Hot tub, gardens and grounds
Out among the 700 acres of this exclusive Hertfordshire estate, long walks are yours for the taking. So bring the dogs, bring the kids, bring plenty of energy for the river and the rolling hills.
Wander the estate grounds to discover on-site restaurants, street-food vendors, a terrace to eat on and a lake to picnic by.
Or simply enjoy your private, secluded, garden and lake surrounding Kingfisher House and spend your evenings stargazing whilst simmering in the covered hot tub.
Living spaces
At Kingfisher House, modern style meets rural charm. Once a dairy farm with 50 cows, the estate remains peppered with converted barns and shepherd’s huts that remind you of its heritage. And the farm shop with its seasonal produce puts that rustic flavour on your plate every day.
Bring the family, the kids and the dogs and cosy up on the squishy sofas in two luxurious lounges. Or pile into the industrial-look cinema room with its table-tennis table and huge projector-style screen. Grab a mojito or three in the private cocktail bar. Work off the calories in the gym on the weights, treadmill and cross-trainer.
Post to Instagram with the superfast Wi-Fi. Chill in the spit and hiss of the on-site sauna. Pinch a paperback from the full bookcase. Sing along with the Sonos. Kick back and help yourself to another cocktail. At Kingfisher House, time passes just slowly enough so that you refuel, reconnect and remind yourself of what really matters.
Cooking and dining
There’s a certain flavour to life at Kingfisher House, and it’s a wholesome, rustic one. There’s a fully equipped kitchen for all your self-catering needs and an on-site farm shop to help you stock up the fridge-freezer. If you need a little encouragement, sign up to the cookery school.
Wander the grounds to dip in and out of the on-site restaurants and top yourself up with street food, be it wings, bratwurst or fajitas. Help yourself to a takeaway Farm Yard box, head to The Cowshed for field-to-fork dishes, or try The Stable for a Tipsy Tea or The View for roast dinners with a side order of live sport.
Still feeling lazy? Call in our chef to prepare anything from a one-off celebration to a fully catered break. Why not? You’re on holiday. And if you fancy a takeaway, the Taj Mahal, Domino’s Pizza or the Red Indian, all in Welwyn Garden City, should banish the munchies and improve your day.
Head off site to sample the delicious calamari at Vita Ristorante Italiano, south-coast halibut or duck egg at Auberge du Lac, no-nonsense roasts and breakfasts at The White Hart or Turkish treats at the Misya Meze and Grill. Set yourself up for the day with a full English at The Country Bumpkin.
Bedrooms
Choose from six luxury en-suite bedrooms sleeping up to 16, with only the occasional bleat or moo to break the night air. Pick from Burnham Green, Digswell, Archers, Bulls Green, Bramfield and Datchworth, all of which are doubles that take an extra bed if required.
Children welcome
If there’s anything kids love more than holidays, it’s being with the people they care about most and, with 12 berths up for grabs at Kingfisher, there’s plenty scope for mums, dads, grannies, grandads and assorted cousins to tag along. And when they get there, they won’t be short of fun and frolics.
It all begins with a discovery trip around the 700-acre estate. Take the dog down by the river, picnic by the lake (watch out for the open water), guzzle some street food – bratwurst, pizza, wings or fajitas, maybe – from The Farm Yard, with a side of live music. Make friends with the on-site alpacas.
Pull mum and dad out of the cocktail bar and get a movie going on the projector screen in the cinema room. Play a little table tennis. Eat out on the terrace. Invade the playground. Older kids can hit the gym, slide into the sauna or bubble and boil in the covered hot tub. Stream the superfast Wi-Fi and create instant Insta-envy.
What people say
High tea and high jinks
Stay on site for organised archery, clay-pigeon shooting and sheep racing. Chill in the Gosling Sports Park spa. Shoot 18 holes at Panshanger. Or head out for high tea at the Brewery Tea Rooms or high jinks on Legoland Resort’s wild rides. Or discover an underwater world at Sea Life London and keep your cubs busy at London Zoo.
