Eastwell Manor Hotel, Ashford, Kent

Eastwell Manor is a breathtakingly beautiful country house hotel, set in landscaped gardens and an ambience so relaxing and charming you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in a period drama! However, splendour is not all you’re in for if you stay here – Eastwell Manor is said to be home to the spectre of a white lady and a horseman...

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The village surrounding Eastwell is known to be rife with ghostly activity – one such ghost is that of a horseman, often seen riding towards the house itself before veering off suddenly and disappearing into the nearby lake. The hotel’s resident ghost, the white lady, has been seen regularly by porters on the night shift and one of the hotel’s housekeepers is said to have left the hotel completely after one particularly scary experience during one of the night shifts. Strange noises have been heard and objects have been moved, and these occurrences tend to be blamed on the white lady… but who is she?

Eastwell Park, where Eastwell Manor is situated in the parish of Eastwell, used to be home to a large stately home that used to serve as a royal residence. The former house was demolished in the 1920s to make way for the building that stands today, which serves as the hotel. The original house was built between 1540 and 1550 by Richard of Eastwell, thought to be a son of King Richard III. In 1860, one of the successors of one of the original owners of the house had financial difficulties and so let the house out to the Duke of Abercorn for five years.

It was then let to the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh from 1874 to 1893, and changed hands a few more times following that before it was demolished in 1926. The gatehouse still stands today, however, and this dates back to 1848.

‘Quality without compromise, peace without seclusion’; this is Eastwell Manor’s trademark and something that they pride themselves on. Even the entrance hall to this manor house is magnificent, panelled in oak with a warming log fire, it’s an excellent place to start your stay at Eastwell Park. The Manor House itself has 23 rooms and suites, many of which offer some stunning features such as carved panelled rooms, large stone fireplaces and a quiet and contemplative atmosphere. Each room is decorated in a sympathetic and elegant way, with a number of antique furnishings, and some suites contain separate living spaces and private dining areas.

If your budget is a little tighter, the hotel also offers standard accommodation in their Mews cottages. These cottages have 39 bedrooms in total, compromising of a mixture of one, two and three bedroomed accommodation, all with stunning living, dining and kitchen spaces. All bedrooms in the Mews cottages are en-suite. With two restaurants, two bars, a beauty spa and a huge indoor heated swimming pool all on-site, you’re sure to find food and entertainment to suit you – there’s even a golf course on-site!

62 en-suite bedrooms
Choice of standard or superior, four-posters available on request according to availability
Tea and coffee making facilities in each room
Colour television with satellite
Free Wi-Fi
CD/DVD player
Indoor and outdoor pool, beauty spa
Gym Laundry/valet service
Golf course
Disabled access
Wedding license
Radio

There’s so much on-site at Eastwell Park, you could easily spend your whole stay in Kent here – there are two bars, two restaurants, plenty of leisure facilities and a golf course. If you want to go further afield, try exploring some of the beautiful countryside or quirky villages around Kent – or if you’re looking for something for the whole family, try Howletts Wild Animal Park.

Standard double room, based on two people sharing, available from £180 per night, breakfast and leisure facilities included.
Superior double room, based on two people sharing, available from £295 per night, breakfast and leisure facilities included.
Murder mystery, dinner, bed and breakfast included, with afternoon tea and champagne reception, available from £590.00 for two people. Contact the hotel for dates.