Heckfield, England
Heckfield Place
A Manor Reborn
What it is
A 438-acre Georgian country estate with serene and artful rooms, four locavore bars and restaurants, a subterranean theater, new spa, and anglophile exploits like falconry.
What it isn't
Forgetting the natural world. Sustainable initiatives here range from biomass boilers for heating to an on-site biodynamic and organic farm.
What we think
If you’ve ever binged a British period film and wanted to slip forever into a modern version of Jane Austen’s world—complete with rolling verdant pasture and a storied Georgian-era country pile that even Mr. Darcy would approve of—this is the spot. Built by young single mother Jane Hawley circa 1766 after her husband passed, the estate was everything she could have wanted for her young son…and is decidedly more luxe nearly three centuries later. We love the Signature Rooms, which are cinematic to the core—including the Long Room, where you can sit by the fire below a vaulted ceiling and overlook mirror-like lakes beyond the windows, and the Church Lodge, a separate storybook cottage with fairytale design details (such as exposed timbers) that was the estate’s former gatehouse. While you’re here, do not miss a fireside cocktail in the Moon Bar; we’re obsessed with the Spring Sour—with vodka, rhubarb cordial, local strawberry liqueur, lemon juice and frothy egg white.
You're here because
The spa is as laser-focused on your inner wellness as your outer beauty with treatments such as the Wildsmith Radical Botany Facial—where acupressure, breathwork and myofascial release will help you glow from within.
The Moment
After one bite of your grilled squash with winter tomatoes, sheep’s milk ricotta and agresto (fermented grapes), you’re not surprised that Marle holds a Green Michelin star—but you are surprised that when you’re done you can stroll to Heckfield Place’s private theater for a panel discussion with a Michelin starred chef.
Restaurants & Bars
Marle - Menu is determined by the availability of produce from our estate, and from our partners at Fern Verrow farm
Hearth - Classic cooking focusing on the best produce available on the day
Moon Bar - Handcrafted cocktails created with fresh ingredients from the Home Farm and gardens
The Cellar - Wines from established and emerging producers
Location
An hour’s drive from London but a lush world away. Just a 10 minute drive from your estate? Stratfield Saye House, the 17th century manse of the Duke of Wellington—onetime getaway of Queen Victoria, in 1845, and now open for tours.