Elite Traveler HRS 2024

DISCOVER

elite traveler HOTELS, RESORTS &SPAS2024 31

by Thea Halstead Wellness

AWALK THROUGH THE WOODS

I’m going to take you on a journey, if I may, back in time, to a quieter world, a slower pace of life, to the late 1800s and rural England… I’m taking you to Heck fi eldPlace. Heck fi eld Place is a meticulously restored Georgian country house hotel and has, since its launch in 2018, established itself as one of the best hop-skip-and jump-just-outside London places to stay in the UK. And here, among the 400 acres of ancient oaks and sprawling rhododendrons, is where famed horticulturist and botanist William Walker Wildsmith honed his craft. Wildsmith was the mastermind

ensure that nature and the majesty of Heck fi eld’s grounds are woven throughout. One of the walls of the sauna is made entirely out of glass so while you sweat out the toxins of an evening spent sampling Marle’s wine cellar, you can admire views of ancient oak trees and fi elds of wheat. The 60-ft swimming pool, The Waters, is bathed in natural light. A wall of glass brings nature into the space to create a sopori fi c haven for post-lap snoozes and a few chapters of your book. It’s chlorine-free, too, so no chemicals to wash o ff before you head back up to your room. Everything seems generous at The Bothy

behind the progressive gardens and arboretum — during his stewardship, he and his team traveled all over the world hunting down interesting trees to bring home and introduce to the grounds. So important was Wildsmith’s in fl uence on Heck fi ed that the botanical skincare range is named after him and, more recently, the new spa has taken his moniker. The Bothy by Wildsmith is a true sanctuary that brings Wildsmith’s ethos of the healing power of nature to life. From the fossilized stone, Fibonacci staircase, birdsong soundtrack and the products used in treatments, huge consideration has been made to

Photos Paul Massey