Autumn is all about weekend breaks and never more so than this year. Bellinter House, near Navan, in county Meath is a super spot for a fun and relaxing getaway. Carissa Casey did the hard work of checking it out on your behalf. 

The ideal mini-break involves a short journey to somewhere that feels very far away from home. Bellinter House checks that box. It’s just an hour from Dublin and, from the rest of the country, close enough to the M3 to make the journey there as easy as possible.

At first glance it looks like a traditional upmarket country hotel, with a sweeping drive around sprawling lawns dotted with fabulous trees. The Palladian-style house was designed to impress, with a central building linked by arcades to wings either side. So far, so Downton by the Boyne. 

But Bellinter is so much more than that. It’s fun, from the moment you walk through the door and spot the classical bust wearing a cute lady’s hat and then the portraits of elegant ladies blowing neon pink bubbles. The décor is endlessly distracting in that pleasant ‘ooo look at that’ kind of way. For this, we can thank interior designer Suzie McAdam, recently announced as a new judge of RTÉ’s Home of the Year.  

Perhaps it’s the months of being locked away in our homes, but the cheer joy of chatting to other people hasn’t waned with me. And on this score, Bellinter is heaven. The staff are as warm and friendly, as we Irish tend to be on our best days. No doubt getting back to work was as big a relief for them as being served food made by someone else is for the rest of us.

A super charming and chatty member of staff found us a table in the main lounge so the driver could enjoy a pint after nearly an hour at the wheel. The Alice in Wonderland vibe becomes very evident here. The lounge has the generous proportions of a classical drawing room, with vaulting ceiling, expansive fireplace and views on to the terrace. But the deep purple colour and quirky fittings make it utterly enchanting and the perfect place to sip a chilled Pinot Gris (the passenger needed some refreshment too) and forget all about the cares of home. You’ve slipped down a plush rabbit hole into a curious and wonderful world.

The old, but very grand, stripped wood staircase leads eventually – because of all the stopping to admire some new oddity - to bedrooms as spacious and comfortable as the rest of the building. The overt-quirkiness is minimal in the rooms. The overall feel is spacious shabby chic with a modern twist – it shouldn’t make sense but it does.

Dinner is in the wine cellar at the base of the building in Eden Restaurant. It’s tasty fare with local ingredients, cooked well and served with style rather than gimmick. Pork belly, chicken supreme, seabass, hake, filet steak and an interesting vegetarian option of salt-baked celeriac, topped and tailed by traditional starters and deserts. 

For a short stay, Bellinter has enough to occupy most. There’s the Bathhouse spa with sauna, steam room and outdoor hot-tub. There’s no need to book, although stays in any of these facilities are time-limited at busy times. A range of treatments are also available. 

A stroll through the grounds alongside the River Boyne is a must. The river is an angler’s dream and the hotel can arrange fishing for guests. The more energetic can try the hour long walk to Bective Abbey. Or, there are plenty of other walks to explore.

It would be a shame to visit this area of Meath without stopping by some of the many other historical sites nearby – the Hill of Tara, Newgrange, Knowth, Slane Village and Trim Castle. This is an ancient and very storied part of the country. With fewer people about, now is a good time to explore and experience something of the atmosphere of these historic places.

Because it is so different and there’s so much to do, a mini-break at Bellinter feels so much longer, which is exactly how a mini-break should feel. 

For more visit bellinterhouse.com