STEPPING inside the Old Bell Hotel in Malmesbury, you sense the weight of centuries and the generations of visitors who have come and gone through the doors of this ancient hostelry – reckoned to be the oldest hotel in England.

Malmesbury Abbey – or what is left of it after the depredations of Henry VIII and the Reformation – stands next door. The hotel’s roots lie far back to the early 13th century, when Abbot Loring built a hostelry for dignitaries visiting the abbey, which was then a seat of learning, of power and influence. While the building has been extended and adapted, the place has welcomed guests continuously since those first medieval days.

It is a daunting heritage to take on. The hotel’s new general manager is French-born Christophe Dumeige, who oversaw a major refurbishment and is leading the establishment into the future – assisted by French head chef Frederic Fetiveau.

“We wanted the Old Bell to regain its glamour, elegance and charm,” says Christophe. “We felt it had lost that, and our plan was always to bring it back.”

He took on his role in July 2017, and the hotel was closed for five weeks at the beginning of the year, from January 2 to February 5, while this re-imagined interior was brought into being.

“We wanted to have interiors in line with the age of the building,” he explains. For while the establishment can be traced back to the medieval heyday of the abbey, the architecture of most of the present building is Edwardian in character, and it is the late 19th and early 20th century we see referenced in the aesthetic of the interior.

“We’ve chosen rich reds and greens. The tables and chairs are from the early 1900s,” Christophe says. “We have used rich fabrics. We have a little bit of unique charm – a mix of contemporary style with antique style.”

The hotel lounge is furnished with beautiful velvet couches and comfortable chairs. A range of pictures illustrating the history of the hotel and town adorn the walls. Tiled floors and stained glass complete the look. Traces of the past can be seen throughout the hotel, including a hooded stone fireplace which dates back to 1220.

Christophe said they wanted to balance a style that would attract out of town visitors to the Cotswolds from London, Bath and Bristol, as well as maintain their local clientele. But they have introduced some important changes – such as table service for people coming in for a drink.

“For the last few years the place was more like a pub,” Christophe says. “Now we have table service. You don’t buy drinks at the bar but wait to be served at a table.

“It’s all about hosting people, rather than serving them.”

He started his career as a commis waiter in Paris, before moving to Britain in 1995. Since then Christophe has worked at various establishments, including five years at Marco Pierre White’s Criterium Brasserie, and Sir Terence Conran’s Quaglino’s, in London.

He also worked in Qatar for two years, where he was part of an international team opening 12 new hotels. Christophe oversaw the renovation of the Grosvenor Arms in Shaftesbury, and was interim general manager for Bowood, before taking up his new role at the Old Bell.

Frederic, the head chef, trained in Paris. He had his own business in Madrid for seven years and was head chef for Raymond Blanc in Bristol and Bath.

“We want to stay very much in touch with the modern European style, but could also cook traditional British dishes. We do a very good steak and kidney pie, bread and butter pudding, kedgeree, sticky toffee pudding,” Christophe explains. “It’s not easy to find a chef who can do both.”

The hotel’s restaurant is called The Refectory, and it serves fresh, local and seasonal food. Starters include dishes such as wild mushroom saute and wine poached eggs, or saffron buttered potted shrimps with salmon rillette and preserved lemon and micro samphire.

Main courses might include lamb wellington with spinach mint and foie gras, with truffle sauce, or slow cooked chicken with Chinese black rice, baby heritage beetroot and sautéed girolles. The Refectory Classics list includes Scottish lobster and Jersey veal chop.

The Old Bell also serves a three-course Sunday lunch

He said the new look and approach had been appreciated by customers.

“It’s been very, very well received,” he said. “People have noticed a complete change in the food. We wanted to re-elevate the type of dining here.”

He said the hotel’s afternoon teas were also out of the ordinary.

“We really have a fantastic afternoon tea – all made in house. We have a pastry chef, so make our own cakes, scones and jam. We also make macaroons and our own chocolates.”

The hotel has 19 character bedrooms in the main building, and 15 in the coach-house. The character bedrooms have old stone mullioned windows, and Christophe said they had worked hard to maintain their historic style while updating the furnishing.

The clientele is a mix of local people, leisure travellers to the Cotswolds and commercial clients such as Dyson and Herman Miller. The hotel also hosts events and weddings, and various events such as for forthcoming Creative Masterclass on April 14, when Cotswold-based artist and screen-printer Jon Mackay will take a workshop on screen printing.

Christophe works long hours and admits he has not seen much of Malmesbury yet – but says he is interested in the history of the place.

“It’s a lovely town, and many people come here for the abbey and the architecture,” he says.

No doubt he is hoping they will be coming for the pleasure of visiting the Old Bell too.