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RENOVATION has reclaimed many original features of this gracious building, such as the false ceiling removed to reveal a minstrels' gallery and a cathedral ceiling in one of the drawing rooms, now re-named the Cathedral Room.
Viscount Hambleden, who built the house as a country retreat in 1906, would doubtless feel quite at home were he to effect a return. For the second time in its history, no expense has been spared in scale or quality. It is a masterpiece of imagination and craftsmanship. You won’t find a corner that’s been cut or a detail overlooked. Even the hotel’s large format guide is a work of art, a collector’s item.
Other aspects aside, de Savary added a four storey gabled wing to the front elevation, to match that at the other end, to complete the symmetry as it were. Old photographs confirm the success but it’s impossible to locate the seams. Needless to say, the transformation en toto wasn’t achieved cheaply. A reported £30 million was spent on refurbishing the hotel, its estate and its gardens, including £2 million on up-grading the golf course.
In consequence, the names Bovey and Dartmoor are now synonymous to knowing romantics seeking a spot of pampering in the lap of luxury and eager to engage in the myriad pastimes available on this stunning estate. Virtually any outdoor activity, no matter how esoteric, is on tap: and if the activities team doesn’t offer it they’ll know a man who does. They’ll probably draw the line at alligator wrestling and underwater ballroom dancing but little else will test their ingenuity…
Aside from the venerable golf course, of which more anon, there are 25 miles of salmon and trout fishing in the River Bovey which winds its way through the estate; there’s an equestrian centre, with lessons and trekking for all standards of rider; there’s falconry, two all-weather tennis courts and a grass court; there’s croquet, archery, clay pigeon shooting, quad biking and driving, nature trails for hiking and bird watching and a local crafts barn where ingénues can try their hands at cider making or fish smoking.
Services of a less esoteric nature are available in the spa, which offers holistic therapy in private treatment rooms; there are sauna and steam baths, a Jacuzzi, a hair dressing salon, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a gym, and a sun deck for alfresco relaxation. Those with youngsters will have plenty of time to themselves: there’s a children’s camp known as the Bovey Rangers that offers junior activities and outings, there’s a dedicated club room, child-special meal times and there’s even a baby sitting service.
Corporate meetings are big business here, as are weddings. And if you’re feeling really flush or, like our romantic helicopter pilot, eager to make a major impression for a special occasion, it’s possible to rent the hotel en toto. Now wouldn't that be quite a house party…
If your transport stable includes a helicopter, so much the better. Failing that, any old Roller or Bentley could just about squeeze through the narrow country lanes that give access 12 miles south of Exeter and it’s a snip with a Porche or a Beamer sports saloon. A camera is an imperative and unless you’re on your honeymoon, don’t forget your golf clubs.
THE golf course is akin to a painted landscape, a feast for the eyes, and although it’s a meaty challenge from the newly-installed tiger tees length of shot is not the principle requirement. More important keys to the problems presented are sound course management, accuracy, imagination and a solid short game. A warm putter wouldn’t go amiss, either.
The course dates to 1930 and was laid out by J.F. Abercromby, one of the lesser-known but highly respected names in the golden age of British golf architecture in which James Braid, Alister MacKenzie and Harry Colt were the figureheads.
It was designed as a resort course with no ambitions beyond offering guests a modicum of fun and relaxation. But it was always renowned for its condition and Henry Cotton described the long 14th as one of the finest par fours in British golf, with a couple of other holes not far behind in terms of challenge.
Piecemeal modifications in design were effected over the years but in 2003, when de Savary took the reigns, Donald Steel and Tom Mackenzie were commissioned to undertake a major overhaul, to restore the course to its former eminence. Referring to the original plans by Abercromby, they succeeded admirably.
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