Birch

From the moment you pull up to the spectacular house set in the beautiful Hertfordshire countryside you feel an instant sense of a home away from home, paired with wonderful indulgences you dream of. Beautifully designed, there are infinite areas to explore, enjoy, cosy up and relax. On arrival, we collected a pre-ordered BBQ hamper from Valerie’s and headed to our DIY dinner at one of the fabulous fire-pits. The ingredients were incredible - from the tasty meats and pairing relishes, to delicious flatbreads. The atmosphere was that of a small intimate festival, but with a cherished sense of privacy. Lanterns were delivered as the sun set and blankets provided. It was a romantic evening, fuelled by delicious cocktails and wine (which by the way you could either order from one of 3 buzzing bars or get delivered directly to your fire pit!). The rooms were modern and comfortable and the Roberts radio was a nice touch. After spending the morning lounging on the plush sofas in the sunshine outside overlooking the magnificent grounds, we experienced the tasting menu at The Zebra Riding Club which was a highlight of our stay. Robin Gill in all his glory - the decor was stunning with an open kitchen, high ceilings and fabulous interiors. The food was absolutely superb and the staff and chefs were so passionate and excited to talk us through the flavours and local farm produce. It was a truly memorable experience. We explored all the hidden corners - the co-working space had a great vibe; it felt spacious and flooded with light, and there were artists wandering around hand-painting the bar / playing live music. Birch has everything and more, my only wish is that we could have stayed longer than a night to enjoy all the amazing workshops, classes and experiences they have to offer. We’ll be back…

This is a relaxing and beautiful place. The food is excellent. The Guided Nature Walk with Farmer Tom is a must.I keep myself well informed yet I learned so much from him about the nutritionally deplete food we are sold. This was my first visit and I can see this place gradually developing more facilities and activities to do.

Wanted to do a review as, despite being unable to stay over New Years, their customer service is great. Their communication has been so clear and they were super quick at refunding me as I won’t be able to rebook any time soon. Can’t wait to come and stay - if this is anything to go off I won’t be disappointed! Thank you all.

What a fantastic and unique way to spend the weekend. I highly enjoyed my experience at Birch and the incredible range of activities to get involved in. All of the class teachers were passionate about their craft and the staff were so welcoming. If you fancy trying something new or just want a break away from the city, Birch is the place to go to.

Lovely setting, not too far from central london but feels like a real retreat. The common areas are stunning and include a grownups playground (music studio, board game room, pottery studio, several bars and cafes as well as a restaurant, a full gym with a very decent class schedule). The surroundings are nice but need a bit of tidying up (rubbish depot on the « walk » around the property). I was really let down by the cleanliness of the rooms, especially the shower (hair from the previous occupant on wall and bottom of shower). It wasn’t an outlier since I had to change rooms (unites shower did not have hot water) and noticed the same level of cleanliness in both bathrooms. That really needs to be fixed!