A focus on…
Thyme
At Your Leisure Volume 2
By Charlotte Ellis.
Nestled in the most perfectly ‘Cotswolds’ village of Southrop, is Thyme – hotel, restaurant, and spa. This idyllic destination is a brand unto itself, a quietly luxurious home from home. A soulful retreat where splendour, nature, and heritage intertwine.
From the moment you enter the driveway, passing the South Devon cattle on the approach to centuries old buildings, you can’t help but feel a sense of calm. This is only nurtured from the minute you step onto the land and across the threshold.
The interiors, the scent, the staff – the attention to detail at Thyme is impeccable. From the fresh flowers that adorn the reception area, to the scent – Water Meadow by Bertioli by Thyme, to the delicate watercolours on menus and notelets – by the founder herself, Caryn Hibbert. The rooms are coloured with bespoke hand painted materials, again Caryn’s handiwork. Everything has been considered but nothing is overdone or over the top.
Caryn and Jerry Hibbert moved to Southrop Manor in 2002 and soon after acquired the derelict farm buildings that sat adjacent to their home. Caryn, didn’t initially intend to build a sprawling hotel, but to preserve the heritage of the Southrop Manor Estate and create a place that celebrated the “spirit of the land.”
The restoration of Thyme began with a collaborative effort between Caryn and her late father Michael Bertioli. Michael was a physicist and engineer, motivated by ensuring modern technology was fully embraced at Thyme, making it as energy-efficient as possible.
From medicine to the meadow, the transition from doctor to founder happened in stages. First came the Cookery School, in 2009. Caryn’s medical background gave her a deep appreciation for the link between the land, food, and well-being and seasonal produce is what the hotel serves up to this day.
Caryn’s son, Charlie Hibbert, who today serves as the Creative Director and Head Chef honed his skills at prestigious restaurants like Quo Vadis in London, then returned to the estate in 2018 to lead the Ox Barn restaurant, later taking over the kitchens at The Swan, Thyme’s very own village pub.
It was in 2018 that Caryn and her daughter Camilla (Milly) launched Bertioli, a botanical brand born from their shared vision to bring the wild inside, and to extend Thyme’s ethos beyond its walls. These products are formulated with pure essential oils and botanicals grown on-site, ensuring that what goes onto your skin is as natural as the air you’re breathing, available to buy in the Thyme boutique on site.
Every suite in the hotel is named after a botanical found on the estate, and the decor follows suit. From the hand-painted wallpapers to the curated antique furniture, the suites feel less like a hotel room and more like a cherished bedroom in a grand, yet deeply comfortable, country house; providing the ultimate space to rest.
In the bathroom, you’ll find signature Bertioli products. The beds are dressed in the most luxurious linens, the rooms are equipped with designer Fellow kettles and earthenware coffee makers, turning a simple morning brew into a slow, sensory ritual. All guests have access to a private pantry, eschewing the traditional mini-bar.
The Meadow Spa is an extension of the garden; a place where the boundaries between the indoors and the Cotswold landscape are intentionally blurred. While many spas focus on high-impact machinery or quick-fix beauty results, the Meadow Spa is centred on botanical healing and the concept of slow time.
Every treatment utilises the Bertioli range. Central to the treatment menu is the belief that true relaxation begins with the nervous system. The therapists don’t just jump into a massage; they guide you through a transition, starting with conscious breathing. Rather than treating parts of the body in isolation, the spa focuses on the mind-body connection.
The bar at Thyme, known as The Baa, is perhaps the ultimate expression of the estate’s home from home philosophy. Located in a beautifully restored former granary, it manages to feel both incredibly chic and completely unpretentious, the furniture is arranged in pockets that allow for private conversation or quiet solitude by the fire.
Whether you are tucked into a corner with a good book or debating a triple-word score over a glass of something botanical, it captures that specific Thyme magic: the feeling that the outside world has stopped, and the only thing that matters is the present moment.
The drinks at Thyme are an extension of the garden, using tinctures, infusions, and syrups made on-site. If you’re sipping a cocktail, chances are the garnish was picked that morning. The menu is artfully mixed to reflect the seasons.
Education is at the heart of Caryn Hibbert’s vision. The Cookery School, housed in a magnificent 17th-century tithe barn, is a state-of-the-art facility where the farm-to-fork philosophy is put into practice. Led by expert chefs, classes range from bread-making and pasta-masterclasses to ‘Garden-to-Plate’ sessions where guests harvest ingredients from the organic kitchen garden before cooking them.
Thyme frequently hosts “Happening” events; seminars and talks that feature experts in botany, sustainability, and wellness. These sessions bridge the gap between scientific understanding and the beauty of the natural world.
The estate also features dedicated gallery spaces that host rotating exhibitions, often focusing on nature, conservation, and botanical art.
Whether you are attending a workshop on floral arrangement, listening to a talk on soil health, or simply browsing the boutique for a piece of Thyme to take home, these spaces ensure that Thyme remains a place of constant growth and inspiration. It is an invitation to learn a new skill and take the rhythmic way of living back to the outside world.
Book a weekend … you’ll never want to leave.
