Overview

Sadly, we did not really regard this as accessible in certain areas, thus the lower marks offered, and it may have been grand at one time, but it has lost a lot of its appeal nowadays, very clean and tidy, and quite well maintained, but not the appeal we expected, and as disabled travellers, we felt the facilities were rather disappointing, but able bodied visitors may offer 4 stars, depends on what you want. It has its history though, right back to the early 1700,s when the house was built for the Churchill family, becoming the home of Charles Churchill, son of the first Duke of Marlborough, (1720-1812) and Lady Mary Walpole, (1725-1801) the favourite daughter of Sir Robert Walpole, and their son was Charles Churchill, and it seems they had two daughters, Mary and Sophia.The House was Then set in 15 acres of well maintained gardens and open spaces. Sadly, Lady Mary died in 1801 and Charles in 1812, and it seems their son Charles may have inherited the house, as his sister Mary is mentioned in records as living here. Possibly, following her death the house was put up for sale in 1847. Colonel Robert Blane (1809-1871) bought the house, and it appears he named the house “The Oaks” He had been born at Winkfield Park to his father William Blane. In 1841 he joined the army, and in 1845 he married Margaret Rose Ames, but the couple had no children. He served in the Crimean war in 1854 and fought in many battles, and thus rewarded by many titles. For his last five years he was Military Attaché in Petersburg, before he died. During 1880 the Oaks was bought by Hannah Entwistle (Entwisle) who was by then a window. She had been born Hannah Loyd and married William Entwisle, who had lived at Rusholme house, near Manchester. His father Richard and mother had 8 children, and the youngest son William stayed on to live at Rusholme house following his fathers death on 30th May 1836. William was educated at Westminster and Cambridge, before he married Hannah Loyd on 27th April 1837. In 1844 he joined the Loyd Entwisle Bank. On the 1861 census it showed he was still living at Rusholme house with Hannah, described as “Deputy Lieutenant, Magistrate and banker. He died in 1865, just 48 years old. Following his death, and years later, Hannah Entwisle bought The Oaks in 1880, and recorded during 1901 as still living at The Oaks, SUNNINGHILL, and lived there for 25 years until her death on 25th November 1907. After her death, a Colonel Guy Stewart St Aubyn bought The Oaks, and he can be seen as the owner on the 1911 census. He was born at Stoke Damerel, Devon, on the 21st November 1870. He married Florita Catherine Grenfell in 1899 at St George Hanover Square, London. She had been born on 5th January 1873 at St Thomas church St Mary-le- Bone, London, and they had a son and a daughter. Guy St Aubyn was a soldier and a Justice of the Peace, and by 1920, they had sold The Oaks, and returned to live in the south west, before he died 25th April 1925. His wife Florita died four years later, 7th September 1929. I personally worked for one branch of the family line, for Mr Nicholas Francis St Aubyn for many years as their gardener and maintenance man, this branch of the family owned and still live at St Michaels mount, Cornwall. He was at this time the MP Conservative member for Truro, before moving on to become the serving MP member at Guildford, holding his seat for many years. I stayed on in my position after Mr St Aubyn sold the 25 acres of Trenowth House, Cornwall for a number of years before Health forced me to leave. The Oaks was then bought by Colonel James Nichols by 1920 (it was his father who established the Horlicks malted milk company at Slough, London. St James himself had been born in 1886 in New York City, USA. However, he was educated at Eton and Cambridge University, before joining the Coldstream Guards. He married Flora Macdonald Merton in 1911, and they had three children. During his service in the First World War, he received the Military Cross, and just afterwards, became a director of the Horlicks company. By 1920 he had bought The Oaks, and now changed the name of the house to Little Paddocks, and he did a lot towards improving the estate, bringing in the Rhododenrons you can see in the gardens of the hotel here today, added the wall garden, and the first swimming pool. According to Princess Alexandra of Greece, who visited his home, she remarked “They had a beautiful house, Little Paddocks, where he would invite dozens of friends of twenty five and more to gay house parties every weekend. Princess Alexandra was seven at the time and and she was impressed by all his butlers, footmen and maids that served in the house, and loved her uncle James and aunt Flora. In 1944 she married King Peter of Yugoslavia and had her honeymoon at Little Paddocks, staying in one of the estates cottages, renting the cottage for some time. Sir James became the member of Parliament for Gloucester between 1923-1929. The family then felt that perhaps the house was too big for them, and they moved to Achamore house on the Isle of Gigha. Little Paddocks was now offered to the Brighton Asylum for the instruction of the blind, around 1940, which had been set up in 1893 to give training to the blind or partially sighted girls over the age of 16, and during 1941 the girls were evacuated here from Brighton. It must have been a tough place to live, for one lady later wrote that she felt it was a dreadful place, with lots of cruelty going on in there. Then as the number of girls attending declined, the school was finally closed in 1970, with the girls moving to Blatchington Court for a short period. The hotel then lay empty for over two years before it became the property of the Hoffman family, and they set about creating a luxury style hotel, and at firstit was successful, but as time went on it slowly fell into disrepair, so it was sold in 1985. It’s a bit vague now as to owners after this, but it seems that Ladbrooks Hotels bought the house, and following major works the house “ came to life” It looks as if the Ramada hotel group took over the hotel, before it was sold again around 2011 to the “Exclusive Hotels” group and then built it up to a five star rated hotel. OUR PHOTOS As you arrive here following a drive through built up areas of Ascot and just a short way from COWORTH house (REVIEWED FOR YOU) the entrance towards the main driveway looked impressive enough (photo 1) and there is an interesting drive up towards the house (photo 2) and you soon arrive at the Red Brick old house (photo 3) which has two disabled parking bays right by the front entrance. You ride across compressed stones to the front entrance (photo 4) with a slate like slabbed ramp to help you up into the house (photo 5) The reception desk was simple enough (photo 6) nothing to write home about but satisfactory, but appealing enough not to disappoint to much (photo 7) The wooden floor panelling looked old enough to add a feeling of history involved here But concerned about those two steps to get up if you want the bar (photo 8) and we found no other route so that was disappointing. If you can get up out of your wheelchair, then it could be lifted up for you to help get you up to the bar (photo 9). A nice pleasant lounge area looked inviting enough (photo 10) with a quieter area alongside the bar if you preferred (photo 11) and a cosy fire warmed the lounge for us (photo 12) and being a cold early March winters day it’s warm glow warmed our hearts and spirit (photo 13) Leading off by the reception desk, a wooden tiled floor encouraged us to explore (photo 14) and took us towards the “Fork” restaurant (photo 15) attractive in its own right with cosy leather chairs and nicely laid tables (photo 16) with a choice of seating (photo 17) Just off the restaurant you will find the accessible toilet (photo 18) nicely tiled, plenty of room inside for all sizes of chairs, grab rails and pull cords, very clean and tidy. With modern ceramic wares (photo 19). OUR FINAL THOUGHTS We were not overly impressed by the house, it lacked the feeling of warmth that other hotels have, clean and tidy, nice furniture, seemed to be well maintained, but just lacked something ?

Transport & Parking

You have a pleasant but short drive from the main gate to the house, and there are two disabled bays right outside the house.

Access

Although there are ramps to get you into the house, and then most of the floors are on the level, there is sadly steps needed to get up if you want to go to the bar for coffee or a stronger drink, and if unable to get out of your chair, you will not be able to use this facility.

Toilets

You will find accessible toilets along a corridor not to far from reception, nicely tiled and with plain natural colour scheme, with grab rails and pull cord, and it’s quite spacious in there so no problems for you.

Staff

Staff were pleasant enough but reserved and quiet.

Photos