Estelle Manor: England’s Most Decadent Countryside Escape
The moment the wheels of your car turn onto the long gravel drive, something shifts. The outside world quietly drops away as a tree-lined avenue draws you deeper into the estate, until the manor appears—imposing, elegant, and completely self-assured. It looks straight out of a film set and feels undeniably cinematic.
This house has lived many lives. What is now Estelle Manor was once Eynsham Hall – an 18th-century country home, later rebuilt in the early 1900s into the Jacobean Revival structure you see today. It has served as a private residence, and now, under the direction of Sharan Pasricha, it has been reimagined as a vibrant private members’ estate – Maison Estelle. The country outpost to one of the UK’s luxury members club, this vast estate has lakes, woodland and restored manor houses.
Step inside, and the mood shifts. The structure remains – high ceilings, panelled walls, vast windows – but everything feels alive. There’s colour, texture, art, and objects gathered from across the world. The grandeur evokes a bygone era of glamour and sophistication, yet it still feels warm and deeply comfortable.
The accommodation across the estate is just as thoughtfully considered. Rooms and suites within the manor lean into its heritage – generous in scale, layered with rich textures, and quietly elegant. Across the grounds, the Walled Garden rooms offer something softer and more secluded, with a lighter, more contemporary feel that connects effortlessly to the surrounding landscape. Each space feels distinct, yet unified by an attention to detail that elevates the entire experience.
Beneath the manor lies its most defining feature: the Eynsham Baths. Not simply a spa, this expansive wellness space spans over 3,000 square meters and is designed around the rituals of ancient bathing cultures. At its centre sits a vast tepidarium, framed by marble columns and softened by ambient light, from which a sequence of thermal experiences unfolds.
Multiple pools, each set to different temperatures, are paired with steam rooms, saunas, and thermal cabins that guide the body through cycles of heat and cooling. An open-air pool introduces contrast and movement, while quieter corners invite stillness. The ten treatment rooms offer therapies that blend Eastern and Western practices – Indian, Tibetan, and Chinese techniques woven together with bespoke oils and balms. This is not a space designed for efficiency, but for immersion. Time feels unstructured, and the experience unfolds without urgency.
Since opening, the Baths have quickly become one of the UK’s most talked-about spa destinations, recognised within luxury travel circles for redefining countryside wellness. What sets it apart is not just its scale, but how seamlessly it integrates into the wider estate, deepening the overall experience.
Fallow House, a dedicated event space, was the setting for our retreat day. Flemish-inspired yet contemporary, it is both sophisticated and strikingly beautiful. The scale is immediate – soaring ceilings and expansive proportions, with light that shifts gently throughout the day. It creates an atmosphere that feels both grounding and uplifting.
You enter through a double-height entrance hall that opens onto a social ground floor bar and gardens. Our sessions took place in The Chestnut, a stunning double-height room with vaulted ceilings, exposed beams, and soft pendant lighting. Windows line three sides, flooding the space with natural light and enhancing its openness. It feels calm, yet energising – there’s a quiet vibrancy to it.
Upstairs offers a different mood. A dark wood bar and kitchen space sits beneath another double-height ceiling – rich, warm, and inviting. This is where I hosted my gut health talks and cooking demonstrations. The setting worked beautifully: light-filled, with a five-metre island that allowed guests to gather comfortably, whether seated at the bar or relaxed on the sofas.
Dining at Estelle Manor is given the same level of care as its design and wellness offering. Under the direction of Richard Bias, it becomes a defining part of the experience rather than an afterthought. The Brasserie, with its light-filled orangery and terrace, sets the tone early – breakfasts that stretch into late mornings and relaxed suppers that still feel considered. Menus move effortlessly from lighter, raw dishes—caviar, oysters, yellowtail – to more indulgent plates, with steaks and marrow that stand out for their simplicity and depth.
The Billiards Room offers a contrasting atmosphere. Rich, expressive interiors frame a menu centred around dim sum, bao, and expertly prepared roasted meats, led by chefs with impressive credentials. It’s a space where flavour and atmosphere sit equally at the forefront. Dining across the estate continues to evolve, with new openings in development – from a Japanese restaurant to a glasshouse grill within the kitchen garden – alongside a wine programme that spans English sparkling and an impressively deep cellar.
What underpins it all is a clear commitment to provenance and sustainability. Much of what appears on the plate is grown on the estate itself, with a regenerative kitchen garden supplying herbs, fruits, and vegetables in step with the seasons. I’ve always loved a kitchen garden – not just for its beauty, but for the connection it brings to what we eat. Knowing where your food comes from feels like a rarity now, and here it’s quietly woven into the experience.
Ingredients are carefully sourced from local producers, and there’s a consistent effort to reduce impact – from renewable energy use across the estate to thoughtful sourcing and waste reduction behind the scenes. It’s not something that’s loudly signposted, but it’s present in the details, bringing a sense of integrity to everything.
The people drawn to Estelle Manor are part of its atmosphere too. There’s a clear connection to Maison Estelle – members who move easily between the two, understanding both worlds. Here, the pace softens, but the standard remains. It’s a place that allows for both restoration and connection, without asking you to choose between them.
By the end of the retreat, it felt clear that Estelle Manor offers something uniquely suited to modern wellness. It isn’t removed from real life, but quietly supports it – through space, design, food, and environment working in harmony.
And as you make your way back down that long gravel drive, there’s a sense that something has shifted again – only this time, you take a little of it with you.
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