1,000 Places to See in Your Lifetime: A Guests of the Astors

CLIVEDEN, Taplow, Berkshire, England.

Cliveden Hotel

Spectacular, Magnificent and Awesomely, comfortable as it is overwhelming grand, England's most majestic country-house hotel. Cliveden. House is set amid 376 acres of magnificent National Trust formal gardens and woodlands. Standing upon chalk cliffs that give the estate its name, the house commands panoramic views over beautiful countryside and an idyllic bend in the river Thames.

Owned and managed by the National Trust, the beautiful gardens feature the celebrated parterre, season long floral displays, distinctive topiary and an outstanding sculpture collection.

The famous parterre was laid out in 1855 by John Fleming and his colorful planting schemes set a precedent for gardens the world over. The triangular shaped beds have been beautifully restored with seasonal bedding displays using Fleming’s original design and complete the breathtaking views from the house.

The sculpture collection, amassed largely by the Sutherland and Astor families, is evident throughout the garden and includes Thomas Waldo Story’s impressive Fountain of Love at the end of the Grand Avenue. Other features not to miss are the octagonal temple, perched on the cliff edge and built by Giacomo Leoni in 1735, the pavilion built to commemorate the battle of Blenheim, and an amphitheater where the first recital of “Rule Britannia” was played.

For younger visitors, the storybook themed play area encourages imaginations to run wild and from May 2011 the newly recreated Cliveden Maze will challenge all ages!

With snow drops and daffodils, bluebells in the woodlands, changing bedding displays and stunning autumn color in the Water Garden there is always something new to discover in Cliveden’s gardens.

A dinner in the excellent restaurant Waldo's is reason enough to drive from London, though as an overnight guest you'll have the luxury of working it off on the hotel's 376 acres of riding paths or jogging trails. Over look the River Thames, 15-foot-high windows offered views of hotel's antique boats, including Nancy Astor's silent electric canoe. Piloted by uniformed boatmen, these are available for pre-dinner Champagne cruises or picnics with large hampers of food furnished by the hotel. Take the pleasure in the formal gardens, drawing-room fires, tail-coated footmen, chandeliered dining room and palpable air of exclusivity, but what you may enjoy most is the royal treatment extended even to title-less guests.

build in 1666 by the Second Duke

View looking north from the Ring in the Parterre showing Terrace Pavilion and Clock Tower to the left with Lower Terrace and Borghese Balustrade below