An “All-Encompassing” Stay at Elmley Nature Reserve, An Hour from London

Tucked away on an island just 50 miles south of London is Elmley Nature Reserve, a 3200-acre expanse of marshland on the low-lying Isle of Sheppey in Kent. Nine years ago, Georgina and Gareth Fulton took over the reserve from Georgina’s father. He had managed the estate for decades, transforming what was once intensive farmland into an internationally important wetland site that attracts 12,000 visitors a year, most of whom come in winter when the shallow scrapes and ponds are filled with rare migratory birds.

Wishing to broaden the appeal of the reserve, the Fultons invested in a handful of secluded shepherds’ huts, giving visitors the opportunity to stay overnight on the reserve and become fully immersed in the languorous rhythm of the landscape. At the same time, they converted the cavernous, mid-19th century grain store at the centre of the site into a communal event and dining space. A few years later, the neighboring derelict Victorian farmhouse was meticulously restored. Today, Elmley retains that end-of-the-world atmosphere, albeit—quite literally—with added creature comforts.

Let’s take a tour.

The main hub at Elmley—the café, barn and farmhouse—is at the end of a two-mile track. As you approach, the industry on the shores of the river Swale recedes and unfamiliar shapes appear both on land and in the sky. It’s not unusual to spot the resident barn owl gliding between fence posts, alert hares hunkered in the grass, and lapwings bouncing around on the breeze.

“We really notice the restorative effect that a stay seems to have on our guests,” explains Georgina. “We see people check in feeling harried, after a busy week at work, and they are almost unrecognizable by the time they depart a couple days later, having had time and space to truly relax. It is something about being immersed in nature, the sounds of the wildfowl on the water, waking up to the call of the birds—the visual and sound effects of the reserve. It is all-encompassing.”

The 18th-century farmhouse was restored in 2020 and is now a luxury six-room B&B that is also available for group bookings. (Weddings are popular here as there’s ample space for additional bell tents and no neighbors to disturb.) There are three communal rooms that are especially difficult to leave, an intimate dining room for evening meals, and a contemporary kitchen extension where guests gather for breakfast at a shared table. There are views of the expansive marsh from every window.

The farmhouse interiors are by Francesca Rowan Plowden: “My inspiration for the rooms at Kingshill Farmhouse came from the vast open skies of Elmley,” she says. “After staying a night in one of huts, before the renovation even started, I was taken by the extraordinary range of colors that enveloped the reserve. They went from the glorious pinks and yellows of the sunrises and sunsets to the dark moody greys, greens, and blues of the coastal storms rolling in.”

Beyond the farmhouse, the huts are spaced out across the reserve in their own secluded clearings. “We’ve recently worked with Francesca to make some updates to each of the hut interiors,” explains Georgina. “Nature, the landscape, and the outdoors are again referenced, and are the inspiration for the changes that have been made.”

“Our huts have all been designed to position people in nature,” explains Georgina. “Each hut is positioned at a precise angle, carefully thought through to offer the best visual experience, so that guests feel as if they are part of the landscape whilst at the same time feeling shielded and private. This is the same for the Farmhouse rooms. Everything is about the view, whether from the bath or bed.”

For more nature-centric stays, might we suggest:

• The Promise of Rest: A New Rural Retreat in the Cévennes
• The Outermost House: A Norwegian Island Retreat
• Americana Redux: Wildflower Farms Resort in the Hudson Valley