Hotel review: Tewinbury Farm Hotel, Hertfordshire

Daily Mail​

22-04-2025

When you live in a city, sometimes all you need is a quick escape to the countryside to ground yourself and de-stress – to be at one with nature, away from the pollution and overpriced wellness.
Tewinbury Farm is perfect for such a country escape. Just a 30 minute train ride away from King's Cross, it offers everything you could need to forget about work, chores and life admin over the weekend.
Rooms and facilities
Tewinbury Farm is set on a 700-acre working farm, where the rooms have been converted from 17th century buildings. There are 43 rooms, four lake huts, three woodland huts, two lodges and one shepherd's hut to stay in – so plenty of space.
The Lakeside Lodge includes a private hot tub with views across the water, while the Woodland Hut is perfect for those who love to be at one with nature, as it's nestled among the trees. It even has a decked terrace with a log burner.
The room I stayed in was in the main building. The first thing I noticed when I entered was the smell, luckily for good reasons. It was clean, floral and welcoming. Then it was the cute green and pink decor, which reflected the homely yet finessed farmyard feel of the whole place.
There were complimentary ear plugs in the room, as well as pillow spray to help guests nod off. A thoughtful touch, and maybe also necessary, as I could hear the live band playing in the Farm Yard outside. Thankfully, the band stopped playing at a reasonable hour and it wasn't hard to drift off in the spacious bed.
The only thing I thought odd was that in the bathroom there was shower gel and shampoo but not conditioner. Not the end of the world but something that feels like a must-have these days. There were, however, cotton pads, cotton buds, hairbands and grips for a thoughtful extra touch.
Room rates start from £175 a night. Find out more here.
As well as the comfortable rooms, guests can choose from four drinking and dining destinations, a treatment room to unwind, barn event spaces, live music events and a cinema.
Food and drink
Cowshed is the main restaurant where breakfast is served. In the mornings, you'll find a decent self-serve selection including all the traditional parts of a full English, as well as continental options, pastries, granola and fruit.
Cowshed also serves an award-winning afternoon tea Thursday to Sunday which I didn't get to try, but I did visit for dinner. The dinner menu features refined British classics that change with the seasons, so there's a high chance you'll find something on there to suit your mood. I had a courgette lasagne for my main, which was a good portion size but – crucially – light enough to still have room for dessert.
Other options for food include the Granary Kitchen, a rustic space where you can try a bigger selection of breakfast dishes, brunch foods, casual lunches and Sunday roasts.
The Stable Cosy Art & Piano Bar is a great spot for chilling out. Find a cosy spot on a sofa, order some drinks and nibbles, sit back and relax. It's the perfect space for reading or playing one of the board games provided.
Hotel highlights
There was a lovely atmosphere at Tewinbury. At the weekend, you'll find visitors as well as hotel guests go there to watch live music and performances in the Farm Yard – the heating in the venue really made the winter evening much more enjoyable.
The Stable also has a heated terrace that overlooks the River Mimram, where you can order cocktails, small plates and pizzas.
There's a huge cinema screen that shows sporting events as well as films, so there are plenty of opportunities to get people together and soak up the atmosphere.
When you do want to wind down, there are a range of activities on offer with trained instructors and therapists. For example, brave guests might fancy taking part in the guided ice bath plunge with restorative breath work, or try the Titans boot camp. For those like me, who get teary at the thought of submerging themself in freezing cold water, might be better suited to the outdoor yoga class or candle making.
There's also a treatment room for R&R where you can book facials, massages, manicures and pedicures.
You may be a bit out in the sticks, but you'll be far from bored. Foodies can also join the estate's chefs in a Bake Off-esque cookery school and check out the farm shop, which is full of snacks and treats. There's fresh bread, wines, beers, soft drinks, jams, oils, chutneys and fresh eggs. But there are also things like puzzles and candles to take home, or perhaps work on assembling the former in the Stable Bar.
I picked up some alpaca food in the shop before heading out to feed the animals – a good idea to entertain children too.
What to do nearby
The Welwyn Roman Baths is three miles away from the hotel, and would take about an hour to walk there if you fancied getting your steps in.
Welwyn offers great walking routes – the farm has detailed maps for guests to take away with them to help with navigation, whether you're taking a peaceful stroll or longer hike.
Of course, there's always a chance of bad weather but you don't need to worry about plans getting ruined. You can borrow wellies and raincoats from the boot room – if it helps persuade you out, there are plenty of cosy local pubs to take well-deserved breaks in.
Nearby towns include Hertford and Hitchin, and the Warner Bros Harry Potter Studios are a half-hour drive away.