Grove Farm
Sleeps 15-19
Buckinghamshire
Gardens and grounds
Just a short cruise up the M40 from London, the air is clearer, the sky bluer, the pace of life a lot more chilled. Pop out to the lights and sights of the Smoke all you like, but come home to the grasses blowing in the meadow, the song of the skylark and the saintly hush of rural England.
Pop a Prosecco on the terrace. Light up the barbie and sear some steaks. Walk the estate and go beyond to the paths that criss-cross Buckinghamshire’s beechwood forests. Let your dog loose in the lush grass. Stare at the big skies from the tree swing. Pack a picnic for the lake. Soak up the silence, the peace and the privacy.
Living spaces
In the drawing room, the fire’s roaring, the Chesterfields are inviting, and the style seeps from every exposed beam, every brick of the ancient fireplace, and in the homely warmth of the comfy blankets and the rugs on the wooden floor. This is the place to chat and plan, tip back some organic Prosecco and put the world to rights.
Head next door to the living room for movie nights on the Ultra HD Smart TV. Bright, light and furnished for 15, it’s the perfect place to curl up and dial down the stress. Turn the lights down low, slide into your complimentary robes and slippers, sip a tipple and pass the popcorn.
There’s a relaxed mix-and-match of textiles and colours, with the art deco theme melding nicely with the English country chic. Venetian mirrored furnishings sit alongside ancient blanket chests, low ceilings and an all-pervading sense of character and serenity. Pour a Nespresso and soak it up.
Raid the complimentary basket of logs to get the fire crackling, as you break out the DVDs, suggest a little charades or Chase the Ace, or just curl up with a book and a bottle of Bordeaux. Grove Farm is full of wow and wide-open spaces, but it still brings you together and feels as homely as hand-baked cottage pie.
Cooking and dining
It all starts with a warm welcome from the complimentary pack of organic Prosecco and English Breakfast tea. Get the fire going and relax a little before you unpack. When mealtimes roll around, fire up the Rangemaster with induction hob or just load the Nespresso, call the shots and ship in our expert chef.
Eat around the huge colonial-farmhouse dining table with its atmospheric ambient lighting and long history of gregarious gatherings. For morning coffee and croissants, the breakfast room is bright, light and airy and just the pop of a Breville toaster from the marble worktops of the kitchen.
Head out to the terrace for al-fresco dining on the tables and chairs. As the kids play on the tree swing and the dog gets lost in the long grass, light the barbie and smack your lips as the steaks sear brown but stay pink in the middle. Eat beneath big skies disturbed only by the breeze through the trees and the sizzle of the sausages.
Head out and try some Thai at the Giggling Squid or family-friendly Italian at Pizza Express. Get all grown-up at the Crazy Bear for Gloucestershire Old Spot pork and Welsh Badger Face lamb. Or maybe it’ll be the Saracen’s Head for box-baked Camembert, crab-and-chorizo linguine or 9oz ribeye.
Bedrooms
Sweep home in an Uber from the high-end restaurants and vibrant bars of Beaconsfield and Gerrards Cross to the gravel drive and the sleepy trees. Turn the key in the lock, climb the stairs and prepare for bliss.
Grove Farm sleeps 15 in seven bedrooms, with the option of two more on sofa beds and a further pair in the lodge. Bedrooms are warm and welcoming with period features, traditional colours and views over fields. Burrow down in the soft embrace of deep mattresses and crisp, luxurious sheets.
Bedroom one and two are doubles, sleeping two. Bedroom three is a superking with sofa bed and an en-suite Jack and Jill, while bedroom four comes with a kingsize. Bedroom five is also a kingsize, with extra single and en-suite, while bedroom six and seven are kingsize attics rooms that convert to twins through zip-and-link.
Rooms come with neat touches. Wrap yourself in fluffy towels, and enjoy complimentary soap, shampoo and conditioner, plus a hairdryer for that high-end hotel feel. Shuffle from bathroom to bedroom and down for breakfast in your complimentary slippers and robes.
What people say
Dreaming spires and London sights
For kids, this is a Famous-Five holiday full of fresh air and fun. Wear your wellies to Odds Farm Park, walk the beechwood forests or bring ancient mythology to life at the Hell Fire Caves. Grown-ups can head to the lights and sights of London, the dreaming spires of Oxford, or just the welcoming embrace of the White Horse in Hedgerley.
