All Images Credit Handpicked Hotels

England offers a wide range of accommodations for travelers, from sleek, modern skyscraping hotels in bustling cities to secluded rural escapes surrounded by bucolic landscapes. Yet for the historically curious, few experiences compare to a stay in a medieval castle or stately manor. These grand structures, steeped in centuries of intrigue, have borne witness to generations of nobles and aristocrats, and today, they offer guests a unique chance to step into that world—though with the comforts of modern amenities.

As one admirer put it,”Staying in an English manor feels like being in a novel where you are both the reader and the protagonist, surrounded by centuries of whispered secrets, draughty corridors, and the faintest aroma of history and intrigue.”This experience awaits in places like the New Hall Hotel & Spa in Sutton Coldfield, where the countryside meets old-world charm.

New Hall Hotel & Spa, located in Sutton Coldfield near Birmingham, is one of England’s oldest continuously inhabited moated manor houses. Steeped in over 800 years of history, this unique estate combines medieval architecture with modern luxury. The hotel boasts lush gardens, a serene spa, a pool, and a fitness suite, making it an ideal destination for both relaxation and historical intrigue. Notably, Henry VIII is rumored to have stayed here, adding a regal layer to the estate’s legacy.  

The Moat: A Watery Enchantment

Encircling New Hall is its mythical watery boundary.  Thought to be the oldest moat still functioning around a residential building in England, it serves as both a shield and a spectacle. From the moment you cross over the water and through the ivy-framed archway, you begin to sense the separation from the outside world and what awaits within.

By daylight, the moat reflects the grandeur of the Hall, capturing the sunlight glinting off its water.   In the evenings, as dusk settles over the estate, the moat becomes darker, almost mysterious, its presence lending the Hall a fortress-like character. Here, one can almost imagine knights and noble guests crossing over it centuries ago, a testament to New Hall’s legacy as both a residence and a bastion.

A Vision of Tudor Grandeur: The Exterior

Built originally as a private mansion in the 13th century, New Hall’s Tudor architecture is instantly commanding, with its heavy stone walls, steep gables, and towering chimneys. The Hall has been preserved with such respect that it feels entirely authentic, right down to the wrought-iron accents and pointed arches. There’s also a picturesque quality to the building’s façade with its broad mullioned windows and imposing stone surfaces accented by climbing ivy. You’ll also notice the occasional burst of wildflowers, softening the Hall’s formidable appearance and reminding you that nature is just as much a part of this property as its human legacy.

Inside the Manor: A Journey Through Time

The interiors of New Hall are every bit as impressive as its exterior. Crossing the threshold, one is greeted with historic detailing that has been attentively preserved and thoughtfully integrated with refined modernity. The lobby’s ceilings are punctuated by ancient wood beams, each carved and weathered. Heavy, dark wood paneling lines the walls, giving the space an immediate sense of warmth, balanced by light streaming in through large, decorative windows. These interiors are grand without ever feeling ostentatious.

Rich tapestries and heraldic symbols nod to the building’s noble past, while antique furniture – carefully selected to enhance rather than distract – adds to the period ambiance. Deep armchairs and inviting sofas populate the sitting rooms, clad in richly patterned fabrics. Light filters through stained-glass panels in the common areas, casting jewel-toned patterns across the stone floors and making the room feel alive with color.

The Regal Accommodations: Where Character Meets Comfort

Guests choose from 60 well-appointed rooms in the manor house that embrace its history while providing today’s creature comforts and modern amenities.  Throughout are high-backed wooden beds, adorned with plush, embroidered linens, sit beneath intricate wooden ceilings, while thick drapes add a sense of privacy and luxury. Original stone windows with deep sills invite natural light, framing views of the moat or gardens outside, grounding each room in the landscape.

The Princess Elizabeth Master Suite showcases the Elizabethan era on a grand scale with furnishings including a s grand four-poster bed draped in elegant fabric, creating an impressive focal point in the room. The suite also includes a spacious sitting area, which is designed with period furnishings ideal for relaxing by the suite’s large windows. These windows, in keeping with the architectural style, bring in ample natural light and may feature stained glass and intricate leaded designs, framing serene views of the moated grounds and surrounding woodlands.

In the bathroom, a classic roll-top bathtub and a generous walk-in shower provide modern comforts within a historic framework.  This suite is designed for those who appreciate history without sacrificing luxury, creating a stay that feels both immersive and indulgent in one of England’s oldest inhabited moated houses. 

Dining: A Culinary Experience with a View

New Hall’s 2 AA Rosette dining experience is superb as well where the setting is as exquisite as the menu. The Bridge Restaurant is their main dining space offering views of the gardens and moat. The menu showcases the best of British cuisine, with a focus on seasonal and locally sourced ingredients, all crafted with an eye for both tradition and innovation.

Starters include delicate, flavorful dishes such as home-cured salmon or a velvety leek and potato soup, a comforting nod to the English countryside. The main courses are equally impressive, from perfectly roasted meats to vegetarian options bursting with flavors and textures. The chef’s ability to modernize classic British dishes while staying true to their origins is a testament to New Hall’s culinary ambitions.

An extensive wine list accompanies the menu, with carefully selected options that pair seamlessly with each dish. For those inclined toward an indulgent experience, New Hall’s afternoon tea is not to be missed. Served in an intimate lounge setting with garden views, it’s a traditional spread of finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones, and exquisite pastries that celebrate British flavors with a touch of sophistication.

 The Spa: Sanctuary Within History

New Hall’s on-site spa offers a sanctuary surrounded by gorgeous grounds. The spa blends modern relaxation with a historic setting, offering an indoor pool, hydrotherapy pool, sauna, and steam room. Surrounded by glass walls, the spa provides serene views of the estate’s lush grounds. Guests can enjoy signature massages and advanced facials, using eco-friendly, natural products that align with the hotel’s refined style. 

The Gardens and Grounds: A Story in Every Corner

Throughout the stay, guests will want to stroll through the gardens and grounds which are as enchanting as the manor itself.   The estate spans 26 acres with manicured paths and wildflower-studded lawns. The gardens are a mixture of formal landscaping and natural woodland, where century-old trees cast dappled shade on the paths below, while roses and other flora bloom in careful harmony, giving the grounds a sense of timelessness.

Hand Picked Hotels

New Hall Hotel is part of Hand Picked Hotels, a collection of 21 carefully selected properties across the UK. Known for their unique charm and rich history, each hotel offers a perfect blend of traditional elegance and modern luxury. From grand country estates to intimate boutique properties, Hand Picked Hotels provides a memorable and personalized stay.  

A Stay Steeped in Heritage and Luxury

While some hotels vie for heritage charm, it’s a palpable presence at New Hall. There you’ll find that history isn’t something to observe from afar but something to step into, surrounded by architecture and landscapes that have seen the passage of centuries. Every detail, from the stone exterior to the tapestry-laden walls, and the idyllic gardens to the superb dining experience, serves as a reminder that New Hall Hotel and Spa is a place where old-world charm and modern luxury coexist in seamless harmony. New Hall is more than a mere hotel – it’s an invitation into history.

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Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said the TV dramatisation of the Post Office Horizon scandal brought “urgency” to compensation payouts, as she blamed the civil service for “going round and round in circles”.

Badenoch, who oversaw the Post Office as business secretary from February 2023 to July 2024, told a public inquiry into the affair on Monday that a hit ITV series pushed the scandal up the government’s list of priorities.

It was Mr Bates vs The Post Office “that made things happen”, she said. “It suddenly turned [compensation] from a value-for-money question to a public perception question.”

The new opposition leader said civil servants had wanted “legal cover” for their decisions on sub-postmaster compensation and that there was “far too much going round and round in circles . . . because everybody is worried about getting in trouble later.”

Around 983 Post Office branch managers were convicted between 1999 and 2015 for offences including theft and false accounting using evidence from Japanese technology company Fujitsu’s flawed Horizon IT system.

Others were not convicted but used their personal savings to make up erroneous shortfalls.

The previous Conservative government announced in January, shortly after the ITV series aired, that it would legislate to exonerate victims en masse and offer a fixed sum of £75,000 as an alternative to a full claim for participants in a group litigation that revealed the extent of the scandal.

Roughly £440mn has been paid so far to more than 3,100 claimants across four compensation schemes. Chancellor Rachel Reeves set aside a total of £1.8bn in Labour’s first Budget to cover the cost of compensation.

Victims have complained that the compensation process is slow and bogged down in administration, while they receive offers that are below expectations and require formal appeal.

Badenoch blamed bureaucracy and “the government machine” of the civil service for delays in getting compensation to sub-postmasters.

Sir Alan Bates, the lead campaigner in the scandal, told the Financial Times the Department for Business and Trade had adopted a legalistic approach that had resulted in wrangling between lawyers and delays in compensating victims.

“It should be down to the sub-postmaster to determine what is a fair result,” he said.

Bates has rejected two offers of compensation from the government with the most recent representing around one-third of his initial claim.

Giving evidence to the House of Commons business and trade committee last week, the former sub-postmaster said he would consider taking legal action to seek a deadline for payouts.

Jonathan Reynolds, the current business secretary, told the inquiry earlier on Monday that he was reluctant to set a cut-off for payout claims for fear of excluding late claimants from compensation.

However, Reynolds said he would “consider” a deadline if “we go into next year frustrated at a lack of claims coming in”.

CHOCOLATE fanatics have been left at a loss after a popular US snack has been discontinued in the UK.

The brand has confirmed that their customers may miss the flavour but a new offering has been launched that “fans will love”.

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Back in 2018, Flipz Pretzel Snacks unveiled their UK debut to include white and dark chocolate variants.

The brand has since expanded to include Cookies & Cream, Salted Caramel, and White Chocolate.

With bags currently on sale at Ocado for £1.35 and £1.50 at Tesco, those with a sweet tooth may find themselves grabbing a bag.

Ever since its release, the White Chocolate flavour has often been a hit with shoppers with many commenting on social media.

One Facebook user described their purchase as their “all-time favourite“.

While another said: “Thank you they are wonderful!!!”

Someone else wrote: “Love these.”

On X, formerly known as Twitter, one user commented: “The god-tier white fudge.”

Those hoping to nab the White Chocolate Pretzels may be saddened by the news that Flipz has confirmed the flavour will no longer be available in the UK.

One fan recently tagged the company’s social media requesting information on where to find them.

Their post read: “Hey I live in the UK and was just wondering and wanted to know, if you have stopped making the white chocolate fudge flipz?

“Or you have discontinued them in the UK? Can’t find them anywhere.”

Disappointed shoppers should not be too upset as a spokesperson for the brand has confirmed a new flavour has hit shelves.

Available in a 90g pouch, the Limited Edition Cinnamon Bun Flavour could be perfect as a stocking filler or self-indulgent treat.

Currently the bags can be purchased from Ocado for just £1.35 or Uber Eats for £2.05, depending on your local stockists.

A spokesperson for Flipz UK&I comments: “We’re constantly listening to what Flipz fans want, and we love innovating with new and exciting flavours for them to enjoy.

“Whilst we know our White Fudge flavour will be missed, our newly launched Cinnamon Bun flavour is one that we know fans will love.”

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Donald Trump is to appoint Stephen Miller as his deputy chief of staff for policy, putting the immigration hardliner in a top role in the White House.

During his election campaign the president-elect said that one of his immediate priorities once in the White House would be to usher in “mass deportations” of millions of people living in the US illegally.

Miller has for years been among the most vocal and influential immigration hawks in Trump’s inner circle. The appointment of the 39-year-old will put the conservative firebrand and longtime adviser at the heart of the president-elect’s effort to reduce illegal immigration.

JD Vance, the vice-president-elect, congratulated Miller in a post on X on Monday, calling his selection, which was first reported by CNN, “another fantastic pick by the president”.

A spokesperson for the Trump transition team did not respond to a request for comment. Miller did not respond to a request for comment.

A junior Senate staffer who rose quickly through the ranks of the Republican party to become highly influential in Trump’s first administration, Miller was credited with writing some of his most incendiary speeches — including Trump’s 2017 inaugural address, in which he vowed to end what he described as “American carnage”, a dystopian view of an impoverished, crime-ridden country.

He also drafted many of Trump’s most polarising immigration policies, including the travel ban on visitors from Muslim-majority countries and the policy of separating migrant children from their parents.

Miller — who has been president of America First Legal, a non-profit conservative legal group, since Trump left office — has continued to espouse hardline views on immigration in particular.

American First Legal last week celebrated a Texas federal court judge’s ruling striking down the Biden administration’s effort to provide legal status for hundreds of thousands of undocumented spouses of US citizens.

At Trump’s campaign rally at Madison Square Garden last month, Miller said America was “for Americans and Americans only”.

News of Miller’s appointment came just one day after Trump said he had chosen Tom Homan as a so-called border tsar to implement his plans to crack down on undocumented immigrants crossing the US-Mexico border, and deport those already in the US.

Like Miller, Homan is a veteran of the first Trump administration: he was acting director of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency when the president-elect was previously in the White House.

“Tom Homan will be joining the Trump Administration, in charge of our Nation’s Borders (“The Border Czar”), including, but not limited to, the Southern Border, the Northern Border, all Maritime, and Aviation Security,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, his social media platform, on Sunday.

“I’ve known Tom for a long time, and there is nobody better at policing and controlling our Borders,” Trump added. “Likewise, Tom Homan will be in charge of all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin.”

Trump has moved quickly to make several high-profile appointments for his second administration since his overwhelming victory over Kamala Harris last week. The president-elect last week named Susie Wiles, his 2024 campaign manager, as his White House chief of staff, and on Monday separately confirmed he had chosen New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik to be the next US ambassador to the UN.

Additional reporting by James Politi in Washington

MILLIONS of households across the UK are overpaying for their broadband due to a common mistake.

New research carried out by Go Compare has found that 9.5 million households are paying for higher broadband speeds than necessary.

The majority of Brits spend between £25 and £29 per month on broadband for top-end broadband speeds, the price comparison site’s survey found.

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Just over a third or 34% of these users are overpaying on their packages with around £53 million collectively spent each month on unused broadband speeds.

This translates to a jaw-dropping £637 million over the course of a year.

The comparison site says that those who overpay spend an average of £5.58 per month more than they need to on their broadband.

This means £66.96 is wasted over 12 months – enough to cover a streamer’s standard Netflix subscription for a year.

Smaller households typically end up overpaying the most as they are more likely to only need speeds of up to 15Mpbs but only 4% of this group actually pay for such speeds.

One in 10 of these users told Go Compare that they pay for some of the fastest speeds at over 150Mbps – despite the slowest speeds being enough for their usage.

As a result, they overspend by £9 per month, equating to £113 being wasted every year.

NEED FOR SPEED

So how do you know what broadband speed is right for you?

For smaller households with just one or two people who have simple web browsing needs, basic internet usage is required at between 10 and 15Mbps.

Small households that work from home and regularly stream content will require slightly higher broadband speeds at between 15 and 50 Mbps.

Gamers who want a glitch-free, 4K video streaming experience and who live in small households will need 50 to 100Mbps.

Meanwhile, larger households with multiple users such as a family of four, student accommodation, or places with excessive web users, will need over 100Mbps.

COST-CUTTING TIPS

Once you know the speed needed, there are two cost-cutting hacks to help you get the best deal.

First, you will need to hunt around for the best deals available which can be easily done on price comparison sites like Go Compare, MoneySuperMarket and Uswitch.

Here you can customise your search based on your desired broadband speed, provider and price.

This is when the second cost-cutting hack could come in.

Based on the results of your comparison search, if there is a good deal but it is with another provider, you can try and haggle a deal with your current broadband company.

They might be able to match, or even beat, the deals you’ve seen elsewhere.

You can still make significant savings by renewing your contract rather than accepting the tariff you’re given after your deal.

Knowing what other offers are on the market can help you to make a case for yourself to your provider.

Remember, by spending as little as five minutes on the phone to your provider you could save hundreds of pounds.

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Foreign secretary David Lammy has swung his support behind Lord Peter Mandelson to become the next UK ambassador to the US, helping cement the former trade secretary’s position as the frontrunner in the race to succeed Dame Karen Pierce.

Downing Street officials say a decision is likely to be made by next month and that a political appointment is now likelier than a civil service pick.

Donald Trump’s victory in the American presidential election last week has sharpened Number 10’s calculation about the kind of candidate needed — and bolstered the need for someone with Mandelson’s credentials as a trade expert.

Lammy is maintaining a public silence about his preference for the ambassador post, but is now privately rooting for Mandelson, according to two people with knowledge of the foreign secretary’s position. A spokesman for Lammy declined to comment.

Mandelson, who is a close political ally of Starmer’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, is a Labour party veteran who held high office last time the party was in power and was also previously European commissioner for trade.

Trump has threatened to raise tariffs on US imports, potentially tilting the world into a fresh trade war.

Pierce, whose term has already been extended once, is expected to remain in post to handle the transition between outgoing incumbent Joe Biden and Trump, before a successor takes over shortly after the presidential inauguration in January, according to UK government officials.

One senior Labour figure said Mandelson was “incredibly close” to McSweeney, who was recently appointed as the prime minister’s chief of staff, replacing Sue Gray: “Given Morgan is now in a very strong position in Number 10 that bodes well for Peter’s chances.”

However McSweeney is understood to have stayed out of the current deliberations to avoid any conflict of interest.

Mandelson is also an old ally of Pat McFadden, the influential Cabinet Office minister, who was his deputy in the business department 15 years ago.

One Number 10 official said any decision would be based on merit rather than personal loyalty, noting that Mandelson had almost unparalleled experience on trade matters. Downing Street declined to comment.

Mandelson is viewed as having taken the lead ahead of three other potential political appointments widely touted as being in the running for the role: former UK foreign secretary David Miliband, former UK development secretary Baroness Valerie Amos and former European foreign affairs commissioner, Baroness Cathy Ashton.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is thought to favour Miliband, and met the former foreign secretary on a visit to New York in August.

Mandelson is simultaneously in contention for ceremonial role of Oxford chancellor, for which voting begins on November 18. Despite the distances involved, one ally of Mandelson suggested he could occupy both roles, pointing to the example of Chris Patten who was Oxford chancellor while also chair of the BBC.

Mandelson told the BBC on Sunday “that nobody has spoken to me about this job”. He added the UK should pursue a “digital and technological economic agreement” between the two countries rather than an “old-fashioned sort of free trade agreement of goods and mortar”.

People close to the process say that another extension to Pierce’s term has not been ruled out, given her success in building deep links with Maga-aligned Republicans.

Nicknamed the “Trump Whisperer” in British diplomatic circles, she is credited with lining Starmer up for one of the first phone calls with Trump following his win last week, and for organising the intimate dinner between Starmer, Trump and Lammy in New York in September.

She has also been praised for assisting then UK foreign secretary Lord David Cameron in meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago in April to help unlock Republican support for US aid to Ukraine, as well as the UK embassy leading a well-resourced delegation to the Republican convention this summer.

“Keeping Karen there would clearly have its merits given how she’s maintained good relations with the Trump people,” said one Labour person. “She’s more political than a typical diplomat.”

They added: “The four political names we have are really good and would be fantastic if anyone else was president, but . . . maybe they should look elsewhere.”

The resignation of Sir Philip Barton, permanent secretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office earlier this month has also triggered new jockeying for position.

Some diplomats believe Pierce could be in line to replace him at the helm of the department, while others are tipping Sir Matthew Rycroft, currently permanent secretary at the Home Office, and Dame Barbara Woodward, the UK’s envoy to the UN.