Bainland, a 45-acre eco-park in Lincolnshire, has unveiled two new purpose-built, design-led villas for Summer 2020. Sleeping up to 24 guests the villas offer the ideal place for families to have an exceptional staycation this summer. Travel PR agency Pilot PR heads to Lincolnshire to find out more.
The two new villas, English Country Villa and English Garden Villa, reflect their English heritage and aesthetic. Costing over £2.4 million, the villas are built in the traditional ‘U’ shape and sleep up to 24 guests in 12 en-suite bedrooms. Each villa features a heated outdoor swimming pool with a retractable cover at its centre. The villas offer a relaxing country retreat, designed to combat the stresses of every-day living.
The indoor and outdoor communal living spaces, brainchild of owner Simon Craddock, are designed specifically for multi-generational family gatherings, big special occasions and even lend themselves to being used for retreats and by corporate groups.
Interiors are the vision of designer, Karen Robson Head Designer at Paulus & Brown, who has celebrated quintessential English design using stalwarts such as Osborne & Little, Designer’s Guild and Mulberry, combined with bold fabrics and textures, statement pieces of furniture and eclectic artworks.
The interiors inspiration for English Garden Villa is drawn from England’s horticultural heritage, perfectly blending bold contemporary design with traditional favourites to striking effect. Karen has drawn reference to garden designer Jody Lidgard’s gold medal winning debut at Chelsea Flower Show 2019 on which she collaborated with contributions on furniture design and the vibrant colour palette.
English Country Villa is more country lodge with a gentleman’s club feel; wildlife inspired wallpaper – including Mulberry’s iconic ‘flying ducks’ - grace the bedrooms while sofas in the living space are designed with tweed and plaid fabrics in a rich, velvety palette of indigo, burgundy and olive. Two magnificent Antler chandeliers by David Hunt above the dining table and an oversized kilim inspired rug complete the country lodge look.
A huge open-plan living space is filled with specially commissioned furniture, designed and manufactured in adjoining Nottinghamshire by Paulus & Brown, such as the bespoke 6.5 metre long sofas and 7 metre dining tables big enough to host all 24 guests. Spaces have also been created to offer quiet time and smaller gatherings. The library area, stocked with books and games, is painted in a richer red - Farrow & Ball Radicchio - to calm and provides an intimate seating area away from the hustle and bustle of the main living area. Generous hallways are light filled with floor to ceiling windows and clever seating to encourage reflection. There is also a games area with pool table accompanied by a high table and bar stools to complete the look.
A standout feature in each Villa is the generous open-plan kitchen, playfully designed and fully equipped to cater for a houseful of guests. In addition to striking design, both Villas are kitted out with fixtures, fittings and appliances from premium brands such as Smeg, Le Creuset and Villeroy & Boch.
Both Villas boast distinctive accessories and eclectic pieces of art, inspired by a sense of fun and Simon’s inquisitive mind and sourced from Pad Home, The Weird & Wonderful and Mine Heart Design. A favourite feature is the historic map of Lincolnshire which is hung in each bedroom.
A fantastic central outdoor space is the highlight of the Villas. At the heart of this space is 10m x 5m heated outdoor swimming pool with a 20m x 10m retractable cover that glides back at the touch of a button. There are also two eight seater Villeroy & Boch hot tubs, multiple seating areas and outdoor dining spaces on the decked floor, a huge fire-pit for family barbeques and a walled garden for privacy and peace of mind. English Garden Villa is dog-friendly and also has a private tennis court. English Country Villa is dog-free and share access to the park’s three additional tennis courts.
English Garden Villa and English Country Villa are the jewels in the crown of Bainland’s collection of 76 contemporary accommodation options ranging from one-bed Shepherd’s Huts and safari tents to four & eight bedroomed lakeside lodges and the 12 bedroomed villas.
Next on the refurbishment plans will be to redevelop the main building and reception area to house a farmer’s market, featuring local suppliers from Lincolnshire, and outdoor swimming pool. Bainland’s philosophy is rooted in celebrating all things local; on the doorstep of the picturesque village of Woodhall Spa, of whose residents Bainland is the largest single employer.
Bainland is also investing in rewilding the 45- acre site and the adding of wild swimming lakes. Careful consideration is being given to the landscaping, whose perimeter is made up of gabion walls using locally sourced rocks, providing a low impact boundary solution which also reduces noise. The Villas and lodges are also afforded privacy by the creation of buns, hillocks that have been made from material dug out when creating the lakes, and now seeded with wild flowers and poppies. The park has also been fitted with low level bollard lighting to make it especially dark, perfect for stargazing which Lincolnshire is particularly known for!
Activities for guests on site include tennis, swimming, archery, cycling and a running track. The main emphasis is on relaxing and enjoying the natural environment and Lincolnshire’s famous big skies.
For those guests that would like to explore the local surroundings, Lincolnshire’s little known beach of Anderby Creek Beach is within striking distance around 40 minutes’ drive away, and closer to home the charming village of Woodhall Spa is worth a mooch, and other attractions such as golf courses, Lincoln Cathedral and historical Connersby offer a wide array of options.
Says Simon Craddock, Owner and Managing Director, “Bainland is a real passion project; we have been quietly refurbishing the park since 2010 and are really proud of the offering which we believe strikes the right note of luxury in a natural setting. The wide range of accommodation offering is entirely intentional as we wanted to be accessible to all budgets and share our beautiful rewilded park. Next on our list is the refurbishment of the main reception building as well as building new lakes for wild swimming.”
At the heart of Bainland’s ethos is the desire to provide laid-back luxury and family-friendly accommodation from which to properly relax as well as immerse guests in the great outdoors; the 45 acre site is being rewilded and three wild swimming lakes have been created, with plans for the addition of a further six. As much thought has gone into encouraging guests to use the outdoor spaces as indoors, with the provision of fire pits, terraces, table games and Villeroy & Boch hot tubs as standard in select lodges. Many of the lodges are dog-friendly and the Wifi is strong, stable, and free.The bigger lodges feature a Vintage video machine with over 1000 games from the 70s, 80s, & 90s.
Notable lodges include:
The Bison, sleeps 16 in two lake side lodges that are linked by a private decked veranda. This allows one party to book two lodges with 4 ensuite bedrooms in each, making a total of eight bedrooms. These lodges are designed by Linda Barker in olives and dark woods, which are just stunning and will be a great setting for any family occasion. The lodges’ veranda overlooks a picturesque private lake and is equipped with a firepit to cook up a family feast as well as two hot tubs.
Lodge on the Lake, sleeping up to 8 people, this stunning lodge offers luxurious and spacious surroundings overlooking a private lake featuring its own gated garden, terrace and hot tub; a perfect private hideaway.
Lakeside Hunting Retreat, this collection of five one bed lodges set around a lake, are inspired by the mountain hunting lodges of America with a romantic English countryside twist. These cabins are the perfect retreat from the world around you, but with fast WiFi for movie nights. Highlights include a wood-burning stove, a Belfast sink, heritage style bathroom, rainfall shower, Le Creuset cookware, underfloor heating and a hot tub!
Prices for English Country Villa & English Garden Villa start from £4299 for up to 24 guests for a minimum three night stay
Prices for the Bison, Hunting and Lakeside Lodges start from £799 for a minimum three night stay
For further information and reservations visit www.bainland.co.uk