This rewilding estate is leading nature’s comeback in the Cotswolds

In the rolling heart of the Cotswolds, where honey-stone cottages and heritage orchards have long defined the countryside aesthetic, something quietly radical is taking root in Tetbury. At Calcot & Spa, rewilding is more than a trend — it’s at the heart of everything this Considerate Collection country house hotel stands for. Blending ecological restoration with luxurious hospitality, the estate has spent the last two decades turning manicured farmland into a thriving sanctuary for Skylarks, Shrikes, and wildflower meadows bursting with life. From planting 22,000 native trees to installing bird boxes and managing ancient hedgerows, the team — including visionary head groundsman Steve Farthing and sustainability lead Sally Barker — is proving that true beauty lies not in control, but in harmonious coexistence.

Our rewilding journey continues with a growing recognition that luxury and sustainability can — and should — coexist.

Looking ahead, what are your hopes for the future of rewilding at Calcot — and how might your work serve as a model for other hospitality businesses?

Our hope is to create a flourishing natural landscape that enhances wellbeing for both wildlife and people — a place where guests can truly feel immersed in nature’s recovery. Looking forward, we’re exploring deeper collaborations with local conservation groups and offering more educational opportunities for guests to get involved, as well as encouraging local volunteers to help tree planting and undertaking the surveys with us. We’d love to see other hospitality businesses embrace rewilding not as a trend, but as a core value — a way to give back to the land that sustains their business.

We’re not standing still either – we’ve created a timeline and land management plan for the next five to 10 years incorporating more planting, annual para-taxonomy reports, and bird counts, and will continue to work with local partners to enhance the work we’re doing and encourage other landowners to do the same.

Previous

From Patagonia to Paris: 6 boutique hotels on our editor’s wish-list

Next

Amsterdam turns 750: why now is the moment to visit the Netherlands’ capital

Latest stories

The art of doing nothing, perfected in the Maldives

In a world that praises packed itineraries, early-morning flights, and the humblebrag of needing a vacation from your vacation, slow travel can feel almost counterintuitive. It’s a conscious shift away from the pursuit of more, a choice to be present, to truly know a place, and maybe, just maybe, to

Turning nature into nourishment on a remote Norwegian island

On a small island a short boat ride from Herdla, where salt carries on Arctic winds, sustainability isn’t a slogan — it’s the rhythm of life. At Lilløy Lindenberg, the days move with the tides: seaweed is foraged from the surrounding shallows by chef Antje de Vries, whose vegan, season-driven

The must-know boutique hotels of 2025: SLH award winners revealed

As SLH marks 35 years of celebrating independently minded stays, this year’s awards spotlight the hotels redefining boutique luxury around the world. Handpicked by our travel experts and voted for by our passionate community, the 2025 winners are stylish, soulful stays to have firmly on your radar. Bookmark this list

Tuscany, not as you know it: inside La Roqqa’s riviera escape

In the mid-20th century, Porto Ercole was a hot spot for the Hollywood jet-set. Now, design-led La Roqqa is putting this quaint seaside town – and Tuscany’s unsung Argentario coast – back on the international crowd’s map.