At the end of a winding driveway, a valet appears to take your luggage and park your car… the first sign that Hampshire’s Heckfield Place is a farm stay of the most indulgent order. The 45 rooms within the 19th-century manor house nod to an elegant rural idyll, with a muted colour palette enlivened with basketware and botanical prints. Really, though, Heckfield’s soul lies outdoors, in the 438 acres that contain a biodynamic farm, market garden and ancient woodland. You’ll come across the fruits of its land at every moment of your stay, from the Wildsmith toiletries inspired by the estate and used in the spa to the organic meat, vegetables, juices and jams on the menu in the two restaurants. For a deeper dip into farm life, join a tour of the grounds or take workshops in subjects including composting and foraged cocktails. Rooms from £650, B&B.
Tucked into a halo of Somerset hills, Thornfalcon’s 150-year-old press produces a honey-sweet juice and award-winning cider from heritage West Country apples. But, vine-carpeted and lavender-fringed, there’s a fragrant scent of French chic about this 40-acre farm stay. Blink and you could, perhaps, be in Normandy sampling a crisp glass of the estate’s elegantly bottled small-batch cider, or further south sipping its Champagne-by-another-name sparkling wine. Follow a tasting and tour with a lakeside sauna, then retire to a cottage-core cabin amid rewilded fields; a shepherd’s hut whose al fresco bath overlooks the vines; a lambing shed in the orchards; or a converted coach house. All have immaculate kitchens and a generous basket of farm goods, while the 17th-century barn by the walled kitchen garden is soon to host supper clubs. Rooms from £170, two-night minimum.
Tewinbury Farm Hotel is less than an hour from north London and allows for a quick and smooth transition into country life.
Tewinbury Farm Hotel (Top) (Left) and Tewinbury Farm Hotel (Bottom) (Right)
Less than an hour from north London, Tewinbury offers an easy transition from city pace to countryside calm. This family-run estate has evolved from a dairy farm into a characterful rural retreat, where converted farm buildings, shepherd’s huts and lakeside lodges sit among 700 acres of fields and woodland. Seasonal menus at the on-site Cowshed Restaurant, Granary Kitchen and Stable Bar showcase produce from the farm and nearby suppliers while the new Farm Club offers fitness classes, reformer Pilates, saunas and cold plunges. There’s also a packed events programme, from cookery school nights and field suppers to live music and workshops for kids. Rooms from £159.
Cosy interiors and showstopping food are two hallmarks of Tudor Farmhouse Hotel in Gloucestershire.
Tudor Farmhouse Hotel (Top) (Left) and Tudor Farmhouse Hotel (Bottom) (Right)
On the edge of the ancient, moss-cloaked Forest of Dean is a hotel that feels like a pop-up page from a fairytale book. The Tudor Farmhouse Hotel, a 13th-century converted farmhouse in Clearwell village, offers 20 bedrooms and suites with decor that effectively blends the vibe of a down-to-earth country cottage and an exclusive members-only club. Duck feather pillows, 300-thread-count linen sheets and spacious monsoon showers create the perfect environment to recover in after a big stomp in the Wye Valley hills. Surrounding the property are wild meadows, a kitchen garden and a chicken coop, but the real showstopper is the food: everything on the menu is either grown on site or sourced within a 20-mile radius. Highlights include the tender Herefordshire beef with carrot and black garlic, and a banoffee dessert with dulce de leche and sorbet that you’ll remember long after you check out. Rooms from £165, B&B.
