Review of Thornbury Castle, by Caroline Major

Thornbury Castle is a rather special bolthole in South Gloucestershire. Converted from a Tudor castle, it still retains its regal interiors (it's all exposed brickwork and suits of armour) and includes personal butlers among its staff.

We arrived late on a Friday and, after a satisfying crunch of tyres on a white driveway, our Jeeves led us along a warmed corridor, past arrow slit windows to a large creaky door. An atmosphere charged with expectation of a night spent in a real castle was palpable. Another tuxedoed butler emerged from the castle, plucked our bags from the car, and left us to enjoy the moonlit evening.

On our stay at Thornbury Castle, the clear-skied evening was rightly chilly for roaring fires set in historic stone hearths and spirited conversation in the library with likeminded guests. Amiably formal middle-aged men served from an all-English cheese trolley and poured liberally from the warming spirit bottles.

During the break, we found plenty more to occupy us. The Tower Dining Room restaurant serves traditional English food and several well-chosen international dishes every mealtime. If you fancy indulging yourself a bit more, book an in-room massage or beauty treatment, or try your hand at croquet or archery on the outside grounds.

The 25 bedchambers could have been transplanted from a Phillipa Gregory bodice-ripper. The key Jeeves handed us to the Dukes Bedchamber was was nearly twenty centimetres long, and forged from iron: this elegantly simple instrument could knock out any intruder (or thwart unwelcome amorous attention) in a flash! Fortuitously, Gloucestershire is known not for crime, but for the abundance of historical residences set amongst spectacular countryside, hence the colossal key served only to unlock a large cosy bed chamber and the role playing side of the imagination.

Most rooms at Thornbury Castle have luxurious four-poster beds, all better for bouncing on and admiring the surrounding tapestries and flagstones. In the true spirit of authenticity, TVs are carefully screened and decanters of sherry wait for guests on arrival.