If drifting away in your own private spa, floating in a pristine wild swimming lake, waterside saunas, and sunset pizzas sounds like your kind of escape, let us lead you to the Waresley Park Estate.
Found just South of the hubbub of Cambridge, this is a place designed to get you away from the drag of daily life; encouraging everyone who tootles up the linear, mature hedge-lined drive, to shake off the day, ease their bones, and melt into the sense of peace ushered in by time spent in the countryside.
There are many ways to visit. For wild swimming adventures, harmonious classes such yoga in the tipi, paddleboarding, or the summer theatre series. For pop-up supper clubs. For an overnight stay. For spa trips. Or for The Courtyard Cafe, open to the public for lunch daily (with a thoughtful, inventive menu), for pizza from 12noon to 9pm Wednesday to Saturday or 12noon to 5pm Sundays, or fish and chips, from 5pm Fridays – bookable as a Fish & Dips deal in advance if you want to dip your toes in the lake.
From the minute we stepped out of the car, breathing in the Cambridgeshire air, looking out across mature parkland, the estate’s vineyard, and the main house (flanked by decorative ponds, beech trees, warmly scented lilacs and vibrant rhododendrons) our shoulders visibly dropped. “Aah, lovely”.
We were bunked for the night in one of the charming, Hobbitty domed lodges – quirky luxury if ever we did see it.
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Each one is reached via a short walk from the car park, and commands its own privacy, with views stretching right out across grazing fields, where horses nuzzle into the long grass, and all kinds of birds swoop and call in the near distance. It’s definitely worth downloading the Merlin app to see which feathered creatures are circling nearby.
Similar inside to a shepherd’s hut, albeit slightly bigger, the design of the pods is second-to-none. Hands down some of the best self-catering accommodation of this type we have stayed in.
The space-saving design is thoughtful, practical and beautiful, and the outfitting to the highest spec.
There’s an outside seating and firepit area with plenty of firewood, space to BBQ, and blankets so you can make the most of the views, snuggled up to the wee hours.
That view isn’t lost when you step inside thanks to a huge picture window, framing the grounds.
Then there’s the big squishy built-in bed (complete with sleep mist should you need it); the inclusion of a USB charger pod; high-end BBQ aprons, kit and cast-iron dishes; proper earthenware mugs and plates; a very spacious shower with gorgeous lotions and potions; and absolutely everything you could need for a lazy morning feast – pastries, bread, artisan butter, the kitchen’s own seasonal fruit compote (rhubarb and ginger on our trip), and granola, preserves, yoghurt, juice and their coffee blend.
There’s something quite freeing about not being tied to a restaurant breakfast schedule – the chance to eat in the morning under your own steam.
After settling in, we didn’t have time for a swim in the lake, but many had booked the fish and chips and dips experience, bobbing in the water in their wetsuits and colourful hats. There’s always a lifeguard on site when it’s open, and it is another slice of heaven from the Estate, with a picture-worthy pontoon jutting out into the water, a little sandy beach and its sauna. I’m often wary of swimming in wild lakes or rivers, but the lifeguard assured us the water is checked monthly, and always comes back as pristine. “It’s probably better quality than your tap water,” he smiled. Good to know, especially as we already plan a return visit.
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A short walk away is The Courtyard, where at 6pm a steady flow of customers was keenly spilling out onto the patio.
It’s a cute spot, accented by planters of herbs and baby vegetables, used by head chef Ed Forrest-Brown alongside whatever the head gardener is growing in the expansive kitchen garden.
Ed loves working with seasonal produce, as reflected in the cafe menu, and regularly hosts special dining events, as well as private dining, more often than not cooked over open flames.
We nabbed seats close to the enormous (and very impressive) pizza oven where the maestro was at work. With a glass of local Saffron Grange bubbly (very nice too), and the cafe’s own beer, Where’s Lee - a hoppy, bright, chocolatey Pilsner that slipped down almost too well.
Pizza is ordered from a succinct but catch-all menu of just a handful of varieties that will satisfy most – a marg, a meaty one, a veggie one, a spicy one. There’s a number of homemade butters as well.
Ooh we loved every bite. Landing in takeaway boxes (so you can eat them fireside at your pod if you like) the dough was puffy and light, with a thin base and blooming, charred crust packed with flavour. It was easily digestible, suggesting a low, long ferment.
We smooshed it into our creamy garlic dip and wild garlic pesto.
The topping of sweet tomato sauce, melty mozzarella, nduja and hot honey was a modern classic that just ‘worked’, being naughtily spicy, but with a tickle of sweetness.
And, though tomato-less pizzas often look less interesting, you need to try them to see why they’re worth it. Ed’s combo of mozzarella, generously seasoned mascarpone, ham and bosky mushrooms was so delicious that every time I put a slice down saying I was finished, I could hardly resist going back in for another bite.
What a great experience. Relaxed, informal but still romantic. We trundled back to our cabin full, and clutching a bag of fudge made by a member of staff. It was nibbled, alongside a hot chocolate, by firelight as we watched the sun dip in the distance. Bliss.
Breakfast was also a hit. Wowsers to the rhubarb compote and granola. And the sourdough was so big it meant we had the beginnings of a cheese toastie in our hands for later in the day.
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We completed our break with a private slot in the spa in the main house, where you can book both treatments and experiences.
It reminded me of the kind of spa set up you’d find on a swanky private yacht. A bijou little sauna, stunning tiled pool with built in hot tub, raised viewing platforms, loungers – and a downstairs relaxation area with a viewing area into the pool.
We mellowed out on padded deck chairs, nipping back and forth to try out the spa products left out for us, before taking part in a refreshing body scrub – to be left on in the sauna, and washed off after.
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Our skin smoother than silk, it was then time for a dreamy candle massage. What a treat! The therapist (who honestly had magic hands), began by wafting my chosen scent under my schnozzle, before guiding me through pressure point tweaking, a deep, deftly done massage using warm, oozing, muscle deflating wax, finishing with a neck stretch and self-warming body lotion.
I actually was on cloud nine.
Even more so when lunch arrived in the form of a charcuterie platter impossible for two people to finish – meats, Alpine cheeses, crackers, chutney, loads of veg, hummus, grapes, olives and cornichons. All washed down with a glass of bubbles.
Good eats. Good vibes. This place is all about the chill – and we’re here for it.
Dates for your diary
- The estate is now offering cocktail-making workshops with in-house mixologist Tlly. She’ll walk guests through the making of four cocktails they can enjoy with pizza. The first takes place on 17th July.
- On Father’s Day there’s a butchery workshop with local butcher Remi, followed by a BBQ demonstration from Ed.
- Book for the Estate’s new series of roasts cooked over an open flame, designed for two to share. The next is on 28th June.
Find out more and book here.
