This British Country Garden Estate Is Less Than an Hour From London—and Is a Favorite of Meghan Markle's

Travel + Leisure

22-05-2025

Few places can rival the traffic jams you find in central London. Truly, the bumper-to-bumper roadways around commuting time could easily drive someone to madness. On a recent journey to the British city, I was in one such jam—only this time I didn't have a care in the world. Because in under an hour, I'd be in a place where the flowers bloom, the lawn is sprawling, and fresh air abounds.
In early spring of 2025, I made my way to the UK on a girls' trip, specifically to the Cliveden House, a five-star luxury spa retreat in Berkshire, England, which we heard about after Meghan Markle stayed there with her mother the night before her wedding. However, it's not just the Duchess' stay that makes this place special. It's also its 350-year history and its surprising proximity to the center of London that make it utterly magical.
For those who love historical British drama, there are both salacious and sophisticated components to the mansion's storied past, like a high-profile affair involving a conservative member of Parliament, a 19-year-old dancer, and a Russian spy that led to a major government scandal in the 1960s. The current house was built in 1851 after the original manor from 1666 and its replacement in 1824 were destroyed in fires. It's a spot so grand that it's hosted every British monarch from George I onward, and to honor its lineage of important guests, Cliveden House's 47 rooms are each named for one.
First home to British nobility and then New York's version of royalty, the Astor family, Cliveden House (pronounced "Cliffden" after the cliffs on which it's built) relishes in romantic charm, similar to Bridgerton filming locations and Downtown Abbey' s famous Highclere Castle, which happens to be about an hour away (Cliveden was even mentioned in Downton Abbey once). It's as easy to imagine the glamorous parties that once took place here, with notable visitors like Winston Churchill and Charlie Chaplin, as it is to enjoy the present-day glamour. Inundated with rich materials and rugs, buttery gold trimming, imposing bookshelves, antique furniture, crystal chandeliers, oil paintings, and lush patterned drapes, the ornate rooms drip in English country chicness, transporting you somewhere that feels centuries away from where you came. Take in the garden views while enjoying afternoon tea.
Overlooking a formal parterre garden, 376 acres of National Trust gardens, and the River Thames, the views from the perches at the back of the mansion are showstopping. Look out while sitting windowside at the old library bar, Aperol spritz in hand, for the perfect vacation moment.
From the hotel, guests can walk down to the riverbank on a tree-shaded path or by a long staircase carved into the gently sloping hill. But the best way Cliveden House helps guests enjoy the River Thames is via special boat trips and picnics, which can be arranged at your convenience. There are a few vintage boats to choose from, depending on the size of your group, and you have several menu options, including afternoon tea, Champagne and light bites, or a more robust meal to bring with you on your ride. You can charter the boats for an hour up to a whole day—the longer trips taking you for more extensive sightseeing or even to a nearby town, like Henley or Windsor. Sail down the River Thames on one of their vintage boats.
My group chose to idly cruise down the River Thames on the 33-foot Belmont, a restored 1930s slipper with glossy wood paneling, for a very happy hour before dinner at the hotel's upscale Cliveden Dining Room. On the boat ride, we had a clear view of Cliveden House atop its high vantage point, making it the only thing popping out above the dense green tree line. This experience was, especially to three Americans, authentically quaint and unexpectedly secluded. We had the stretch of the River Thames almost exclusively to ourselves, getting a quiet reprieve, which was unusual for three city dwellers. This was our collective favorite part of the weekend, merging many of Cliveden House's best attributes: living history, picturesque landscape, and British leisure culture.
While we stayed overnight, Cliveden House is a go-to day trip for people in the London area or for a pampering stopover for those coming to or from Heathrow, which is only about 20 minutes away by car. Featuring an outdoor pool and two hot tubs (a rarity in the U.K.), Cliveden's spa is a dreamy place nestled behind rustic brick walls to lounge on a balmy Saturday or Sunday. The outdoor swimming pool at the Cliveden Spa.
Inside the home's window-lined spa, which opened in 2017, treatments are offered in the light-hued, tranquil space, where there's also an indoor pool and Jacuzzi, steam room, sauna, and gym. The spa is open to both day and hotel guests and also offers a membership plan.
Other activities offered on site include tennis courts, afternoon high tea, fitness classes, country sports, falconry, and, of course, exploring the expansive grounds dotted with sculptures and ornate fountains.
Whether you have a day or an entire weekend for a fit-for-British-royalty countryside experience, Cliveden House is easy to access by car or train, with the nearest stops at Taplow and Burnham, and well worth the short journey for what feels like a far-away escape.