Last Updated on October 16, 2023

Stepping back in time at The Swan Hotel

Any visitor to The Swan at Lavenham Hotel and Spa is likely to have a sense of deja vu.  The beautifully preserved medieval wool town has appeared in several films (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Barry Lyndon are the best known) and TV shows (several episodes of Lovejoy).  The picture-perfect town dates back to before the Norman conquest and by the 16th century, it was the 14th wealthiest settlement in England, thanks to the production of woad dyed broadcloth, a blue woollen cloth that became known as Lavenham Blue.

We have to thank the economic collapse of the town for the beautifully preserved buildings – when Dutch weavers moved to nearby Colchester and undercut the market with a lighter and more fashionable cloth, the townspeople were unable to maintain or modernise their buildings and so, what is left of the town is very much as it would have been in the early 16th century.  For me, that deja vu is quite personal.  I first visited Lavenham when I was 16, for a birthday lunch at the Swan Hotel. Returning forty years or so later, it felt as if little had changed.

The Swan itself is a II* listed 15th-century building with a half-timbered exterior and stunning oak-beamed interiors.  There are plenty of lounge areas for guests with sumptuously comfy sofas and chairs, open fires and a cosy feel that is often missing from hotels.  And, while I remember it being much as it was – the decor is fresh and clean, a mix of traditional styling with more contemporary furniture and fabrics.  

The Weavers’ House Spa on one side of the Swan Hotel is a new addition too and despite staying for just one night, I managed to fit in not one but two visits to the space which includes 6 treatment rooms, a large and light sauna and a modern steam room, together with an outdoor vitality pool.  Once you’ve had your treatment or used the spa facilities, you can chill in the light and airy lounge with coffee, fruit and water on hand or grab a sun lounger and sit in what seemed in late March to be a real suntrap of a garden.  The spa uses Tribe517 and Temple Spa products and there’s a double treatment room for couples or friends too.  

My room, the stunning Stanstead Suite, had one of the most splendid oak beamed ceilings I’ve ever seen.  A lofty vaulted affair that framed the bed and made for a truly romantic setting that was light and airy too.  In the bathroom, there was a range of the same Temple Spa products to indulge in. The bed with a beautiful tapestry headboard looked fit for a princess.  All the normal hotel paraphernalia was neatly stowed away so I could make my own tea and coffee. 

I had a quick peek into some of the other rooms too and I suspect regular visitors quickly find their favourite.  Don’t you just love the vibrant colours of the Gainsborough Suite?

Downstairs in the stunning Gallery Restaurant, I indulged in a glass of fizz (champagne Joseph Perrier Cuvée Royale Brut) while I picked what to eat.  You can’t see from this picture but there is, indeed a minstrel’s gallery at the far end,  complete with a grand piano that is apparently played for special dinners and Sunday Lunch. It’s a beautiful, elegant and spacious area that, thanks to the ceiling height just feels a little special.

A neat platter of homemade bread and butter arrived and was the ultimate temptation while I tried to pick from the wealth of dishes on the menu.

In some attempt to be healthy I started with a plate of heritage beetroot served raw in fine slithers, smoked and cut into tiny morsels for the pickled part.  With a generous slice of goat’s cheese and a pretty garnish of edible flowers, it was substantial without being overfilling.

With the venison that followed, I enjoyed a generous helping of truffle mash, red cabbage and roast butternut squash puree.  Perfectly cooked venison is one of my favourite treats and this was delicious, with a rich jus that complemented the light gamey flavour.  To drink, I picked a glass of Malbec Tilia Merlot from the main wine menu and regretted not being there with a friend.  There’s an excellent wine list by the glass or bottle (my Malbec was £10.50 by the glass or £41 for the bottle), but there’s also a rather special ‘Vintage Bin End’ wine menu with stunning wines for a special occasion (Chateau Latour and Chateau Margaux 1er grand cru classes from 1970 and 1979 respectively).

I was still happily sipping my Malbec when dessert arrived in the form of a rather decadent chocolate fondant with caramelised white chocolate, caramel popcorn and coffee ice cream.  Yes, I was tempted by most of the dessert list – and particularly intrigued by The Swan cheeseboard with a really fabulous selection of some of my favourite cheeses (Norfolk Mardler, Binham Blue, Black Bomber and Baron Bigod).   

But a chocolate fondant with proper ‘ooze’ is a thing of great joy.  And this one did have exactly the right amount of warm, sticky chocolate inside.

I staggered up the stairs to bed with every intention of getting up early so I could make the most of the spa and perhaps explore Lavenham a bit more.  But, in the end, I didn’t emerge till 9 am and was just about able to indulge in a Suffolk cooked breakfast with sausages and bacon every bit as good as the ones I remember from my childhood.

Breakfast is table service and there are plenty of cooked or lighter options including yoghurts, pastries and granola.  It’s spot on – unfussy but with plenty of options!  A walk after such a morning feast is a great idea and there’s plenty to see in Lavenham.  

 

Lavenham is the kind of place where you meander around the town stopping to take photos or for a coffee in the pretty market square, there are a wealth of boutique shops and galleries and a scattering of restaurants, tea and coffee shops and pubs.  Out of season, the National Trust Guildhall is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays so I couldn’t go inside.  It’s obvious though, from the exterior of this Grade I listed building that it’s worth a visit – apparently there are spinning demonstrations there amongst other events.

De Vere House might look familiar – it was featured in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as the young wizard’s birthplace.  It’s another Grade I listed property that was originally a 14th-century hall house.  It was extended just after the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 and much of the 15th-century extension still exists much as it was over 500 years ago.

The magnificent church of St Peter and St Paul’s is one of the most dramatic in Suffolk.  The church tower is 141 feet high and it’s very much a display of the wealth of Lavenham – it’s one of England’s ‘wool churches’ – financed by donations from rich merchants and farmers who benefitted from the medieval wool trade and hoped to buy a place in heaven thanks to their generosity. 

It’s another Grade I listed building.  There’s been a church on the site since Anglo Saxon times but the current building was reconstructed between 1485 and 1525, probably designed by the architect John Wastrell.

Back at the hotel, there was time for a quick drink and a sandwich in the pretty gardens.  If you don’t want a formal meal, then The Swan offers a bistro type menu in the Gallery Restaurant at lunchtime or in their Brasserie 487 at lunch and in the evenings after 6.  You can pick from the Mess Call 487 fish and chips, salads, burgers, sandwiches and more.  

The brasserie seating indoors is complemented by a pretty garden with tables and by the Airmen’s Bar, with a pub feeling to it.

For more Pride of Britain Hotel reviews, do check our recent visits to Tylney Hall in Hampshire, to Ashdown Park in Sussex and to The Dunstane Houses in Edinburgh