Birch in Cheshunt is digital detoxing a half-hour train ride from the City
THE WEEKEND: Perched a handy half an hour from Liverpool Street, boutique hotel Birch in Cheshunt is well-placed for a last minute escape from the City. The Grade-II listed mansion has been stripped back and revamped by a former Ace Hotel boss, offering creative workspaces, farm to-fork fine dining and hipster décor for city workers looking to unplug. With pottery, yoga, sourdough starter classes and wellness treatments, it’s a quirky take on a country weekend break.
Eccentric former owner Lady Meux, a Victorian socialite, was rumoured to keep real zebras on its grounds
WHERE? Sat in 55 acres of woodland, Birch is on the outskirts of Cheshunt in rural Hertfordshire and well connected to London. You can catch a 25-minute train from Liverpool Street to Waltham Cross. Then it’s a 10-minute Uber to the grounds.
THE STAY: Birch is a Georgian country estate that’s been upcycled for today’s city-dwellers. Design team Red Deer have made the most of the building’s original features, juxtaposing its grand staircases and high ceilings with a maximalist colour scheme and contemporary art installations. There are 140 rooms in total, which are unapologetically sparse in their minimalist design. Birch feels more stripped-back than rivals Soho Farmhouse or Wilderness Reserve, which might not be to everyone’s taste. There’s no TV or coffee machine, and the hotel’s existing bathrooms have been repainted rather than ripped out (a conscious decision by Birch to challenge wastefulness) so don’t expect an uber luxe rainforest shower in the morning. The lido and surrounding grounds have potential but feel a little tired and unfinished in places. That said, the hotel’s appeal is in its smart communal spaces.
There are two very good restaurants, three bars, 20 event spaces, a buzzy Hackney-style cafe workspace, a fitness studio and pottery workshop. There’s also a daily roster of activities to keep you busy, like gong baths, terrazzo workshops and independent cinema screenings – great if your visit is about keeping off your phone.
THE FOOD: The reason many people head to Birch is to eat at Robin Gill’s Zebra Riding House restaurant, named after eccentric former owner Lady Meux, a Victorian socialite who was rumoured to keep real zebras on its grounds. Gill is best known for the now defunct Clapham restaurant The Dairy, and at Birch, he’s continuing his signature farm-to-table fare. The reasonably affordable tasting menu (£53pp) utilises fresh, hyper-local produce, with comfort dishes like wood fired pork, ricotta dumplings and chalk stream trout. Birch is extremely family friendly; there’s even a kids’ tasting menu for little ones. Elsewhere, all-day restaurant Valeries offers a less formal but still tasty dining experience for breakfast and lunch. Service here can unfortunately be a little slow, so you may want to avoid weekend peak times.
NEED TO KNOW: Stays at Birch start from around £150 per night. Train tickets from Waltham Cross to London Liverpool Street start at £8.20 one way for a Standard Class ticket if you book in advance. Birchcommunity.com.
Birch in Cheshunt is bookable online; visit the website for more information