A Touch of England in St. Louis, Missouri

Anglophiles visiting St. Louis will find the perfect spot to settle in at the Cheshire Inn, a recreation of a British black and white timbered building that is conveniently located west of downtown, just off I-64 near Clayton and a short walk from the many attractions of beautiful Forest Park.

History buffs will find much to enjoy in St. Louis, Missouri’s second largest city after Kansas City.  It’s past is intimately linked to westward expansion of the United States after Thomas Jefferson completed the Louisiana Purchase.

Lewis and Clark raised their company and left on their famous expedition from near here, and provisions for journeys west were supported by the use of steamboat transportation on the mighty Mississippi River.  Famous author Mark Twain grew up in Hannibal, 97 miles upstream from the gateway city.

Today the city hosts major universities such as Washington University and St. Louis University as well as corporate headquarters in diverse industries such as Anheuser-Busch, Purina, Monsanto, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Panera Bread and Edward Jones Financial.

The Cheshire has been a local favorite since its establishment in the 1920s, and has the authentic ambience of a traditional British Inn.  In 2011 it was remodeled to upgrade it to a modern, luxury boutique hotel.  Public rooms are full of antiques and stained glass windows, even a growling stuffed bear, while the hand-carved mantle in the living room is fronted by comfortable chairs and couches perfect for perusing the free USA Today or St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspapers laid out for guests.

Each room is named after a famous British author, poet or playwright and has a book from one of his or her works, as well as a bio on that particular author. We stayed in Room 326, the Samuel Taylor Coleridge room.  Even the do not disturb door hanger carries through with the theme!

Other amenities include an outdoor pool with red lion insignia emblazoned on the bottom, complimentary Continental breakfast, Wireless internet, the Queens Study with computer stations and printer and two bright red and white armchairs with a Union Jack design, and the Clayton Courtyard patio with nearly life size chess pieces in which to enjoy breakfast or catch evening breezes.

The Inn provides a diverse selection of eateries. We were able to sample two on our visit.

The Boundary Restaurant is characterized as serving a Brasserie influenced menu with a focus on Classic comfort foods, locally sourced. The bar area has comfy stools and sofas and rows of wine bottles artfully stacked behind glass.

We had a creamy cauliflower soup, followed by the Little Gem salad, with cherry tomatoes, candied walnuts, egg and herbs with a French dressing.  The half chicken was quite memorable, so tender in a savory jus and served with charred shaved Brussels sprouts and hen of the woods mushrooms.  Our local friends we met for dinner also spoke highly of the red snapper and scallops entrees.

The Fox & Hounds Tavern is a fine recreation of an English home’s gathering room for libations and small plates.  We enjoyed a glass of wine on the couches pre-dinner, then returned after for late night cocktails and conversation at the bar. The pub menu included such items as Coventry Fish & Chips, Bristol sliders with lamb, Cambridge smoked pork, Cheshire burger, Liverpool Wings, Sherwood Summer Bistro Salad and the Nottingham cheese and salumi plate.  Live music is offered on  Friday and Saturday nights.

A third option at the Cheshire is called Basso, a basement gastro pub with an Italian accent.

Gateway Arch National Park

The iconic symbol of the city, Gateway Arch rises up 630 feet alongside the Mississippi. Take the four minute ride up the arch’s legs in 5 person cars to admire 30 mile views from the top. The arch was built in 1965 by Eero Saarinen, and its elliptical steel curves will remain a key memory of your visit.
The museum built underground below the Arch commemorates Jefferson’s vision of westward expansion of the U.S. You can also take riverboat cruises on the Mississippi River from March-November aboard 19th century paddle wheeler replicas.

The Cathedral Basilica of St Louis was built after the turn of the 20th century, with the main structure completed in 1914. It features a Romanesque exterior with an incredible Byzantine interior, with the largest collection of mosaics in the world, 83,000 square feet created by 20 artists over 75 years.

Anheuser Busch Brewery Tours, offers tours of the 1885 Clydesdale horse stables, Brew House, and packaging plant with free Budweiser beer samples at the end. There are four different tours to choose from, with the Clydesdale and Brewmaster tours offering the most specialized or in-depth experiences.

St. Louis Art Museum
This extensive collection is housed in a Beaux-Arts building built for the 1904 World’s Fair. Free to visit, the museum is known for its collection of 19th century American painting ands its German Expressionist collection featuring artists such as Max Beckmann.

If it’s summertime when you visit, consider a game at downtown’s Busch stadium to see the St. Louis Cardinals in action.

Forest Park—once home to the 1904 World’s Fair, it’s larger than NYC’s Central Park and includes the zoo, history museum, art museum and science museum.

LaClede’s Landing, named for Pierre LaClede, New Orleans fur trader who founded the city in 1764 features shops and restaurants set in a historic nine block area of cobblestoned streets and restored 19th century brick warehouses.

Music buffs will appreciate seeing the local home of ragtime king Scott Joplin.

For evening entertainment consider the Fox Theater, for the latest in musicals, plays and theater in a landmark 1929 building with ornate Siamese Byzantine architecture (a conglomeration of Moorish, far Eastern, Egyptian, Babylonian and Indian themes of various periods).

With a combination of intriguing history, unique dining opportunities and fun nightlife, St. Louis offers a wealth of reasons to visit, and the Cheshire Inn provides a novel spot to settle in for a few days to enjoy the Forest Park sights, the nearby city, and the British Inn atmosphere it has done so well to capture.