Coworth Park

About the venue

Dorchester Collection country house hotel in 240 acres on the edge of Windsor Great Park, near Ascot. Its Mansion House dates from 1776, and the estate has two polo grounds, an equestrian centre, a Michelin-starred restaurant and 71 rooms and suites. The Oval Room seats 100 for dinner.

Galen Weston, who owned Selfridges and Fortnum & Mason, bought Coworth Park in the 1980s and gave it a polo field and stables. A second ground and a practice field followed. Today Guards Polo Club manages them, and Dorchester Collection says Coworth is the only hotel in the UK with its own polo fields.

The Mansion House was built in 1776 for William Shepheard, an East India merchant. Lord Stanley, later the 17th Earl of Derby, bought it in 1899 and lived here for 50 years. The Prince and Princess of Wales stayed in 1879 and 1883 for the races at Ascot. After a full restoration it opened as a Dorchester Collection hotel in September 2010.

There are 71 rooms and suites spread between the Mansion House, the converted Stables and a row of cottages. Two Grade II listed buildings, North Lodge and The Dower House, are let as private houses with their own kitchens. Woven by Adam Smith holds a Michelin star and seats 64. The Barn serves a British menu and has a bar and dining room upstairs for private parties.

Events use a handful of rooms in and around the house. The Oval Room is the largest, on the lower ground floor, with a patio and a staircase up to the terraced gardens. The Tower House stands apart, with exposed brick, an open fireplace and a balcony over the polo fields and lake. A small turret room sits at the top.

The spa has an indoor pool, steam room and gym. Riders can use stabling for up to 40 horses, and there is a Kids Club and a helicopter pad. Central London is about 45 minutes by car and Heathrow about 20, with parking free for guests.

Mansion House built in 1776

Two polo grounds run by Guards Polo Club

240 acres beside Windsor Great Park

Oval Room for up to 100

Ten-acre wildflower meadow for vows

Michelin-starred Woven by Adam Smith

71 rooms and suites, plus two private houses

Spa, equestrian centre and helipad