Review of Bishopstrow House, by Jamie Dunford Wood

There are not many four star hotels of quality at this end of Wiltshire - other than Babington and Bishopstrow House. Both have spas, but there the resemblance ends.

While the latter is chic-contemporary, Bishopstrow errs on the traditional - which is precisely why many favour it, not least the army, who house a variety of visiting foreign generals in its vast and chinzy rooms. There's something slightly Irish about this place - dogs, children and home-cooking smells mix with dusty old portraits and some magnificently proportioned rooms.

The place has bags of character, with pretty sitting rooms and a private dining room for small groups. There's a large garden, an extensive spa, good sized pools - one in, one out, and tennis courts.

The bedrooms to go for (out of a total of 32) are in the main house on the first floor - the Oval Room in particular is magnificent. On the second floor the converted maids quarters provide good family accomodation with low ceilings, while there are large suites in the annex - they are duplexes. Bathrooms are generally large to very large, mostly with natural light from original sash windows.