Discover Norton Park Hotel Near Winchester
The Manor House at Norton Park. Image © Annabel Rooney
Vibrant. Ancient. Cultured.
The city of Winchester in Hampshire is well-known for being home to one of the largest cathedrals in Europe, a budding Christmas market and boutique craft shops on a bustling high street.
The city attracts thousands of tourists each year who visit over the weekend, and just a 15 minute drive north, Norton Park Hotel is a relatively undiscovered property in the pretty village of Sutton Scotney.
Winchester Cathedral. DAVID CLAPP/GETTY IMAGES
Set on 54 acres of sprawling, well-kept grounds, the hotel is a strong contender in the wedding and events arena in the area. It is split between a newer addition to the hotel, a vast 17th-century barn and a 16th-century manor house.
Inside the main hotel (or ‘modern wing’ as dubbed by the hotel) are 152 contemporary rooms and suites, a restaurant and spa plus a fully kitted out gym.
Delving into an indepth look around, the rooms are spacious and feature clean, modern corporate-leaning decor. Artwork and dark wood desks, cabinets and side tables frame the room and an ironing board, iron, a good quality fan and mini-fridge and tea and coffee facilities are all available.
The bed is as comfortable as it looks, a whimsical puff of cotton sheets and a crisp, clean smell awaits after a long day. Bathrooms are functional with nice extras like magnifying glasses in the mirrors and heated towel rails.
During our time at Norton Park, many guests seemed jovial and happy to be meeting with friends and family, excited for a perhaps overdue getaway with their loved ones. There is a wedding in the 17th-century Tythe Barn, a popular booking for Hampshire residents and those from Sussex looking to go a little further afield for their nuptials.
Guests sit outside on the hotel’s characterful green deck chairs, a nice touch for those of us who love lounging in the summer sun on a perfectly mown lawn.
The hotel restaurant is busy during the summer, usually occupied by celebrating wedding guests which adds to the lively energy of the dining space. The menu features an odd assortment of burgers, curries and salads, a very limited pizza offering and a few options for vegetarians and vegans.
Opt for the fragrant chickpea, sweet potato and spinach curry in a coconut sauce finished with fenugreek and curry leaves served with steamed basmati rice and Chota Naan bread - highly recommended. A delightful pairing with a glass of Malbec.
Winding our way down to the spa, facilities include a gym, swimming pool, sauna, steam room and a quiet Elemis spa providing an array of treatments including full-body, hot stone and a ‘Body Nectar Nourishing Wrap with Frangipani’ using a Polynesian radiance oil, Monoi Oil.
Staff at the spa are professional, keen to ensure guests have the treatment best suited to them and are very experienced.
Outside, the aforementioned 16th-century Manor House is buzzing with activity: 90th birthday balloons are being blown up and long tables are topped with bowls of hydrangeas and scattered fistfuls of confetti. Inside the Manor House is somewhat other-worldly. Oak panelling line the timber-beamed entrance hall which features a large Turkish rug and an open hearth.
Embodying their slogan, Inspired By You, walking around the grounds, there is an air of freedom to sit where one pleases. There are no haughty managers prowling the grounds telling people off for inane reasons. Guests are scattered enjoying picnics watching their children feeding birds from the nearby lake, climbing trees and chasing squirrels.
Norton Park is a hotel perfectly positioned (geographically) to be one of Hampshire’s best hotels. The grounds are second to none, perfectly upkept, providing ample space for beautiful weddings, events and celebrations.
Staff at Norton Park are friendly and helpful and keen to do the best job they can under the circumstances, however, it’s clear that the hotel is suffering the financial after-effects of lockdown, with staff very thin on the ground and often tables outside left uncleared.
The focus now needs to be geared towards hiring more staff and attention to detail so that the highly-rated reviews (a healthy four stars out of five on TripAdvisor) the hotel has received thus far is maintained.
Norton Park is dog friendly, well equipped to cater for disabled guests: it is evident they care about being inclusive and thoughtfully feature Tesla Superchargers. QHotels also states on their website “We will be giving our team members the freedom to choose to wear a mask and this also applies to all our guests. We respect everyone's decision to do what makes them feel comfortable.”
In times like these, it is pleasant to see hotels putting their guests first and fostering a welcoming and tolerant attitude towards us all.
Summers spent in the grounds at Norton Park will be well worth the drive outside of Winchester and should you be considering booking your wedding here, it is the ideal destination to say your vows and schedule a photoshoot in the magnificent grounds.