Burley Manor, New Forest, Hampshire - hotel review: The ingredients for a satisfying stay

The New Forest’s refurbished Burley Manor has great culinary ambitions, but could do with a little finesse

Burley Manor: Sitting room

Driving through the New Forest feels a bit like going on safari … a very specific kind, where you spot only one type of animal. As my taxi whizzed along I spotted shadowy shapes lurking in the fields either side, and glimmers of light between the trees beyond – reflections from the collars of the omnipresent, free-roaming ponies.

After managing to avoid hitting any wandering equines we arrived at Burley Manor. Built in 1852 by a Verderer – a custodian of the New Forest – this grand home became a hotel in the 1930s, and apart from briefly being requisitioned by the military during the Second World War, it has welcomed guests ever since.

Last December, a £1.8m refurbishment was completed, and Burley Manor relaunched as a restaurant with rooms. Competition is fierce in this area, though, with foodie favourite The Pig and its sister property, Lime Wood (which has an Angela Hartnett-fronted restaurant), nearby. So, you’ve got to be confident to trumpet your dining here – and time will tell whether the Manor makes the grade.

Burley Manor

The bed

The 40 rooms and suites are spread across the original Grade II-listed main house, and the more modern Garden Wing. Our suite was at the far end of the extension, and like all the rooms it was decorated with a mix of antiques – dark, carved wood wardrobe and dressing table – and more modern furniture, the highlight of which was the huge, comfy Hypnos bed. The room was spacious, with a sofa and armchairs, plus nice touches such as a retro-style Roberts radio and a jar of homemade biscuits. Outside was a terrace overlooking the grounds.

The decor combines bold modern fabrics with traditional artwork, while some of the larger rooms in the main house have features such as roll-top baths in the bedrooms, or exposed floorboards. Out in the gardens, a small pool is open from June to September, while indoors, two spa treatment rooms are due to be completed by the summer.

The breakfast

Executive chef James Forman (formerly of the three AA-Rosette restaurant at Cotswold House in Chipping Campden) has put together a wonderful-sounding menu. But, sadly, it seemed the kitchen staff hadn’t quite perfected the execution, or, indeed, been given the right ingredients, as several dishes arrived not quite as expected.

The full English breakfast, while tasty, came with plain old bacon instead of the plancha pork promised on the menu, while the “egg white, spinach and chicken” (presumably conceived as an omelette) arrived as a little stack of ingredients, with poached eggs for some reason replacing the whites.

Dinner was similarly hit and miss; croquettes turned up as arancini and the pan-fried squid was extremely rubbery, but the main courses of braised lamb shank and Provençal beef were both lovely.

Hopefully, though, these are simply teething problems, and Burley Manor already has ambitious plans on the horizon; a kitchen garden and a chicken coop are both in the works.

The hosts

The staff were all friendly and eager to help, if a little flustered – perhaps another case of opening month nerves. Credit to the head of housekeeping, though, who was chatty, charming and knowledgeable about the hotel and the local area.

The weekend

Burley village is lined with quaint shops, many of which play on the area’s witchcraft connections. But the real appeal of the area is the walking; there’s a great circular route that takes you from opposite the cricket club on the edge of the village, out across windswept moorland, and along a disused railway line guarded by gangs of ponies.

Wanting to strike out further afield, we hired a Twizy from … Hire A Twizy (01590 675 675; hireatwizy.co.uk; from £49 a day), just outside Lymington. Part of a New Forest-wide initiative to encourage visitors to abandon their cars, these tiny, open-sided electric vehicles seat two riding pillion. We enjoyed the stares and laughs on the drive over to Beaulieu, from where we walked along the river to picturesque Bucklers Hard.

The pit-stop

The Old Farmhouse (01425 402218; oldfarmhouseinburley.co.uk) in Burley serves a generous cream tea, soups and sandwiches.

In Bucklers Hard, the Yachtsman’s Bar at the Master Builder’s (01590 616 253; bit.ly/YachtsmansBar) has a menu of well-done pub grub (sausage and mash, fish and chips) and a few fancier options (moules marinière, Moroccan salad).

The essentials

Burley Manor, Ringwood Road, Burley, New Forest, Hampshire BH24 4BS (01425 403522; burleymanor.com). Doubles from £139, B&B. Dogs welcome; children can dine in the restaurant, but adults and teens only for overnight stays.