We are delighted to share that Broughton Sanctuary has been Highly Commended in the Responsible Nature Escapes category of the Country & Town House Future Icons Awards 2027.

The Future Icons Awards celebrate the brands and people driving positive change for people and planet. Responsible Nature Escapes recognises stays that put nature at the heart of everything they do, and that inspire guests to slow down and reconnect with the natural world.

The judges described Broughton as “a blueprint for rewilding in the UK”.

Rewilding the land

Since 2021, more than 330,000 native trees and shrubs have been planted across 350 hectares of the sanctuary, lifting tree cover from under 5% to over 35%. Wetlands and hay meadows are being restored, beavers returned in 2025, and all five British owl species now make their home here.

Nature at the heart of every stay

This is a landscape to walk through, not just read about. Guests staying in one of our 23 cottages can follow the 30km Odyssey Trail, join a guided Nature Recovery Tour, or find stillness at Avalon, our wellbeing centre, and see first-hand how a place changes when nature is given room to return.

Thank you

Thank you to Country & Town House and the judges, and to our team and partners whose work on the land made this possible. Congratulations to Mashpi Lodge in Ecuador, winner of the category, and to all this year’s Future Icons.

See the full list of winners on Country & Town House.