ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT
TRAVEL
April • 2022
ALL IMAGES © COURTESY OF HECKFIELD PLACE
It Begins with The Soil: Traveling and Eating The Plant-Positive Way ALLIE MURRAY
Situated along the beauty of the Hampshire countryside in England, in an elegant Georgian family home, sits Heckfield Place, an organic farm estate and luxury hotel. Heckfield Place opened its doors four years ago with a simple goal: to reconnect its home and farm to the local community. To do so, they opened to welcome guests to stay in the historic house and introduced a certified biodynamic market garden and organic farm, commonly known as the Home Farm. “Everything we do relates to nature—from the house itself, which, like so many grand English houses, is positioned to align with the movement of the sun, to our fully certified biodynamic market garden, farm-to-fork offering, and natural skincare line,” General Manager Kevin Brooke explained. “In an increasingly turbulent world, this is a place that feels timely in its pursuit. A place that stands out of time, seeking to impart wisdom and inspire change.” The home itself was built in the 1760s and has been lightly restored to breathe new life into the 250-year-old home, being referred to by the owners as a place to redefine the idea of a country hotel.
“As we respect this 250-yearold history, we look forward to a 250 year new plan,” he said. “Heckfield Place is a land sculpted by many hands, minds, and ideas over hundreds of years. Today we act as custodians of this remarkable estate.” The home has been restored to include various activities for guests, including a screening room, which is open to both residents and outside visitors. The screening room plays films, live screenings, and film festivities and is available for private events. The rooms available for booking vary in size and look, including signature rooms, master rooms, chamber rooms, and more. There are six signature rooms, the Long Room, Lake Room, Heath Room, Coppice Room, Ochre Room, and the Church Lodge. Each offers picturesque views of the grounds and different designs for a unique and homey feel. The Church Lodge is a separate cottage on the grounds, tucked away with its own gardens and surrounding landscapes. The cottage is built with a black and white timbered gatehouse with a gentle palette and details to match the surrounding landscapes. Heckfield Place operates on 438 acres of land and is working towards a zero carbon footprint.
Spread across the home and the farm, the staff have planted hundreds of trees and cared for cows, pigs, chickens, and an abundance of crops. With their all-natural skincare line, Heckfield Place opened The Little Bothy Spa, with a focus on offering all-natural treatments and exclusive products from the line, called the Wildsmith Skin range. Similarly, the spa opened spaces for personal training, yoga, and pilates classes. “In the sanctuary of the spa, the emphasis is on wellness and a deep connection to our natural surroundings, with ingredients drawn from our apothecary garden and juices and infusions made fresh each day,” Brooke explained. To expand their belief that good stems from the soil, Heckfield Place fosters a positive mindset on our inner soil: the mind and body. In 2022, The Little Bothy Spa is expanding to open Bothy Spa, a space to encourage reconnecting with nature. Bothy Spa is found on the grounds just off of the walled garden and focuses on the power of healing and movement. The new-and-improved spa is set to open in 2022, but in the meantime, The Little Bothy Spa
is still welcoming guests in with open arms. While staying at the house, meals are prepared from the crops grown onsite to foster a healthier lifestyle and reduce food waste, with, of course, a strong focus on the flavor of the food they offer. The essence of the home is to be a place where food, company, and philosophy coexist seamlessly. The farm is seen as the soul of Heckfield Place—it provides everything for the house, from food to flowers, honey, and so much more. In 2020, they expanded the farm even further, opening seven new greenhouses to grow a variety of produce, as well as seasonal flowers. The farmers also opened a dairy farm, which is home to 42 cows to create cheese, milk, cream, butter, and yogurts for the house, as well as 59 Suffolk sheep. “Every ounce of produce that comes from our market garden and home farm is precious,” Brooke said. “And as such, we’ve committed to a zerowaste policy. From preserving gluts into cordials or preserves, to championing unloved and overlooked bits like carrot tops in our Earth menu, our aim is to either consume or reuse as compost for our living soil.” The Heckfield Place teams
believe that everything begins with good, clean soil. With this mindset, they work towards standing up for our planet and working to be a plant-positive place not only with the work they do but also by giving back to the community. “The market garden, Home Farm, and no-waste philosophy capture the essence of our approach—starting with good, clean soil, standing for something planet-positive and joyful, and giving back to the community and the planet,” he shared. On the property, Heckfield Place boasts five eateries: the Marle, Hearth, Glass House, Moon Bar, and The Cellar. Each is unique to its own flavors but remains locally grown. The Cellar is nestled beneath the house and is home to wines from established and emerging producers. Again noting the power of the soil, the wine available at The Cellar is diverse in region and variety and features a selection of wines that are perfect for everyday enjoyment or even the rarest of blends. “In a time of unbelievable discoveries and unprecedented modernity, we find ourselves looking to forgotten skills and lost ways of living,” Brooke said. “Heckfield Place is an antidote to modern living. A way of seeing luxury in a new way.”
ADVERTORIAL
Experience the Best of Maine On your way to or from just about anywhere in New England, Maine’s MidCoast is easy to get to and offers the best of everything in Maine. Shopping, dining, sightseeing, outdoor recreation…the MidCoast is quite literally in the middle of it all.
IT’S SIMPLY THE MIDDLE OF AMAZING!
A visit to Maine’s MidCoast region is one you will treasure forever. This region is a vibrant and stunningly beautiful natural destination dotted with quaint villages lined with unique shops and worldrenowned restaurants. Experience our world-class museums, enjoy our theaters, stroll our beaches, visit our vineyards, and hike our rocky coast. We help build customized itineraries for families, foodies, adventurers, history buffs, and even relaxation seekers at mainesmidcoast.com. They say the quickest route between two points is a straight line, but everyone knows that’s not always the best way to reach your destination. The trip from Portland, Maine to Acadia National Park is a little over three hours if you drive straight through on the
highway—but you’d cruise right past some of Maine’s best art, culture, food, and awe-inspiring natural beauty. Instead, veer off the beaten path and head right up through Maine’s MidCoast: take U.S. Route 1 between Portland and Bar Harbor. Adventuresome types won’t want to miss out on walking these beaches, sea kayaking around a New England harbor, or peeping puffins and whales. The route also features plenty of rainy day activities, including the best lobster roll in Maine (but we’ll let you be the judge) and two excellent maritime museums. So next time you’re traveling in Maine, take the scenic route with stops at any (or all) of these MidCoast gems. And, of course, we have the islands. The islands of Maine’s MidCoast evoke romantic images and light up the imagination in people all over the world. They have inspired some of our culture's greatest art and literature. Tantalizing glimpses of green spruce and pink granite hover on the horizon as one looks out to sea. Our islands are iconic and mysterious, with
evidence of human history going back thousands of years. Some islands are accessible by bridge, and some must be reached by boat—whether that’s one of the ferries leaving from Rockland or a sea kayak (bring your own, rent, or book a tour with one of our wilderness guides). Pretty much any time of year, you’ll f ind interesting events going on, large and small. Lobster festivals, music festivals, maple syrup celebrations, parades, and concerts…see our website for the when and where. With plenty of wide-open spaces, Maine’s MidCoast offers everything that makes our state a great vacation without the crowds you find at more popular destinations. When the time comes, do yourself and your family a big favor and head straight for Maine’s MidCoast. Whether you visit Maine to relax or to adventure—or maybe get a little bit of both—Maine’s MidCoast is the place you’ll find what you’re looking for. See life here the way it’s been lived for centuries. Fair warning, you may never want to leave! Maine’s MidCoast…the middle of amazing!
© MAINE’S MIDCOAST & ISLANDS
The best of Maine is all within reach here in the MidCoast.
MainesMidCoast.com
