Suffolk: Go wild

Tom Otley gets back to nature at a luxury retreat in East Anglia that’s a haven for British wildlife There can’t be many corporate retreats where a butler serves you breakfast while a lepidopterist talks to you about the moths of East Anglia that are fluttering around you. On the menu, fresh fruit, granola, pastries, various new-age juices and a full English, all prepared to perfection – you’d expect nothing less from a five-star weekend away. But a moth collector arriving with his catch from the previous night – that’s something new. Still, Wilderness Reserve is determined to be different. Owner Jon Hunt, who made hundreds of millions selling his estate agency Foxtons, is not a hotelier. His passion is land, and he has been on a buying spree, first acquiring the splendid James Wyatt-designed Heveningham Hall as his private home, then purchasing neighbouring estates. His original intention, I am told, was simply to return the grounds to a kind of Capability Brown-inspired landscape, following a master plan drawn up in the 18th century but never put into action. More than this, however, Hunt wants to return the arable land to forestry, and has engaged landscape architect Kim Wilkie to help him. This has involved restoring the “medieval meanders of the River Blyth”, according to Wilkie. Meanwhile, the estates’ buildings are being renovated for everything from pampering weekends to corporate incentives. Most of the manor houses and barns have yet to be converted, but on one estate – Sibton Park – the process is further along, with several buildings now welcoming guests. These include the 12-bedroom Sibton House, the Barn, sleeping six to eight, and the adjoining Clockhouse – a Georgian Grade II Listed former coach house for eight guests, which is set around a south-facing courtyard resplendent with ornamental flower beds and a large table for al fresco dining. If Wilderness Reserve has a unique selling point, though, it’s the focus on British wildlife. Our all-terrain buggy tour of the estate startled everything from rabbits and hares to deer and foxes. And the two-hour birdsong excursion, led by ornithologist Steve Piotrowski (author of The Birds of Suffolk), helps us to identify, from their calls and markings, a dozen species, including little egrets, yellowhammers and goldfinches. Visit at a different time of the year (August sees many species begin their migration south, apparently) and you can see many more, he tells us. Piotrowski also points out a number of the plants around us – including the yellow rattle, yarrow, burdock, elderflower, hazel, dogwood, fleabane and knapweed – and the species attracted to them. The parks contain some fabulous old trees, too, such as an oak rumoured to be one under which Elizabeth I shot a stag 500 years ago. This knowledge brings us a new appreciation of the surroundings, and justifies the marketing behind Wilderness Reserve – although “Wilderness” certainly doesn’t mean roughing it. The accommodation has been refurbished to luxurious standards, with Sibton House offering wifi, iPod docks, a games room, a gym and cinema. There is also a freshwater pool, hot tub and tennis court, and Michelin-starred chef Adam Simmonds and his team from the co-owned Kensington Pavilion (kensingtonpavilion.com) can prepare bespoke menus for guests. You can, however, opt for self-catering, or even take a “digital detox” – Hex Cottage, for two people, has deliberately been fitted without electricity to encourage guests to switch off altogether. Once the staff tidies away our “moth breakfast” – an unfortunate coining, perhaps, since none are consumed – we are introduced to the 40 or 50 specimens from the 320 or so to be found on the estate. These had been lured to a light box during the night by our expert, Matthew Deans – an enthusiastic and authoritative guide, no matter how squeamish some members of the party get when the moths awake and flutter towards them. Afterwards, we go for a long walk around the grounds, play tennis and then take a swim in the oval pool set in the beautifully sculpted, curved grass terraces. Getting back to nature has never been such fun. Properties include Hex Cottage (sleeps two), from £200 per night; the Gate Lodges (for four) from £200; the Barn (for six) from £450; and the Clockhouse (eight) from £600. Sibton Park (sleeps 24) costs from £2,500 per night with chef, butler and waiters available as optional extras. wildernessreserve.com