CLIFTON HOUSE
Warm and welcoming B&B packed with period charm
ORIGINALLY A 17TH CENTURY COACHING INN, Clifton House makes a welcoming roost in pretty Bradford on Avon, seven miles from Bath. This
immaculate little B&B offers great value, too.
Run by hospitable owners John and Jan Bird, Clifton House is just the place to relax and kick back in a characterful period setting matched by essential modern comforts. Behind its Victorian Bath stone facade, this five-bedroomed gem complete with
ornate ceilings, antiques and polished wood floors wraps around a sheltered courtyard with pretty gardens.
While strictly a B&B, Clifton House has all the amenities of a small hotel. There’s a guest drawing room with plenty of squashy sofas (and a crackling log fire in winter) for lazy days and Sunday papers. You can also
sit and unwind in the garden, where resident cat Lilli can often be found stretched out in the sun.
Hit the spot
In pretty Bradford-on-Avon, seven miles from Bath.
Bedtime
The master suite is packed with Wow factor, with its kingsize four poster bed and feature fireplace. Room 3 also has a four poster.
Be savvy
It’s a ten-minute uphill walk back from the town centre – though you can take a bus.
Be smitten
Bijou B&B in a heritage home.
Supremely comfortable
There’s been no stinting in Clifton House’s
supremely comfortable bedrooms. Your kingsize bed comes with a super-comfy mattress, fine bedlinen and feather duvets for a great night’s slumber. There’s also a hospitality tray (with delicious biscuits) and a flatscreen TV with plenty of channels.
Honeymooners love Room 1 - the luxurious Master suite – with its
kingsize four poster, old stone fireplace and ‘turret’ ensuite shower room. Charming and intimate Room 3 also has a four poster, while Room 5 has a huge sleigh bed and a private (though not ensuite) shower room.
Attention to detail is evident throughout this lovely period house. Look forward to
first-rate breakfasts in the airy dining room at Clifton House, with its arched windows and stone fireplace. The Full English – accompanied by home made bread – will set you up for a day’s sightseeing.
Historic Bradford on Avon has a wealth of pubs and restaurants, as well as great little shops and galleries. Just hop on the bus that stops across the street to reach Georgian Bath and all its attractions. You’re also well placed here to reach Longleat, Stonehenge and the National Trust village of Lacock.
Clifton House ticks all the
right boxes for location, home-from-home comforts and ever-cordial hosts. It’s no surprise that guests just keep coming back.
Clifton House was reviewed for
Room for Romance by Jonathan Hewitt
Click on any picture to enlarge it and move through the gallery.
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Dining in
Look forward to first-rate breakfasts here with locally sourced sausages and bacon. There’s delicious home made bread and freshly brewed coffee to round it off.
Should you decide to hire Clifton House on an exclusive use basis (it’s ideal for intimate wedding parties), candlelit dinners or a barbecue in the garden can be arranged to suit.
Dining out
The Castle Inn, just across the street, is a great gastro inn offering tasty home-cooked fare and views over the town from its outdoor terrace. Five minutes away downhill, other well-rated dining spots include the Bunch of Grapes and the Swan. A short drive away in Monkton Farleigh The Kings Arms is one of the best restaurants around.
Where?
The breakfast room at Clifton House
What’s cooking?
Award winning breakfasts, with everything from the Full English with the best local ingredients to more sedate continental affairs.
Top table?
Grab a window seat and soak up the morning sun.
See & Do
The World Heritage city of Bath with its Thermae Spa, Georgian terraces and tea rooms. Iford Manor and the National Trust village of Lacock, Bowood House – famous for its gardens and weekend fairs – and the picture-perfect village of Castle Combe. Riverside Bradford on Avon is a historic market town full of honey-coloured period buildings and artisan shops with a lively weekly food market.
Shops
Bradford on Avon has lots of little artisan stores and delis perfect for browsing. Head for the Tithe Barn, near the river, for hand-made furniture, jewellery and lamps. Nearby Bath also boasts plenty of boutiques for home and fashion, as well as the artisan quarter of Walcott Street.
Spa
Make like the Romans and head into Bath for a trip to the Thermae spa for all the hotel water you can handle.
After dark
Sip a drink in the garden, or in the super comfy lounge in winter. There are also plenty of great local pubs to try, though for more nightlife take a trip to Bath.
Dates
May/June
Whatever kind of art takes your fancy, then the Bath Fringe Festival has it.
26 November – 6 December
If you don't mind some hustle and bustle then Bath's picture card Christmas market should get you in the festive mood.
GETTING THERE
Location
Bath Road, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, BA15 1SL.
Parking
There is free guest parking.
Trains
Around GBP 5 from the station.
Taxis
Bradford on Avon, 1km.
Airport
Bristol, 40 miles.
Rooms and suites
Four rooms
Special features
Two rooms have four poster beds, while a third has a kingsize sleigh bed. All have fine furniture, a flatscreen TV with Freeview digital channels and a hospitality tray for making tea and coffee.
Also...
The luxurious Master suite has a feature fireplace, ‘turret’ ensuite shower room and plenty of Wow factor.
ESSENTIAL INFO
Rates guide
GBP 98 - 165
Open/closed
Closed 21 - 27 December.
Check-in
15:30
Check-out
10:30
Minimum night stay?
Two nights at weekends.
Breakfast
Breakfast is served until 9.30am, or 10.00 on Sundays. Look forward to an excellent Full English, accompanied by croissants and home made bread.
Room service
There's no dedicated room service, but breakfast in bed is available for a GBP 5 supplement.
Children
Strictly grown ups only.
Pets
No.
Air conditioning
No.
Wedding license?
Yes. Clifton House specialises in hosting small, intimate weddings on an exclusive use basis. A candlelit dinner or barbecue can be arranged to suit.