In a beautiful, characterful Jacobean manor house, a wide range of family-focused accommodation, plus incredible facilities ensure children and adults will have the time of their lives

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Location

Woolley Grange is a stone’s throw from the quaint town of Bradford-on-Avon in a hamlet named Woolley Green, which is about 20 minutes by car to Bath. Here, Bath Spa train station connects to London Paddington, Bristol Temple Meads, Cardiff, and Portsmouth.

Handily for those travelling with young children, which is most of the hotel’s main clientele, it is also 30 minutes from Longleat Safari Park.

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The vibe

Upmarket and chic. If you aren’t familiar with Luxury Family Hotels and you have a young family, you should be. Dotted around the UK, the group specialises in family-focused accommodation where children are as well catered to as adults.

This means that as well as a spa, there’s an Ofsted-registered kids’ club where children can go for two hours a day, totally free. There’s also various other supervised activities for young guests, a decent-sized swimming pool with adult-only slots, a kid-friendly restaurant menu, a cinema room – the list goes on.

Having opened in 1989, Woolley Grange has recently undergone a six-month transformation (the first since 2011) to make it ready for the Instagram generation. The interiors are fitting with its Jacobean exterior – think relaxed yet elevated.

The service

Excellent. The staff cannot do enough for you. My daughter got stuck in our bathroom within roughly 30 seconds of us checking in, and maintenance came swiftly to break her out with no questions asked (they are clearly used to children doing unhinged things).

We also had a wonderful, spontaneous tour of the grounds from the charismatic and knowledgeable gardener, David, who took said daughter to see the chickens and vegetable patch, while also handing us a bag of hand-grown artichokes to take home.

Bed and bath

The joy of Woolley Grange is the variety of rooms they have for differing needs and budgets. Rooms vary dramatically in size (from Cosy Doubles to expansive Two-Bedroom Suites). Even as a seasoned Luxury Family Hotels guest, I found it hard to work out the various categories of room and what they offered beforehand. So, I suggest phoning ahead and explaining your family set-up to find out which rooms best suit your needs.

We stayed in the modern two-bedroom Chapman Suite, located in a converted barn a short walk from the main building. Our accommodation consisted of a separate room for our two children with bunk beds (and space for another single bed or cot if you have three), a sitting room, a large family bathroom with a shower over the bath, stocked with Elemis products, and a huge master room with a fridge, a kettle and a Nespresso machine.

My mother and father stayed next door in a smaller, but equally lovely Superior Double. Nice touches, such as Yoto players, treats and teddy bears are left in rooms for young visitors.

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Food and drink

Food is served across three venues: the beautiful, airy Orangery, the more traditional dining room and the cosy, dog-friendly dining room, all of which are interconnecting and serve the same menu.

For breakfast, you can help yourself to a continental offering of cereals, pastries, fruit and yoghurts, and order from a lovely selection of hot items such as a full English, avocado on toast, and eggs Benedict. For lunch, there’s a selection of small plates such as arancini, sausage rolls, or olives; plus classic sandwiches and seasonal soups. For dinner, there are dishes such as fish and chips, burgers and flat iron steak – most of which you can order at lunch as well.

For a luxury hotel, the food could do with more flair, as it lacks the wow factor. I found myself bored with the selection by day two. The afternoon tea is excellent, though, and my daughter went to heaven when indulging in the children’s one.

Facilities

The Woolley Grange spa is small but perfectly formed. The main building has a 12 metre swimming pool, sauna and steam rooms, with a separate outdoor hot tub tub just off the reception.

Between the four adults in my party, we had a number of treatments from full-body massages to facials – all of which were divine. My husband’s hot stone massage was the topic of conversation for the rest of the holiday.

In addition to the aforementioned kids’ club, there are two large outdoor playgrounds, plus a games room for slightly older children with a pool table, an air hockey table, and table football.

Read more: The best family-friendly hotels in the UK – that children will love as much as adults

Accessibility

There is one fully accessible room, Septimus, but the hotel can adapt other rooms to various requirements. Several public areas, including the restaurant, are step-free or offer level access, allowing easy movement through the main areas of the house.

Pet policy

Dogs can stay for a fee of £25 per dog, per night. Four-legged guests will receive a bowl, bed, tennis ball and treats on arrival. Most of the common areas are dog-friendly.

Read more: The best dog-friendly hotels in Bath – paw perfect pads for pooches and their owners

Check-in/check-out

Check-in is from 3pm; check-out is 11am.

Family-friendly?

The phrase family-friendly doesn’t do it justice. Woolley Grange is family-focused.

Your children won’t want to leave. Complimentary video monitors mean you can have dinner or a drink after your children are asleep while keeping an eye on them, and babysitting can also be arranged for an additional fee.

At a glance

Best thing: Two hours of free childcare per day, giving adults the chance to unwind.

Perfect for: Families who want every member of the gang to be catered for.

Not right for: Couples looking for a romantic weekend away.

Instagram from: Outside of the main entrance, posing on the grand Jacobean steps.

Lizzie was a guest of Woolley Grange/Luxury Family Hotels

Address: Woolley Green, Bradford-on-Avon BA15 1TX

Phone: 01225 864705

Website: luxuryfamilyhotels.co.uk

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