Drive for about three hours from London and, after winding through tree-lined country roads, you’ll arrive at Louma in Bridport, Dorset, southwest England. The farm and retreat has an unassuming entrance, which is the first tell of what’s in store; Louma is designed to feel not just like a countryside home, but your countryside home.
Louma, a portmanteau of the owner’s respective names (Louis and Emma Steyn), began (and continues) life as a working farm with stables, barns and a vineyard. After initially eyeing up the property as a family home, the Steyns had bigger ambitions to transform the farm into a retreat with exceptional regenerative farming and wine production at its core. A real labor of love, development on Louma took four years and cost nearly $40m.
We arrive with two excited dogs in tow (it’s supremely family friendly, including the four-legged members). Dogs are welcome in most areas but, as Louma is still a working farm, sheep roam about freely. So dogs must be kept on a leash — which, considering Louma is spread across about 100 acres of glorious English countryside, is not exactly a hardship for the pups.
Accommodations are split between the Main House (which has six guest rooms with either sea or countryside views); the Stone Barns (made from local Dorset chert, there are two-bedroom barns or a studio); Timber Stables (one-bedroom apartments with private terraces and hot tubs); or the Shepherds Huts, which are set away from the other accommodations and come with views down towards the sea. We’re in one of the dog-friendly Stone Barns with a petite kitchen and lounge, downstairs bathroom, a master bedroom upstairs, and a cozy second bedroom, plus a terrace that leads out onto a field with a pond just beyond. There were two dog beds waiting for the pampered pups, as well as a hamper with dog treats and toys.
One of the real draws here is the food. Dining takes place in the Main House, which has been designed to feel like an open-plan kitchen. There’s a central island, just like you’d find in any self-respecting country manor, and there’s a decidedly casual vibe, as if you’re visiting a friend for dinner. The space is relaxed and intimate, with an elegant lounge area and wood-burning fires. (Post-dinner, head into the living room to play Scrabble and try one of Louma’s signature cocktails.)
Menus are created daily (sometimes, you might not even get a menu) with limited options, which is a blessing because, when presented with only two options for dinner — pork belly or slow-cooked beef — I simply could not choose. Concerned about being wracked with food envy, I asked my companion if I could try theirs — which was met with a death stare and a resounding “No” — but our affable waiter stepped in to suggest that a small extra portion be added to my companion’s plate for me so that I could try it without an ensuing bust-up. My only complaint is that I didn’t have two dinners for myself.
Everything is gathered and prepared daily by Louma’s team of chefs from the surrounding gardens, fields and woodlands, and nose-to-tail is honored here; the native livestock are all grass-fed and are reared slowly to produce the highest quality. Naturally, food is dictated by the seasons and, any time I wandered through the gardens, I encountered gardeners hard at work.
Wander a little further and you’ll see Louma’s vineyards — there are almost 30,000 vines with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier planted almost 20 years ago, along with new plantings of Pinot Gris and Divico. As with everything here, regeneration is key, and Poll Dorset sheep can be spotted munching on the weeds throughout the vines.
Oenophiles can head out on a tour with Jonathan Atkin, the vineyard manager, who got into viticulture when struggling with his mental health. He jumped at the opportunity at Louma, speaking enthusiastically about the terroir and how pruning and harvesting are largely done by hand. The wines are produced by Nick Lane, who has previously worked with Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot and Dom Pérignon. Louma has two signature sparkling wines, a special cuvée and rosé, and three still wines: chardonnay, pinot noir and rosé.
Louma’s Cow Barn hosts yoga sessions with views across its vineyards and down to the sea.
The Main House
The Special Cuvée 2020 is a particularly lovely sparkling wine with aromas of honeycomb. If you happen to imbibe a bit too much (it does go down rather well), head to Louma’s exceptional wellness area. Housed in a triangular-shaped barn, the space is rustic chic at its best, with wooden architecture and sleek lines. There’s a pool, sauna with an adjacent shower and cold bucket shower.
The neighboring gym, separated by a triangular floor-to-ceiling glass wall, is elite — hardly surprising, considering Emma is a personal trainer and Louis an avid CrossFitter, boxer and BBJ enthusiast. There are also BLK BOX free weights and Technogym machines. There’s an outdoor swimming pool, and hidden away just around the corner are a few hand-built huts where treatments take place. Traditional massages are on offer, and the oils used are infused with herbs and florals cultivated on the estate; the rosemary oil is divine.
A short-ish stroll (or an even shorter golf cart drive) away is the Cow Barn — another triangular wooden structure that has views down to the sea. Head here for yoga with Pip — even if you aren’t the biggest fan of yoga (I’m not), Pip makes the session engaging and interesting, and caters to all abilities (and enthusiasm levels).
