Nothing Ordinary Ever Happened Here: Cliveden House

We’ll spend our last two nights at Cliveden House, in the heart of the English countryside above the Thames. The National Trust owns the 376 acres of gardens and woodland, and the house runs as a five-star hotel — one of the few places in England where you can stay inside a National Trust propertyrather than tour it. Every reigning monarch since George I has come through the door, and Meghan Markle spent the night before her wedding here.

Two nights is enough to do very little or a great deal. The Pavilion Spa is built around the outdoor pool, with an indoor pool, hot tubs, and a treatment list worth clearing an afternoon for. There's falconry, archery, horse riding on the estate, and woodland paths down to the river. The formal garden below the terrace, laid out in 1723, is one of the largest in Europe. And the boats: Cliveden keeps a flotilla of restored vintage launches, and an hour drifting on the Thames with champagne aboard makes for a glamorous afternoon outing.

Three hundred and fifty years of remarkable women have had the run of this house. For two nights, it's ours. View trip details here.