Heckfield Place, located in the tranquil countryside southwest of London, has the stately poise of a great English house.Heckfield Place
For Jane Austen, home was in Hampshire, a lush, green county about an hour’s drive southwest of London. By all accounts she was happiest here, and it’s no wonder.
When I visited for the first time in August, the landscape was more beautiful than I’d imagined: Narrow roads winding through rolling hills carpeted in purple heather, past farmland dotted with Guernsey cows, and ancient woodlands and villages so pretty they seem stage-set for a Regency romance.
I was en route to Heckfield Place, built in Austen’s day for a wealthy young widow named Jane Hawley. It’s now a five-star country hotel with 46 rooms, set on 438 acres, revered for its biodynamic farm and eco-friendly approach to quiet luxury.
My son, Dylan, who lives in London, was with me. As we rounded the last bend of the drive and got our first good look at the stately red-brick Georgian, he turned and said, “Well, mom, you may have undersold this place. I feel like we’ve just arrived at Pemberley,” Mr. Darcy’s home in Pride and Prejudice.
A guest room at Heckfield Place.Heckfield Place
Heckfield has the stately poise of a great English house – think Downton Abbey, filmed at Highclere Castle, not far away – but without the stiffness and starch. We were greeted at the front door by smiling young porters in cropped trousers and loose linen jackets. First impressions count and the uniforms set the tone of rustic refinement that carries through the décor, the grounds, the rooms, the spa and the food.
The house has lived many lives. After widow Hawley passed, Heckfield was expanded in the 19th century by the Eversley family before being purchased in 2002 by businessman Gerald Chan, who spent 16 years restoring it as a boutique hotel.
To the writer’s son, Heckfield evoked Mr. Darcy’s home in Pride and Prejudice.Heckfield Place
It opened in 2018 and is filled with art and antiques from his personal collection. Marble fireplaces anchor drawing rooms stocked with board games and deep sofas where guests can chat, read or snooze.
When we stepped onto the back terrace that stretches the length of the house and overlooks two lakes and gentle hills, I felt as though I’d walked into a painting by John Constable.
We stayed in the contemporary wing known as the Corridors and our room was a masterclass in farmhouse chic: A soothing blend of antiques, hand-knotted rugs, bouquets of sunflowers and snapdragons and a minibar stocked with Heckfield cider, beer and daily cordials playfully labelled, “Drink Me.”
It’s the small gestures, though, that elevate everything, from Wildsmith toiletries in the bathroom (named after William Wildsmith, the famed 19th-century horticulturalist who designed Heckfield’s arboretum) to corn dollies (figures woven from straw that are supposed to ensure a good harvest for the next season) and writing paper embossed with bird feathers and pine cones found on the property.
A guided tour of the grounds made one thing clear: The heart of Heckfield comes from the soil. The organic farm and garden supply all the fruits, vegetables, eggs and honey served in the two restaurants: Hearth, where everything is cooked over a roaring fire, and Marle, which holds a Michelin Green Star.
Afternoon tea is served at Heckfield.Heckfield Place
The farm-to-table culinary vision at Heckfield was shaped by the late Skye Gyngell, a pioneer of London’s slow food movement. It continues today under her protégé Eleanor Henson.
“When we think about menus, we never force the farm to give us what we want,” Henson says. “Instead, we go to the farm and ask it what it has.”
There is a small gym on site, but fitness at Heckfield is often outdoors. Guests run or walk the forest trails, swim in the lake or try classes such as the Woodland Workout, which I did – lifting stumps, walking fallen logs, running hills. It’s hard, dirty work and exhilarating too.
Then we visited the Bothy by Wildsmith, a wellness space that blends quietly into the landscape. There is a chlorine-free infinity pool called “The Waters” that looks out onto a wild meadow. We moved between sauna, steam and pool, listening to birdsong (no cheesy spa music here) recorded by hotel staff during the pandemic.
Heckfield’s guests have the opportunity to swim in nature.Heckfield Place
On our final morning, we lingered on the terrace, next to a couple with their two golden labs at their feet (dogs are welcome here). They told us they return again and again because the staff welcomes them like family.
That is what makes Heckfield special: Elegance grounded in the graciousness of the people who work there. It is a grand country hotel that manages to feel like home.
If you go
Heckfield Place is about an hour from London by car. Trains run from London Waterloo to Winchfield Station, a short drive from the hotel. Rates start at £650 per night.
Nearby, you can visit Jane Austen’s House, Windsor Castle or Stonehenge – though you may find once you arrive there is little reason to leave.
The writer was a guest of the hotel, which did not review or approve this article. Stories are based on merit; The Globe does not guarantee coverage.