Kingshill Farmhouse | Elmley Nature Reserve

Last year, I had my first visit to Elmley Nature Reserve a very special place on the Isle of Sheppey, about an hour from London. You can read about that first visit here

As that event was focusing on something else, I didn’t mention too much about the Farmhouse. At the time, accommodation at Elmley was predominately the huts and a house you could rent out, however plans were underway to renovate the dilapidated plot into something spectacular.

These images are from last year when we had a little look inside the farmhouse…

The transformation was complete when we visited in early June, and I’ll let Georgina & Gareth (who run Elmley) tell you a little about it…

“The 18th Century Farmhouse sits at the heart of the 3,300 Elmley National Nature Reserve, in 1688 King James II was locked up here and subsequently the site had falling into a state of disrepair.

The project has been in the planning for over 7 years and has been a project of passion for the Fulton/Merricks families along with the design team, which includes Dunn Architects and Francesca Rowan-Plowden Interior Designer (Battle Hall at Leeds Castle and Goodnestone Park, Kent)

The aim was to restore the house to an incredibly comfortable and special house, but keeping unique character of the house and its surroundings. As with all at Elmley the views are the priority with reinstatement of large Georgian sash windows and even windows in the showers! The house has been designed to have a comfortable, homely yet eclectic feel with vintage finds and bespoke pieces.

Along with large gardens which flow onto the Reserve, it has a large hi spec kitchen, dining room, 3 separate reception rooms, 4 ensuite bedrooms on the first floor and the second floor features a family suite of two bedrooms with a shared bathroom.

The house can be hired as a whole or taken with the other accommodation on site for private events and for limited nights a year it is available on a B&B basis.”

One of the beautiful bedrooms in the farmhouse, possibly my favourite one!

One of the reception rooms

Details from the Whiskey Room (reception room 3)

The kitchen is stunning, full of light, all the storage you could want, I loved everything about it especially the tiles used behind the stove.

The Cottage

Elmley’s cottage has been renovated into a beautifully light, open plan space with uninterrupted views of the reserve. It’s a peaceful, tranquil space with a real sense of seclusion.

The Barn

My favourite space at Elmley is the barn, the light here is beautiful, it’s somehow vast and intimate at the same time and we were lucky enough to be treated to dinner.

A Nights Stay

We were very lucky to be offered a stay in the Farmhouse, waking up here was beautiful! Of course the Shepherd huts are also available if you want to really immerse yourself in the natural surroundings.

I can’t recommend a stay at Elmley enough, it’s not often you get to be off grid, within a nature reserve, with hens and hares scuttling past you whenever you venture outside and it’s just an hour from London!

Elmley Nature Reserve website

My stay was gifted but all thoughts my own.