Stay between the pages: literary journeys with Hand Picked Hotels.
Some stories stay with us long after the final page. They introduce us to landscapes we want to wander; houses we want to explore and places that feel familiar before we have even arrived.
Across the Hand Picked Hotels collection, several hotels offer a beautiful base from which to discover the settings, scenery and stories connected with some of Britain’s best-loved books.
From the woodland that inspired the Hundred Acre Wood to Jane Austen’s elegant Bath and the dramatic shores of Guernsey, these are stays for readers who would like to step a little closer to the stories they love.
Walk Into the World of Winnie-the-Pooh at Buxted Park
Few literary landscapes are as instantly recognisable as the Hundred Acre Wood. A. A. Milne found inspiration for the world of Winnie-the-Pooh in Ashdown Forest, where he lived with his family and walked with his son, Christopher Robin.
Today, visitors can explore the heathland and woodland that inspired many familiar places from the stories. Discover the landscapes associated with the Enchanted Place, the Heffalump Trap and the famous game of Poohsticks, then return to the comfort of Buxted Park Hotel.
Set within 312 acres of East Sussex countryside, the hotel feels entirely at home in this storybook setting. Take a quiet walk through the grounds, settle in for afternoon tea or simply enjoy the slower pace of a country house stay.
Stay at: Buxted Park Hotel, East Sussex
Read: Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne
Discover Wartime Stories and Island Character in Guernsey
Guernsey takes centre stage in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. Told through letters, the novel explores friendship, resilience and the experiences of islanders during the German occupation.
The book may be fictional, but the island setting and its wartime history are very real. Follow quiet coastal paths, visit occupation sites and discover the close-knit communities and striking scenery that give the story such a vivid sense of place.
Guernsey also inspired Victor Hugo, who wrote The Toilers of the Sea during his exile on the island and dedicated the novel to his adopted home. With a stay at Fermain Valley Hotel or St Pierre Park Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort, readers can discover two very different sides of this literary island, from secluded coastal beauty to peaceful parkland close to St Peter Port.
Stay at: Fermain Valley Hotel or St Pierre Park Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort, Guernsey
Read: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, or The Toilers of the Sea by Victor Hugo
Follow in Jane Austen's Footsteps from Bailbrook House
With its honey-coloured architecture, elegant crescents and history of fashionable society, Bath is inseparable from the world of Jane Austen. The city appears most notably in Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, where its streets, Assembly Rooms and social rituals become part of the story.
From Bailbrook House Hotel, set just outside the centre, guests can spend the day tracing Austen’s Bath. Walk along Pulteney Street and pause at the Royal Crescent before returning to the hotel’s peaceful grounds.
It is a fitting pairing of place and prose. A day among Bath’s familiar landmarks followed by an evening in a historic country house offers a glimpse of the elegance, observation and quiet drama that fill Austen’s novels.
Stay at: Bailbrook House Hotel, Bath
Read: Northanger Abbey or Persuasion by Jane Austen
Experience a Remarkable Literary Connection at Stanbrook Abbey
Rumer Godden’s In This House of Brede follows a successful professional woman who leaves her life in London to join a Benedictine community. The novel is admired for its thoughtful and detailed portrayal of life within an enclosed order.
Godden’s understanding of that world was shaped by her relationship with the Benedictine community at Stanbrook Abbey. This gives the hotel an unusually close connection to the novel and makes a stay here particularly meaningful for those who have read it.
The former abbey retains a powerful sense of its past. Gothic cloisters, stone archways and the magnificent chapel create an atmosphere quite unlike anywhere else in the collection. Wander through the historic building and experience the stillness and architectural beauty of a place that helped inform one of Godden’s most celebrated works.
Stay at: Stanbrook Abbey Hotel, Worcestershire
Read: In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden
Venture Into the New Forest with a Classic Adventure
Set during the English Civil War, Frederick Marryat’s The Children of the New Forest follows four orphaned children as they make a new life in the shelter of the forest. First published in 1847, it remains one of the best-known stories connected with this ancient landscape.
The New Forest is every bit as atmospheric today. Ancient woodland, open heath and wandering ponies create a setting that seems made for adventure. Walking and cycling routes offer countless ways to explore, while each season brings a different character to the landscape.
At the heart of it all is Rhinefield House Hotel. Surrounded by tall trees and ornamental grounds, this grand country house provides a suitably enchanting base for discovering the forest, with plenty of comfort awaiting on your return.
Stay at: Rhinefield House Hotel, Hampshire
Read: The Children of the New Forest by Frederick Marryat
Find the Rural Kent of The Darling Buds of May
H. E. Bates captured an abundant and idyllic vision of the English countryside in The Darling Buds of May. Home to the larger-than-life Larkin family, the books celebrate generous hospitality, good food and the pleasures of rural life.
The television adaptation brought this world to the screen using locations in and around the Kent village of Pluckley. Its orchards, lanes and traditional buildings became closely associated with the Larkins’ story and remain familiar to fans of the series.
Nearby Chilston Park Hotel continues the sense of country house escape. The listed manor sits within 77 acres of Kentish parkland, offering time and space to slow down over dinner, explore the grounds and enjoy the Garden of England at its most inviting.
Stay at: Chilston Park Hotel, Kent
Read: The Darling Buds of May by H. E. Bates
Explore James Herriot's Yorkshire from Crathorne Hall
James Herriot’s much-loved stories were inspired by veterinary surgeon Alf Wight’s experiences working among the farms, villages and people of North Yorkshire. Beginning with If Only They Could Talk, the books bring the region to life with warmth, humour and an enduring affection for its landscape.
Visitors can explore the market town of Thirsk, where Wight lived and worked, before travelling through the countryside that shaped his writing. His former home and veterinary surgery now house The World of James Herriot, offering a closer look at the man behind the stories.
Crathorne Hall Hotel provides an elegant base for a literary journey through the region. Set in peaceful grounds on the edge of the Yorkshire countryside, it is a place from which to appreciate the views, villages and rural character that make Herriot’s books so memorable.
Stay at: Crathorne Hall Hotel, North Yorkshire
Read: The James Herriot series, beginning with If Only They Could Talk
Begin Your Next Chapter
A good book can take you somewhere new. A Hand Picked stay lets you experience the landscape for yourself. Pack a favourite novel, choose the setting that speaks to you and discover a story beyond the page.
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