8 minute read
Get Inspired at Birch
With a unique formula that encompasses contemporary design, fabulous food, stimulating workshops, and nature in abundance, British Travel Journal checks in to one of the country’s most exciting and inspiring new hotels: Birch (Selsdon)
Croydon isn’t exactly the first place that springs to mind when planning a country escape, but here, just 30 minutes south of London, lies one the UK’s most exciting new hotels. Birch (Selsdon) has taken the bones of a fusty, old-fashioned golf resort and transformed it, both inside and out, into an inspiring destination to stay, play, and immerse oneself in nature.
Selsdon joins Birch’s existing hotel in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, and both properties share the same unique formula – there is nature to restore calm, food to nourish, wellness to realign body and mind, and a programme of workshops to inspire. It may all sound very wholesome, but there are also several cocktail bars, regular DJs and a party atmosphere when night falls, and it has all been carefully – and beautifully – designed.
Outside, what was once a vast golf course, aggressively mowed and manicured to within an inch of its life, has been left to rewild, and nature is quickly moving back in.
At 200 acres, it is one of the largest rewilding projects within the M25, and it inspires much of what goes on inside the building too.
Having first been developed into a hotel in the 1920s, the impressive 19th-century Gothic-style mansion has today been exquisitely remodelled by leading interior design and architecture studios A-nrd and Sella Concept. They have peeled back the property’s layers and brought out its best features – there are beautifully ornate ceilings, stunning fireplaces, and enviable original wooden flooring throughout. Birch has then added its signature melange of modern design furniture, contemporary art, handcrafted pieces made using sustainable materials, and a splash of glamour. The colour palate is extremely pleasing – calming, nature-inspired tones fill most spaces, interspersed with pops of pattern, colour and metallics, while natural materials add a cosy softness.
As well as a hip hotel, Birch (Selsdon) operates as a member’s club and it has all the chicness of one, but none of the snootiness. Another unique feature is the variety of creative classes and workshops on offer; there is a dedicated pottery studio, art space and screenprinting room, allowing both guests and members to let their creative juices flow. In an ‘Inspired by Nature’ pottery session, we sat outside amid swaying grasses and wildflowers, making pinch pots and tiles decorated with flora we had foraged ourselves. After 60 immersive minutes, my shoulders had well and truly dropped. As our clay creations were whisked away to be glazed and fired, we headed off to find our room.
There are 181 bedrooms of all shapes and sizes that line several long Wes Anderson-esque corridors. Ours was what Birch (Selsdon) describes as ‘Large’, and it was just that. Overlooking the terrace and sprawling grounds beyond, the airy and uncluttered room felt immediately serene. The original stone-framed lead windows flooded the space with natural light, while two boucle armchairs looked gently enticing. The walls were bare except for one or two splashes of contemporary British art. Pleasingly simple wooden bedside tables have been crafted using wood from the estate, while recycled glass lampshades add a subtle touch of sparkle. There is no TV, no desk. It was sparse, but in the best possible way. Birch aims to provide a sense of space, both figuratively and literally. The pastel pink bathroom was small but well equipped, but now was not the time for a long bath – I was destined for wellness elsewhere.
Trying to not get distracted by the two restaurants, three bars, impressive co-working hub, and various inviting communal spaces, I made my way to the hotel’s state of-the-art wellness space. Here, there is a huge, plant-filled gym, filled with all manner of cutting-edge kit and modern machinery. There’s also a spin studio and a variety of fitness classes on offer and, if you’re in need of pampering, there are four treatment rooms, while the outdoor heated lido, tennis court, and running track all await outside.
After a very good Pilates class (a perfect combination of both sweat and stretch), it was time for a cocktail, naturally. There’s a sprawling outdoor terrace, dotted with squishy beanbags, cute carpets, cosy firepits and lots of lovely festoon lighting. From here, I sipped an excellent Paloma and admired the far-reaching views across Birch’s beautiful, tree-strewn grounds.
There are two restaurants at Birch (Selsdon), both named after local flowers. I had dinner at Elodie, which is headed up by award-winning, Michelin-starred chef Lee Westcott. Overlooking the terrace and former golf course beyond, this 100-seater space is a feast for the eyes, with lavishly decorated ceilings, mirrored pillars, atmospheric lighting, and sumptuous booth seating. The offering is a nature-driven seasonal tasting menu, and each and every dish was exquisitely presented and tasted nothing short of sublime.
Just some of the highlights included a perfectly crisp croustade filled with sweet summer green beans, creamy smoked cod’s roe, wild garlic capers and marigold; a small warm loaf of sourdough, made with local IPA, slathered with a deeply rich Marmite butter, and a perfectly cooked piece of Cornish plaice, with mussels, Jersey royals, violet artichoke and buttery braised leeks, all liberally doused in a silky green olive sauce at the table. My favourite course was dessert. Simply described as ‘English Strawberry’, it was bursting with flavours of cherry blossoms (picked on-site), Sichuan pepper and creamy cultured yoghurt – a well-balanced medley of sweet, spicy, floral flavours and incredibly satisfying textures.
Breakfast at all-day dining spot Vervain was similarly impressive; there was delicious granola made in-house, poached eggs with smoked salmon and a very good hollandaise, and I can confidently say that the pain au chocolat – warm, crisp, and oozing with melted dark chocolate – was quite simply the best I have ever eaten.
Guests are encouraged to immerse themselves in Birch’s natural beauty; there are marked walking routes, picnic tables and swaying hammocks dotted around the grounds. After breakfast, we embarked on one of the regular rewilding walks hosted by regenerative designer and passionate environmentalist Sebastian Cox, who is leading the rewilding project at Birch (Selsdon).
His plan is to allow the undulating 200-acre former golf course to regenerate into a mosaic of woodland, scrubland, and meadows, restoring a diverse range of habitats to the land. It received its final mow two years ago and already it is teeming with wildlife; over 84 plant species and 525 animal species have been recorded, including bats, bees, birds and butterflies. It hums with the energy of all the nature that is moving back in, and it is a beautiful and incredibly peaceful place to be, so much so that when our small group happened upon a roe deer snoozing under a vast oak tree, it barely noticed us.
As Cox led us through ancient woodland and across grassy meadows, eagerly pointing out rare plants, birds and butterflies as we went, he described how the imminent introduction of Tamworth pigs, Sussex cattle and Exmoor ponies will help to manage the land, as nature intended. As we passed sand-filled golf bunkers now sprouting with wildflowers and grasses, he explained how he hopes that, in time, endangered species native to this part of England, such as dormice, nightjars, and nightingales, will return because of the restoration of their scrubland habitat here.
There’s a unique energy to Birch (Selsdon), both inside and out... It is a place to be inspired, and to feel calm and re-energised all at once.
Feeling inspired and excited by the potential of Cox’s pioneering project, I wandered back to the hotel and found a similar sense of optimism in the air. I sat on the terrace and watched as a group set off on a bushcraft and survival skills walk, already wide-eyed at what they were hearing, as two children roly-polied their way through the long grass on their way to the ‘Birchlings’ kids club.
A couple clinked cocktails and excitedly discussed the ‘learn to DJ’ workshop that they were about to embark on, as a woman strolled past with a yoga mat tucked under her arm.
There’s a unique energy to Birch (Selsdon), both inside and out. There’s something about the wildness of the land and the freedom that it has finally been granted that made me want to let my hair down too. It is a place to be inspired, and to feel calm and re-energised all at once. It’s a rare and tricky balance to achieve, but I think that Birch has got it just right.
→ Rooms at Birch (Selsdon) start from £180 per night; birchcommunity.com/selsdon
Text by Sophie Farrah
