KENTSTAYCATION
Rural Retreats cont...
GREEN FARM THE PIG- AT BRIDGE PLACE
THE PIG- at Bridge Place, Canterbury thepighotel. com
Under an hour from central London, THE PIG- at Bridge Place is a red-bricked Kentish honeypot that has been restored to preserve the unique history of the building. With period features such as large fireplaces, panelled rooms and secret stairways, THE PIG is home to its very own kitchen garden, adjoining restaurant, and rooms with heaps of homely charm. Each bedroom is finished with rustic textures and richly coloured soft velvet fabrics, with far-reaching views across the Kentish countryside. A dream for romantics looking to celebrate a weekend away in style, The Barn is one of THE PIG’ s self-proclaimed‘ Wow-Wee’ rooms; unique in character, style and spaciousness. A vast upstairs-downstairs rustic bedroom converted from the old stable block in the grounds, The Barn features lots of reclaimed timber and roughcast plaster with a cosy log burner, upstairs master bedroom and spacious bathroom with a freestanding roll-top bath and monsoon shower.
For guests who can tear themselves away from the sheer luxury of their room, the on-site restaurant is an inviting space for a decadent farm-to-fork meal. Fitted with mismatched crockery, antique furniture and eclectic decorations, the restaurant boasts a 25-mile menu that supports local suppliers and offers complete transparency as to its ingredients’ provenance. Dependent on the weather, THE PIG has a glorious garden oven for preparing smoky flatbreads in the summer sunshine.
78 • www. insidekent. co. uk
The Holiday Barn, Green Farm, Shadoxhurst greenfarmkent. co. uk
Offering a unique hybrid of self-catering flexibility with the welcoming hospitality of Green Farm, this 19th-century listed holiday barn provides accommodation for up to 14 people wanting to enjoy a rural retreat in Kent. Ideal for family get-togethers, special occasions or relaxing hen-dos, guests can enjoy cosy evenings by the log fire and craft a truly bespoke experience with activities such as yoga classes, local wine tours and enjoying time at Green Farm’ s boutique spa. Inspired by the beautiful countryside setting, The Spa at Green Farm offers luxurious ESPA treatments as well as an extensive beauty menu featuring everything from brightening facial therapies to muscle releasing deeptissue massages.
Set within 12,500 acres of ancient woodland, with rolling farmland that reaches towards the Romney Marsh coastline, there’ s plenty of local walks and cycle routes to explore around Green Farm during a weekend away. Just a 20-minute drive south, guests can take a scenic trip along the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway, or spend a day further up Kent’ s shoreline in Folkestone, the county’ s creative hub for arts and culture. On Wednesday to Sunday at Mudpie Pottery( mudpiefolkestone. com), visitors can book workshops or private courses to try their hand at the wheel, before wandering through the locally beloved Lower Leas Coastal Park and grabbing a bite to eat at Keppels Bar & Restaurant( thegrand-uk. com).
Frasers of Egerton, Ashford frasersegerton. co. uk
An award-winning restaurant housed in a traditional, oak-framed barn in the open countryside, Frasers of Egerton offers à la carte menus, brunch and afternoon tea using the very best locally sourced ingredients. With sustainability at the heart of everything they do, the 300-acre eco-estate is run with a strong commitment to the environment, with food miles minimised by using homegrown, grass-fed animals and ingredients foraged from the estate. With a menu that tantalises diners’ taste buds with every bite, Frasers crafts magnificent dishes with modern British flair, with the majority of their fruit and vegetables gleaned from their very own kitchen garden.
For guests wanting to stay overnight at Frasers, their luxurious bedroom accommodation is situated in two beautiful period buildings as well as two brand-new glamping pods. In the Blenheim Suite, guests can enjoy a four-poster bed and custommade round bath, or bask in the picturesque views through the double-aspect windows of the Russet Room. For those wanting to be as close as possible to nearby birdsong, the luxury glamping pods offer 221-sqft spaces with a cosy bed, kitchenette and air conditioning. To truly immerse yourself in nature from the moment you arrive, the pods boast unspoilt views of the cows napping underneath the sun and horses grazing in the paddocks. Just a short drive away, however, guests can visit the iconic Belmont House and Gardens or explore Mote Park’ s woodland, rivers and picturesque lake.