Why you should “Book Direct”

Why book direct with Lorne House? Booking a stay should feel straightforward. When you book directly with Lorne House, you can speak to the people welcoming you, discuss the room that suits your visit and plan your time in Box and the surrounding area.

Updated 3 October 2026

Book direct for a conversation before you arrive

Travelling as a couple, with family or as a group? Tell us what you have in mind. We can talk through our bedrooms, explain the whole-house option and help you decide which arrangement fits your stay.

Direct contact is useful for practical questions too: arrival plans, room preferences or recommendations for a meal nearby. It gives you a clear point of contact before your visit.

Check the details that matter

Use our Book Direct page to see live, date-specific prices and availability through Preno. Read the terms shown for your chosen booking before confirming, including payment and cancellation conditions. Rates and availability can change; the booking engine is the place to check them.

Support an independent B&B

Lorne House is an independent business run by Harry and Eliza, who took over in January 2026. Booking directly means arranging your stay with Lorne House itself.

For questions, email info@lornehousebox.co.uk or call or WhatsApp 01225 742597.

Local Recommendations for Garden Lovers

Updated 3 October 2026

Looking for gardens near Bath? A stay in Box puts historic gardens, specialist nurseries and woodland outings within reach. Choose a day around the planting and landscapes you enjoy, then check the destination’s own website for current opening, tickets and access information.

Historic gardens near Box

Great Chalfield Manor and Garden

A medieval manor and an Arts and Crafts garden make Great Chalfield an appealing combination for lovers of houses and horticulture. Its garden includes orchards, water features and distinctive yew structures. Plan a visit to Great Chalfield.

Iford Manor Gardens

Harold Peto’s Italianate design gives Iford its character: terraces, columns and architectural details set among richly planted gardens in the valley. Explore Iford Manor Gardens and check its seasonal arrangements before travelling.

The Courts Garden, Holt

The Courts Garden offers another way to spend a garden-focused day in Wiltshire. Use the National Trust’s visitor information to plan your outing and check access and parking arrangements. Visit The Courts Garden.

Gardens near Bath and trees further afield

Prior Park Landscape Garden

Prior Park’s Georgian landscape, views over Bath and Palladian bridge make it a different experience from a formal flower garden. Check Prior Park’s visitor information when planning your Bath day.

Highgrove and Westonbirt

For a garden-led outing further afield, consider Highgrove’s organised garden tours. Check available dates and booking requirements directly. For a day among trees, Westonbirt, the National Arboretum is another option to explore.

Nurseries, plants and a lunch stop

The original Lorne House guide highlighted Special Plants at Cold Ashton and Downside Nurseries. Check their current opening and any garden visits or courses directly rather than relying on an old timetable.

Lowden Garden Centre in Shaw combines a garden-centre visit with a restaurant and café stop. It is also included in our Food & Drink guide.

Back at Lorne House

After a day out, the verandah is the guest outdoor space at Lorne House. Guests do not have use of the garden. For more ideas to combine with your visit, explore Things to Do and Stay near Bath.

Hidden Box

Updated 3 October 2026

Hidden Box offers more than its railway tunnel and Bath stone: a closer look reveals a village with Roman remains, a historic lock-up, local industry and a music-making connection. These are stories to explore alongside a stay at Lorne House, rather than a list of attractions all open for tours.

The Blind House

The small stone Blind House on the High Street is a Grade II listed former lock-up, dated by Historic England to the early eighteenth century. Its compact shape and stone dome make it one of the village’s distinctive historic buildings.

Small stone Blind House with domed roof in Box
The Blind House, photographed for the original Lorne House local guide.

Read the official Blind House listing for its architectural details.

The Roman village beneath today’s Box

Near the parish church lie the buried remains of a substantial Roman villa. Archaeological work has identified elaborate buildings and mosaic floors beneath the modern village. This is hidden history in a literal sense: it should not be treated as an excavated attraction available to walk into.

The Box Roman Villa project explains the discoveries and shows reconstructions and a model. The Historic England record provides the archaeological background.

Remembering the Rising Sun

The Rising Sun pub on Box Hill was destroyed in a gas explosion in December 1957, with the loss of three members of the Griffin family. The memorial is a place to pause and remember a tragedy that remains part of the village’s shared history.

Box People and Places records the pub’s earlier life and the family who lived there. The official Box Heritage Trail includes the former pub site.

Tennis balls made locally

Box’s industrial story is not confined to stone. Price of Bath continues the local tradition of manufacturing tennis, squash and racket balls, including personalised products. Check the company’s own information for its current range and location; a mention here does not imply factory tours.

Real World Studios

Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios occupies a former mill complex in Box. It is an important part of the village’s musical story, but it is a working recording studio. Its official FAQ states that tours are not available to the general public, with virtual views available through its website.

Hidden Box: railway and underground history

The nearby tunnel and former quarry workings link Box to engineering and military history. Read our underground city story and Awdry and Thomas the Tank Engine article for two very different sides of that connection.

To explore on foot, use our walking guide and the current official route information.

Box Walks & Local Points of Interest

Updated 3 October 2026

Box walks bring together valley views, old mills, stone-quarrying history and Brunel’s railway. A useful starting point is the Box Heritage Trail, with a published route and map from the Cotswolds National Landscape.

Box walks: start with the Heritage Trail

The official guide describes a 4.5-mile circular route through the By Brook valley. It includes steep sections and is graded for walkers with moderate fitness. Use the current guide to judge the route against your own abilities, the weather and the time available.

View the official route and download the map

The route links the village’s mills, quarrying landscape and railway heritage. It also passes Lorne House, whose Awdry connection gives this local walk an extra layer of interest.

Box Tunnel and the railway

Box Tunnel is one of the village’s defining landmarks. The heritage trail includes a viewing point for its western portal and explains the surrounding railway features. Follow the published route and public paths; railway land and the tunnel itself are not places to explore on foot.

Stone western portal of Box railway tunnel
Box Tunnel, from the existing Lorne House local-photo archive.

The same railway landscape helped inspire the young Wilbert Awdry. Read the story of Lorne House and Thomas the Tank Engine before setting out.

Quarry woods, views and a pub stop

The official trail crosses Box Hill Common and passes through Quarry Woods, with an optional extension towards Hazelbury Manor. Stay on public paths: references to old workings are historical context, not an invitation to enter quarry shafts or mine passages.

The route also passes the Quarryman’s Arms. For food stops, opening and booking information, see our Food & Drink guide and check directly with the venue.

A shorter village outing

If the full trail is more than you want, start with Box Parish Council’s visitor information and our Box guide. Our Hidden Box article gives some background to the village’s buildings and stories.

Real World Studios is a working recording facility rather than a public touring attraction. Enjoy the village from public routes and respect private property.

Little Solsbury Hill

For another walking option near Bath, the Cotswolds National Landscape publishes a Little Solsbury Hill circular walk. Check its current route details and suitability separately; it is a different outing from the Box Heritage Trail.

Plan your stay for Box walks

Check the latest route information before leaving, allow for hills and road crossings, and choose footwear for the conditions. For more days out to combine with your walk, explore Things to Do.

Lorne House

A characterful house in Box.
Boutique B&B rooms and exclusive whole-house stays near Bath.

London Road, Box
Wiltshire, SN13 8NA

01225 742597 · Voice & WhatsApp
info@lornehousebox.co.uk

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