Bosworth Hall Hotel & Spa

This spa hotel in historic Market Bosworth of has a history that takes in Victorian feminism, a Lord Mayor of London and its own share of ghostly goings on.

With its grand gated entrance and landscaped grounds, Bosworth Hall Hotel & Spa doesn’t look like your average hotel, and there’s nothing ordinary about this former mansion’s history or past residents.

The hall was built on land acquired by Lord Mayor of London Wolston Dixie in 1589, and would be home to the Dixie family for nearly three centuries.

One member in particular, Lady Florence Dixie, made her mark with a pioneering spirit at odds with the ‘genteel Victorian lady’ stereotype. As a sportswoman, she rode with the Leicestershire Hunt and helped establish the British Ladies’ Football Club. An adventurer and writer, she travelled to Patagonia, writing a memoir that’s still in print today, and is believed to be the first female journalist to report from a war zone. She also waged war on sexism, championing women’s rights in books with strong feminist themes.

As the family’s fortunes changed, the hall was sold to pay off debts, and after a stint as an infirmary from the 1930s, it was returned to its former glory 50 years later as Bosworth Hall Hotel & Spa.

Guests will find all the comforts of a modern hotel, including gym and indoor pool, as well as stunning original features. Admire a magnificent carved staircase and Tudor stone fireplace as you walk in the footsteps of past residents, including deputy lieutenant Charles Tollemache-Scott. Look for his initials in the iron guttering, and the cell door he brought from London’s notorious Newgate Prison.

Cross the road to an 85-acre country park, follow the Market Bosworth Trail (guides are available at the hall and the local newsagent), head to the Bosworth Battlefield site, or simply enjoy the hotel’s gardens. Out-of-the-ordinary sights include a memorial to Lady Dixie’s dog, a secret fairy glen and resident ghost ‘the Grey Lady’, said to roam the grounds.