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.

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