lake, at the bottom of a sloping hill at the rear of the primary building. From there, guests can see both the traditional structure and Cowley’s newest addition, completed this year: the pavilion. Situated in the location where the ballroom from 1900 stood, the pavilion houses five additional bedrooms, extending the hotel to 36 rooms. 

Designed by architects De Matos Ryan, the new building was constructed to keep with the historic elegance of the main structure. The exterior is made from locally quarried Cotswold stone, while the interior is a wooden Garnica reinforced maple ply, so freshly placed that the rooms still carry a subtle, pleasant, earthy aroma.

Whether the journey to Cowley Manor is in search of relaxation or culinary adventure, a visit to this rare destination, filled with hidden nooks that invite discovery around every corner, truly feels like stepping into the pages of a storybook. 

Mastermind was a guest of Cowley Manor Experimental.