A WHIRLWIND THROUGH ETON

Written by Tony M cGrath

We spent a memorable break on our trip to England in Windsor and Eton which is 20 miles west of London and a logical final stop for our trip because of its proximity to Heathrow Airport, a 15-minute cab ride away.

Built as a fortress, Windsor is at once imposing, overwhelming and over-the-top opulent. We spent hours wandering around the place and somehow we still felt like we had only soaked up a tiny fraction of its history

Located on the banks of the River Thames, Windsor Castle is famous for being one of the official residences of Queen Elizabeth II and stark in our memory was her passing on the afternoon of our departure. This fame and its proximity to Central London has made it overwhelmingly popular among tourists.

This perspective seems to quieten when you cross the bridge that separates Windsor and Eton. The bridge takes you into a much calmer historic town that has that “je ne sais quoi”. It presents as intellectual and quintessentially British. With a rich heritage, beautiful surrounding countryside and history that connects both towns Eton is like stepping through a gate back in time into a small English university town with gowned boys from the historic Eton College wandering the streets along with tweed wearing, pipe smoking academic school masters.

Cobbled streets and historic buildings that truly take you back to an almost innocent era of elegance, this is a working, living town with high end shops intermingled with traditional English butchers, bakers and candlestick makers.

We wanted to experience a boutique hotel in such a deeply historic setting. We wanted a boutique bolthole.

Boutique: it is a term that gets bandied around with abandon these days but what exactly does it mean when it comes to hotels? For us, it all comes down to a sense of individuality — intriguing design, personal service, attention to detail and great locations are all important, of course, but above all the very best boutique hotels have a sense of character that the big chain hotels cannot match. In many ways, they are as much an experience as a place.

We opted for a townhouse. Townhouse hotels hark back to the time when country-based aristocrats would head to London for extended visits. These days in England they are designed to be informal; a Bridgerton-style mash-up of venerable and modish; a happy marriage between history and newer expectations of hospitality.

Our choice was Gilbey’s Bar and Restaurant which has occupied an understated spot on Eton High Street, just a five-minute beautiful stroll from the famous Eton College and Windsor Castle.

Yet few people realise that there is a lavish studio apartment tucked away within its rafters. From this lofty position you can even spy the castle turrets peeking over Eton’s rooftops.

While the overall design of Gilbey’s is stylish – think cosy townhouse meets French bistro – the apartment’s cream and claret décor is truly luxurious. Up here can be found antique furniture, hand-painted Oriental vases and intricate wood carvings – all sourced by co-owner Lin Gilbey from an Eton antiques emporium. It’s like staying in the home of a rich, well-travelled and impeccably stylish friend.

The apartment is wholly self-contained, but the staff are quick to offer assistance if needed. They are friendly and know the area well.

Windsor and Eton have some lovely restaurants but you should venture no further than downstairs to Gilbey’s which will be buzzing with locals – even on weeknights.

Co-owner Michael Gilbey has curated the wine list himself: don’t miss the very quaffable Pheasants Ridge Brut from grapes grown in Gilbey’s own Chilterns vineyard.

Best of all, the townhouse is run almost like a lovely family home with someone on hand to look after you as much, or as little, as you like across your stay.

This was without doubt one of the nicest stays in the London area that we can remember. We strolled the banks of the Thames to watch the elegant white swans glide along the river like they have for centuries on a typical sunny but drizzly morning before we sadly took our leave.

Written by Tony McGrath @tonymmcgrath