Passed down from father to son over two generations, Bainland Lodge Retreats promises a slower pace of life and an idyllic, luxury escape for your UK staycation. Here's how we got on when we took a visit.
Where is Bainland?
A 45-acre estate, Bainland is set in the heart of the beautiful Lincolnshire countryside. It's just outside Woodhall Spa, a former Lincolnshire spa town.
Careful consideration has been given to the environment at Bainland. The perimeter is made up of gabion walls using locally sourced rocks, providing a low impact boundary solution that also reduces noise. You won't need to worry about privacy at your accommodation either, thanks to the creation of buns - hillocks that have been made from material dug out when creating the lakes - and now seeded with wildflowers and poppies.
The newest lodges use reclaimed timber, pools are heated with energy-efficient air sourced heat pumps.
Under the guidance of Chelsea Flower Show gold-medal winning landscape designer Jody Lidgard, Bainland is undertaking an ambitious reforestation and rewilding programme to plant over 1,500 trees and has implemented a no-mow policy to encourage wildflowers.
Where will I sleep?
Well, that depends entirely on what you fancy! You really will be spoilt for choice when it comes to accommodation at Bainland. From safari tents and shepherds huts to romantic hideaways and huge family villas that sleep up to 24 people, there’s something for everyone.
We stayed in one of the Lakeside Hunting Retreats (‘Bear’), which are inspired by the mountain hunting lodges of America with an English countryside twist. Built over one of Bainland’s lakes, it’s an incredibly peaceful location and we loved spending time on the south-facing veranda. Partially covered by a tin roof, we were able to enjoy the four-person hot tub through every kind of weather and we certainly put it to the test - enjoying the bubbles in sun, rain and hail!
With one bedroom, the Lakeside Hunting Retreat is an ideal fit for a couple or parents with a young baby as there is plenty of room for a cot (or two!). Like the majority of the accommodation, our Lakeside Hunting Retreat (and Bainland generally!) was dog-friendly and we really appreciated that the veranda was closed in so we didn’t have to worry about our pup running off if she went outside. She was also greeted with food and water bowls as well as some treats, poo bags and a ball, little touches that we really appreciated.
The lodge is beautifully designed and we were really impressed with the facilities. There’s a fully equipped kitchen equipped with Le Creuset cookware for those looking to prepare food as well as an Esse log burning stove that can be used for both cooking and heat. The bathroom and bedroom both had underfloor heating but the living area did get cold so we were pleased to have the log burner as well as a plug-in radiator. That said, a couple of blankets wouldn't have gone a miss.
Instead of a full oven, there’s an Andrew James Mini Oven in the kitchen. We personally found this quite awkward to use as unless you’re very tall, you have to tiptoe to try and use the hob element. As there is an emphasis on self-catering at Bailand, we would have preferred a full oven instead of something like the built-in bins. We did however appreciate the dishwasher as nobody wants to wash up on their holidays!
While we originally thought the two 55 inch smart TV’s in the living area and the bedroom were overkill, we quickly grew to love being able to watch telly in bed.
The heritage style bathroom has two sinks, a toilet and a rainforest shower housed inside a wooden shower. It’s a really generously sized bathroom with robes, slippers and towels also provided.
We were also given a peek at the gorgeous Lincoln Farmhouse which sleeps up to 14 with seven bedrooms and a large open plan living, dining and kitchen area. There was also an American pool table and a retro arcade video game while the large garden featured two generously sized hot tubs and a firepit. During our stay, we spoke to a party of 10 people who were delighted with their accommodation, showing us videos and remarking on how much space they had, with most bedrooms having their own en-suite.
What is there to do at Bainland?
If you’re visiting with your dog, there is no shortage of lovely walks to go on. We (and our dog especially!) particularly enjoyed Ostler’s Plantation and The Spa Trail. Alternatively, the whole family can hire a bike if you fancy tackling the woodland with two wheels. Although we didn’t make the trip ourselves, there are several secluded beaches such as Anderby Creek and Sutton on Sea close by too.
Other nearby attractions include the National Trust’s Gunby Hall, Lincs Aviation Heritage Centre and Lincoln itself, which has Lincoln Cathedral, Castle and the International Bomber Command Centre.
You don’t need to stray from Bainland if you don’t fancy though as there are plenty of activities on offer. You can hire the park’s pool privately for just £30 an hour or you can head to the tennis or badminton courts if you’re feeling competitive. While we gave the climbing wall a miss, we enjoyed trying our hand at archery led by friendly instructor James, along with another party of ten guests where plenty of fun was had by all.
We couldn’t not mention the adorable furry inhabitants of Bainland which included llamas and goats who we loved popping to see on our walk to and from our lodge.
What is there to eat?
While all of the accommodation is suitable for self-catering, Bainland also has its own restaurant on-site, The Copper Goose Bistro & Bar which offers all-day dining and takeaway meals. Having visited restaurants within holiday parks before and not had positive experiences, we were initially sceptical about how the food would be.
The Copper Goose, however, really surprised us and we were served a variety of delicious food that you could expect at a Gastropub. For starters, we chose Baked Mini Camembert and Bloody Mary Prawns before moving on to the Italian Meats pizza and Gourmet Beefburger with a side of Chilli & Cheese Loaded Fries. Each and every dish as well as being well presented was hot, generous and tasty and I was disappointed to not have enough room to fit in a dessert!
We visited during a weekend in February so while the bar and restaurant being quiet could have simply been down to fewer guests at that time of year, we felt that it would really benefit from perhaps some live music or entertainment to draw guests out of their lodges and help create more of an atmosphere, especially during the weekend. However, we were told that Bainland will be creating a new outdoor seating area with fire pits which is something that would be a great addition to the park.
Bainland also offers a lodge delivery service, something I’ve not seen before. By using a QR code, you can choose food from The Copper Goose’s menu or coffee and pastries from Starbucks. There’s also the option to buy farm shop ingredients that range from alcohol to sweet treats, eggs to condiments and pasta. It doesn’t just stop there either, you can even request toiletries, charcoal and pet supplies. Your chosen supplies will then be delivered by electric buggy to your lodge.
How much does it cost to visit?
Although prices differ depending on the time of year you visit, prices range from £499 for three nights in The Nest Treehouse, sleeping two guests to £3,699 for a four-night stay in The English Country Villa and The English Garden Villasleeping 24 guests.
Final thoughts
We wouldn't hesitate to go back to Bainland. There are so many different accommodation types that you would feel right at home whether you're coming along as a couple, a family or a large group. Heck, even if you came alone, the peace and quiet the retreat offers would be welcomed by anyone looking for an escape.
The interior design of the lodges by designer Karen Robson help to create a luxurious yet cosy feel that you truly feel comfortable unwinding in and we were constantly looking around at how beautiful our lodge was.
Every single member of staff we interacted with was polite and friendly from reception to the waiting staff to the hot tub cleaners who checked the water every day. We felt incredibly safe with security manned gates and the location was spot on, whatever you fancy doing.
Any niggles we had during our stay were minuscule and are easily ironed out, Bainland makes it incredibly easy to create memories whoever you're with, from tentatively stroking the nose of a llama, attempting to burst a balloon as part of an archery game or simply sinking beneath the bubbles with a glass of something sweet and gazing out at the starlit sky.
Take us back, please!