What the Papers Say

"You can enjoy a short break with friends in a luxury hotel - or you can stay at Somerley. The difference is this: in our bathroom, along with pampering oils and essences and thick pile towels, was Chinese porcelain on marquetry tables; in the bedroom, where Edward VII slept whenever he visited, a bowl of roses on a Georgian writing desk, family miniatures at either side of the marble fireplace, whiskey, gin and brandy in glass decanters (no minibar here); and a view of classic English parkland stretching to the horizon. A butler in tails and white gloves, not a waiter, served our drinks and canapés in the ravishingly gilded drawing room, and after a superb dinner in a room stiff with paintings by Reynolds (ingeniously lit as if from within), Somerley's affable owner, The 6th Earl of Normanton, quietly opened the doors of the 2nd Earl's 90-ft long Picture Gallery, a sight that made us gasp.

There's an enormous sense of privilege at staying in a place like Somerley, a stately home closed to the public, which is also very much a family base. For a day or two at least, Somerley becomes your stately home as well as his."

Fiona Duncan - Hotel Guru, The Sunday Telegraph

"Yes, celebrities have married here, and no, you won't find out who they are, because Somerley, as well as being surpassingly beautiful, is Britain's most discreet and private stately home available for weddings. The Earl of Normanton's pad is never open to the general public and the surrounding 7,000-acre estate keeps the paparazzi at bay. Only you and your guests can gasp at Somerley's glittering 90ft-long Picture Gallery, filled with masterpieces of art; better still, marry in it, or one of five other ravishing reception rooms. Sensational."

Review in Brides '100 hot venues in the UK' 2008 publication