The manor at its centre takes the opposite approach. Out in the woods, things are left to their own devices; inside, every comfort is carefully thought through. Interiors by studio Murudé elevate each corner, including a chinoiserie bar and a luxury spa. Swim in the morning, walk with the wildlife then finish with a film and a nightcap at the bar.
What’s included?
7-night stay from: £50,000 – £60,000
3-night stay from: £27,800 – £33,500
First impressions are made in the hall, where a grand double staircase sweeps up on either side. The sitting room is the home’s welcoming heart: a long stretch of space that brings together two distinct lounges, a kitchen and informal dining. Velvet sofas are ready to sink into, a grand piano awaits the musically inclined and doors open straight onto the garden.
Film nights happen in the cinema, swathed in velvet – best begun with a detour to the sweetie shop. End the day at the bar, where chinoiserie climbs the walls to a gilded ceiling and velvet seats gather before the fire.
Breakfasts are an oak-and-marble affair, gathered around the island while something cooks on the range. The real work happens out of sight. A full commercial kitchen means a chef can cater for the whole house party without anyone glimpsing the logistics. Dinner is served in the formal dining room, at a single live-edge walnut table that runs nearly the length of the room under chandeliers. Expect estate-reared meat on the plate and estate gin in the glass.
No two of the eight bedrooms are alike, each with its own bathroom. One is wrapped in blush grasscloth, the chapel framed in the window. Find another in calm sage, with armchairs angled for morning coffee. The principal suite is worth racing for. Beyond its arched alcoves and sitting area, a freestanding bath waits through an opening, with the walled garden laid out below. Younger guests aren’t forgotten: a dedicated suite comes painted with animals, with a long banquette under the windows for stories and sleepovers.
Staff accommodation is also available courtesy of a separate cottage with four bedrooms.
Head below and the house turns spa. The pool is the centrepiece, a long ribbon of mosaic tile running between stone columns. At the far end, a round hot tub sits before a marble fireplace, the warmest seat in the house on a winter’s afternoon. The sauna and steam room are just steps away, with changing rooms in soft plaster, travertine and oak. For anyone keen to earn a second helping at dinner, the gym is spacious and well equipped.
Follow the paths down through the trees and you’ll reach the lake. Here, a beautifully restored boathouse offers the perfect companion to days outdoors. Settle by the fire with an aperitif, before dinner with the doors thrown open for unrivalled views across the water.
A fountain greets you in the walled forecourt, but this garden’s best moments are kept to the back. The terrace steps down into a curved, sunken garden, where stone dogs keep guard over a courtyard and pebbled grotto. Beyond, the lawns roll out to open parkland. Wander further and you’ll find the walled garden and its glasshouse. Down at the lake, mornings start with yoga or a sound bath by the water, or a swim for the brave.
Past the gardens, the estate grows wilder. Ancient woodland gives way to grassland and wildflower meadows, alive with otters back after 70 years, more than 100 bird species and at least nine kinds of bat.
Ewhurst lies near the village of Ramsdell, on the Hampshire–Berkshire border in the North Wessex Downs. Here, there’s plenty to do before even leaving the estate. A ranger can lead you into the seven-acre beaver enclosure; at dusk, bat detectors come out to pick up the calls of at least nine species. Foraging walks track down wild herbs, plants and fungi, and finish with lunch cooked over an open fire.
Beyond the home, classic country estates are well within reach for days out. Highclere Castle – better known to the world as Downton Abbey – is 20 minutes away, while former Tudor palace The Vyne features family trails, a pre-Reformation chapel and a tearoom. There’s racing at Newbury and Ascot, or Calcot Park course is a 30-minute drive for keen golfers. Basingstoke station is just 10 minutes by car, with trains reaching London Waterloo in under an hour.
No request is too big or small for our concierge team. Premier League tickets to an all-important game, specialist piano tuners, a Michelin-starred plant-based chef. It’s a yes to all of the above.
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