Page 199 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL FALL 2024 SPAIN

pointed out 100-year-old Magnolias, 300-
year-old beech and oaks, and a 500-year-
old giant redwood.
Jet lag was sinking in, so we slipped
into the private outdoor Jacuzzi at the Vic-
torian Treatment Rooms followed by sooth-
ing massages. At dinner, Samantha Leslie,
the present heir and proprietor joined us.
The Leslie family has owned Castle Leslie
since 1665. Twenty years ago, Castle Leslie
had became rundown. Then, Sammy Leslie
took over, adding 50 new rooms in the
Lodge, a spa and equestrian center (she
herself is a world-class rider) and turned
Castle Leslie into the showstopper it is to-
day. Trust me, Downton Abbey has nothing
on this estate.
Sammy also created Snaffles, the
award-winning gourmet restaurant where
the horse motif is everywhere, including the

Chef Noel in his kitchen cooking
dinner. Rightt: Dessie Clements, head
horticulturalist, Castle Lesliep.
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