THE home of a former Royal gardener which has been attracting a host of celebrity guests since opening as a hotel just a year ago has been named as one of the 50 'coolest new hotels in the world.'

Guests at the nine bedroom Barnsley House Hotel, near Cirencester, since it was launched last Spring have included Hugh Grant, Kate Moss, Gwynneth Paltrow and Chris Martin, Anne Robinson and cookery guru Delia Smith.

Superstar Liz Hurley, whose own Cotswolds home is just a short walk away in neighbouring Ampney Knowle, has also been a frequent visitor.

Now Barnsley House - formerly the home of the late gardening guru Rosemary Verey - has made it onto travel guide Conde Nast's list of the fifty best new hotels around the world.

The travel mag describes Barnsley House as 'so warm and welcoming that you will want to kick off your shoes at the front door.'

Last year Barnsley House was nominated for Hotel of the Year alongside 14 other luxury resorts at the Tatler Travel Awards in London.

And Delia Smith gave the hotel a huge boost when she declared its food top class.

Her enthusiasm was perhaps not surprising - the hotel's chefs, Franco and Graham, have previously worked at jazz star George Melly's favourite restaurant, the award winning Walnut Tree near Abergavenny, and at The Greenhouse in Mayfair.

Before becoming a hotel, Barnsley House attrracted thousands of visitors a year to its magnificent gardens, laid out by celebrity gardener Mrs Verey. Her clients included Prince Charles and Sir Elton John.

Following Mrs Verey's death in 2001 at the age of 82, the house was put on the market by her son, Charles.

More than 70 couples expressed an interest in the house but it was eventually sold to Tim Haigh and Rupert Pendered, who also own The Village Pub in nearby Barnsley.

The pair have pledged to open the gardens to the pubic half a dozen times a year for charity so that Mrs Verey's creation continues to be seen. The garden was open last Thursday and will be open again, in aid of the National Gardens Scheme on June 24 and August 19.

*Whatley Manor near Malmesbury is also featured in the guide.