Now that’s a great design! You’ll be treated like a friend at these beautiful Wolsey Lodges – and you might not even need a key

Are you looking for an alternative to a traditional B&B? Try a Wolsey Lodge – often cheaper and definitely more affordable.

They also have nothing corporate. The not-for-profit organization that offers accommodation in the UK and Ireland was founded some 30 years ago by Procter Naylor, who believed that “there is more to an Englishman’s home, with its grandeur and country splendour, than just B&B. It can be an experience.

Often the guests are not even given a key and are welcomed like family members or friends. There are 75 B&Bs bearing the Wolsey Lodge name, ranging from grand halls and estates to humble mansions.

Procter’s choice of name was inspired by Cardinal Wolsey, Lord Chancellor to King Henry VIII, who traveled the Empire in the 16th century and received lavish hospitality in country houses.

So here is our nationwide selection of Wolsey Lodges…

Make yourself at home: Wolsley Lodge guests are often not even given a key and are welcomed like family or friends (file photo)

Meet the Chairman

Wolsey Lodges chairman Carey Chapman and his wife Diana own Priory Steps in Bradford-on-Avon, near Bath. It was once home to the ‘Queen of Speed’, Mary Petre Bruce, the first woman to fly solo around the world and win the Monte Carlo Rally.

There are five bedrooms in a row of 17th century weaver’s cottages. The Chapmans welcome you with tea and tell you about the local Saxon chapel, Norman church and one of the oldest tithe barns in the country.

splendor of the garden

Manor House Farm in Wellingham, near King’s Lynn in Norfolk, is set in beautiful gardens, often open to the public under the National Garden Scheme.

A hearty breakfast is prepared on the Aga and served in the dining room. You can even bring your own horse if you want. Holkham beach is nearby.

culture central

Enter the Grade II listed North Walls House in the heart of charming Chichester

You’ll find North Walls House, a Georgian family home, in the heart of the charming West Sussex town of Chichester, famous for its cathedral, theater and Pallant House Gallery.

A Bluthner grand piano in the drawing room sets the tone in this listed building, and an adjoining coach house has been converted into a music room.

Romantic Scotland

23 Mayfield is a detached townhouse conveniently located close to Edinburgh city centre. The atmospheric and romantic furniture relies heavily on candlelight and dark leather as well as lots of wood panelling. We love the sound of Honesty Bar, where you can sample malt whiskeys next to an open fire.

Beautiful with sea views

Most rooms at Bossington Hall on Exmoor have sea views and there is a private cinema for guests to enjoy

Bossington Hall in Exmoor on the Somerset coast is a few minutes’ walk from the South West Coast Path. It was built in 1911 by Allan Hughes, one of the last major shipowners who founded the Federal Steam Navigation Company. Most rooms have sea views. Note the monumental squash court and private cinema.

Cumbrian comfort

Warwick Hall in Cumbria was once a hotel but is now a family-run B&B. On the advice of TV hotelier Alex Polizzi, the owners have upgraded the catering and now employ their own chef, Terence Chapa, who made his name at the country house Springkell in Scotland. You can even fish on the Eden River.

Welsh darling

Expect antiques and art in every room at Firgrove Country House, a Grade II listed Georgian property near Ruthin in Denbighshire. The fridges in the rooms have chilled wine glasses, so bring drinks. There is also plenty of tea and home baked goods.

Anyone for croquet?

Play a round of croquet during your stay at Castell Malgwyn in Wales, which has its own croquet lawn, dating back to when Lily Gower, a champion of the sport, called it home.

Castell Malgwyn is one of Pembrokeshire’s smaller manor houses, with a croquet lawn dating back to when it was home to Lily Gower, a champion sportswoman. Unusually for a Wolsey Lodge, breakfast is more of a continental affair than the fully cooked version.

Rustic Jacobean Stack

A Jacobean manor house is located near Ludlow in Shropshire. Crow Leasow was featured in the TV series The Great Hotel Escape and is named after a thousand-year-old oak tree on the property. It’s rustic: think mud boots drying on the aga and an open fire.

Durham beauty

Dowfold House is a charming Victorian property in the heart of County Durham, just 9 miles from Durham. It was built in 1860 for MP John Pease for those who operated his mines. The house is close to the North Pennines Area of ​​Outstanding Natural Beauty and has views over the Wear Valley.