Review of Summer Lodge Country House Hotel & Restaurant

Summer Lodge is located in the heart of Thomas Hardy Country in picturesque Dorset, in the village of Evershot adjoining the 3,642 hectare Melbury estate and deer park. Set in 1.6 hectares of pristinely manicured gardens, the beautiful county of Dorset with walks and cycling routes galore is just waiting to be explored whilst the Jurassic Coast in only a 25-minute drive away from the property. The hotel’s own resident historian, Ray Wilton, is happy to take guests on tours of Evershot village whilst private day tours of Dorset can be arranged with the hotel’s partner, Dorset Tours. 

Close by too in a quiet tranquil valley is the neighbouring estate of Minterne House, home of the Churchill and Digby families since 1620, the stunning gardens of which, landscaped in the manner of Capability Brown, are open to the public with parking onsite. Guests at Summer Lodge can discover the history of this unique house from Lord Henry Digby himself in an exclusive two-hour tour to include afternoon tea with his Lordship. 

Half an hour’s drive away will see you visit Thomas Hardy’s cottage where he was born and lived until 34 with his later home, Max Gate, situated on the outskirts of Dorchester.

The hotel offers a wide range of accommodation from spacious guest rooms and suites in the main house to rooms in the coach house or a selection of cottages including Summer Lodge Cottages, Bea’s Cottage and the more private Ivy Cottage – the latter options perfect for families travelling with their pets or for those who crave more privacy.

Furnished in quintessential country house style in a range of colourways, the classically comfortable rooms are both cosy and luxurious with each enjoying its own individual style. There are fresh flowers and fruit; shortbread biscuits with coffee and tea making facilities; still and sparkling mineral water; 200 thread count bed linens; iron and ironing boards; personal safes; air conditioning; and luxury Floris toiletries on tap whilst discreet technology includes flatscreen televisions with satellite channels.

Accommodation options vary from the cosy doubles looking out over the courtyard or the village and the Classic King, the larger Superior King or Twin rooms offering generously proportioned living space to the Principal King with far reaching views out over the gardens and the countryside beyond. The Master Bedroom was designed by Thomas Hardy himself with large windows flooding the room with light. A grand four poster bed, antique furnishings and a welcoming fire, make this one of the most popular rooms in the hotel.

The suites are all different and range from the Courtyard Suites (with the ground floor suites located in the Coach House with a conservatory and private walled garden) to the Duplex Cottage Suite, split over two floors in the Summer Lane Cottages. One features a stunning four poster bed and a working fireplace. The Garden Suite is perfect for the green fingered among us with a glass conservatory, a private dining area and bar. The countryside garden is planted with local flowers and foliage with seasonal planting to enliven the borders. 

The stone-built Ivy Cottage meanwhile is around 400 years old and, with its pretty private courtyard garden everything one would imagine of a country cottage retreat as envisaged by Jane Austen. The al fresco hot tub lends a rather decadent feel to this country pied à terre, particularly with its “whatever, whenever” service button.

The amply proportioned four-bedroom Bea’s Cottage is a secluded hideaway yet in close proximity to the main building with a private rockery a sheltered garden, a sun filled terrace and a wood panelled dining room. Named for Beatrice Tollman, the President and Founder of Red Carnation Hotels, this cottage features a stunning glass conservatory and an original Matisse artwork with guests enjoying a large welcome hamper full of goodies.

Hotel facilities and activities are plentiful here in deepest Dorset with facilities including a boutique spa with an all-weather tennis court, a heated swimming pool, a Jacuzzi, sauna and studio gym, set within 1.6 hectares of beautifully manicured gardens. 

The spa menu offers a wide range of restorative treatments with mindfulness classes with Verity Woodgate ideal for recharging batteries in the hotel’s beautiful gardens. Products used include Elemis body treatments, Elemis facials and Made for Life Organics with treatments for expectant mothers and for junior guests under 16 years of age.

For the active, improve your backhand with private tennis lessons from local coach Henry Field at the hotel’s tennis court or take a yoga class with Jeni O’Connor of Space Yoga with mats provided for all classes. 

For exploring the county, Summer Lodge offers a selection of country house experiences from custom tours of Dorset to floating in a hot air balloon, to tours of the 16th century Mapperton House, yacht charters and hiking tours. Nearby, there are endless walks, cycle tours, horse riding, fishing, golf and even sculpture by the lakes with sculptor Simon Gudgeon. The property is surrounded by quaint towns and villages to explore, local gardens galore and beaches with the Jurassic Coast just a short drive away. Nearby, there are tours of the Furleigh Wine Estate with the option of creating your very own sparkling wine.

At the hotel itself, there are floral workshops; croquet matches; falconry displays; fermentation; tea, whisky and wine tasting masterclasses and gin tasting. 

Families will find a warm welcome at Summer Lodge with a variety of outdoor activities to enjoy together from a children’s playhouse to family picnics and curated treasure hunts. There are also Jurassic Coast fossil hunting expeditions, Henley Hillbilllies for teenagers who like archery, quad biking and clay pigeon shooting and a Teddy Bear Museum for junior rug rats. Thirty minutes away, there is Abbotsbury Swannery to walk with swans (if you dare), heritage rail travel on the Swanage Railway, stand up paddle boarding to test those core muscles and experiencing the world in miniature at the Corfe Castle Model Village.

This is a pet friendly hotel with a range of products available to make your furry friend’s escape as enjoyable as possible from dog beds; to food and water bowls; dog-washing stations; woof towels; Lily’s Kitchen dog food; dog in room door notices; dog treats; custom pet menus and a map of local Melbury Estate walks. They even offer an Animal Spa Menu designed by Charlotte Erika Walker, an animal health and healing therapist.

Imagine staying in a wealthy friend’s country bolt hole and that is what you will find at Summer Lodge. Good company, wonderful food, interesting outings and a host of wellness features, all wrapped up in a cosy yet luxurious setting that wouldn’t look out of place in an Agatha Christie novel, be it Miss Marple or Poirot, twirling that moustache.

Fine period features in a classic Georgian pile dating back to 1798, dressed elegantly and sumptuously, attended by smiling staff who go out of their way to cater to every whim, based in the heart of Thomas Hardy country, what is not to love? 

If you watch the 1996 adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Emma” starring Gwyneth Paltrow, you will see Summer Lodge in its “original” glory. 

When you add to that a house that was partially designed by the author himself when asked to enlarge the original dwelling, (the novelist earning his main living as an architect during much of his early life), then any historians or fans of literature will be in seventh heaven. This is a charming country house escape in a particularly beautiful part of the UK.

With the abundance of local produce on the doorstep together with a flourishing kitchen garden onsite, Executive Chef Steven Titman is spoilt for choice when it comes to creative dining menus at the three AA Rosette main Restaurant, reflecting a farm to fork philosophy. He handpicks ingredients such as local Dorset Blue Vinny cheeses to Longman Cheeses who also supply the hotel’s cream and butter. Sustainable fish comes via Samways or Chesil Smokery, whilst Dorset truffles are on the doorstep as are artisan breads at Evershot Bakery, Jurassic coast Meats and more, much more. Running alongside Steven’s inventive cuisine is a complementary wine offering, curated by sommelier Eric Zwiebel. Eric also organises seasonal wine dinners highlighting wines from different regions.

The cosy and comforting ambiance of The Bar offers another attractive venue for Dorset eating with an array of creative cocktails, a knowledgeable wine list and in the traditional Whisky Lounge, an outstanding choice of quality whiskies from around the world. For Afternoon Tea aficionados, there is also a Dorset version offered here at Summer Lodge from the traditional variety to a savoury version.

For that special occasion, unique custom private dining experiences can be arranged at Summer Lodge in The Conservatory, The Dorchester Suite, the Master Suite, the Garden Suite or at Ivy Cottage. 

Nearby, hotel guests can also experience the relaxed setting of sister property The Acorn Inn, a charming 16th century village inn across the village.

Working with the local community and being as sustainable as possible are key management initiatives for Summer Lodge and for all the hotels of Red Carnation. They work with local charities such as Weymouth Homeless shelter, Longmead Community Farm, Julia’s House Hospice and those initiated by Evershot Village, even donating left over toiletries and soaps to Dorchester Community Church for distribution to those in need in the county. 

The hotel grows much of its own vegetables, fruits and herbs in its kitchen gardens and polytunnels, composting food waste as fertiliser with anything that cannot be recycled used in a bio-digester to be converted into electricity. The food and beverage team also source produce as locally as possible to reduce their environmental footprint whilst supporting local businesses as well as foraging for fruits, wild garlic and mushrooms in the local hedgerows and woods surrounding the property. 

Growing their own food is key to reducing food miles, allowing chef to create a range of interesting menus dependent on the seasons. Surplus produce is sold in the local Post Office. The gardeners have even created a bug hotel out of old wood stacks and mud in the gardens’ wildlife areas. The property also has its own beehives for producing the property’s honey.

Red Carnation are also phasing out all single use plastics with Summer Lodge using compostable cardboard boxes rather than plastic backed packing tape for their mail. Even the sweeties given as prizes for their Summer Lodge Treasure Hunt are now purchased in bulk and re-packed in individual paper bags. In addition, the wood ash debris collected at sister property The Acorn Inn in their three fire fireplaces is being re-purposed to enrich the kitchen garden’s compost. It is also perfect for using on icy patches instead of rock salt and can be used as an alternative to bug repellant, protecting plants, grass and beehives from slugs, snails and ants.

Red Carnation is also part of The Treadright Foundation as part of the TTC family of brands, dedicated to #MakeTravelMatter, pledged to support sustainability and conservation, protect wildlife and to offer true economic benefit to the communities the brand operates in.