More and more of our enquiries this year have started with the same request: get us out of London.
Whether it is a leadership offsite that needs space to think, a residential conference that benefits from a change of scenery, or a team that has simply outgrown the meeting room down the corridor, companies are increasingly looking beyond the city for their next corporate event.
We have spent the past few months visiting some of the best country and riverside venues within easy reach of the capital. Here is what stood out.
Set on the banks of the River Thames in Teddington, just seven miles from central London and 20 minutes from Heathrow, The Lensbury has evolved from its origins as a 1920s sports and social club into one of the UK’s leading destinations for corporate retreats, residential conferences and team-building events.
The sporting heritage is central to what makes it distinctive. The All Blacks, Springboks, England, France and numerous other international rugby teams have trained and stayed here over the years.
With 42 meeting rooms, 155 bedrooms and 25 acres of riverside grounds, alongside a full leisure offering spanning tennis, padel, pickleball, a spa and a watersports centre, it is built for organisations that want conference-grade facilities without losing the sense of escape.
For teams looking to make the most of the setting, activities include dragon boat racing and raft building, giving an away day a genuine sense of adventure rather than simply relocating the meeting room.
For organisations looking to combine high-quality conference facilities with exceptional outdoor space and a genuine sense of place, The Lensbury offers something a city-centre hotel simply cannot.
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An hour from London and just outside Winchester, Lainston House is a 17th-century country house set in 63 acres of Hampshire parkland. It is the kind of venue that suits a leadership team looking for complete privacy and a setting that signals the event matters.
The estate can be taken on an exclusive-use basis, with a secure gated site and 50 individually designed rooms and suites. For boards and senior leadership teams, that level of privacy is often the deciding factor.
The Dawley Barn, a converted 17th-century barn, is the standout space for presentations and conferences. Fitted with a three-metre HD screen and wireless presentation system, it delivers serious technical capability within a genuinely characterful setting.
For something more relaxed, the Kitchen Garden provides a beautiful backdrop for drinks receptions and outdoor dining, while The Avenue restaurant offers a more formal dining option to close out a day of meetings.
An easy recommendation for senior teams who want the atmosphere of a country house without sacrificing technical capability.
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The most recent addition to our shortlist is CRAFTED at Powdermills, an 18th-century listed country house set in 150 acres of parkland, woods and lakes near Battle in East Sussex. Around 70 minutes from London, with a free shuttle from Battle railway station, it offers an attractive combination of accessibility and genuine countryside.
Having opened in November 2025, CRAFTED has been designed with corporate offsites in mind from the outset. The venue accommodates up to 180 guests for indoor events, with intimate private dining options for groups of just 10.
What sets it apart is the wellbeing and activity offering built into the estate. Padel courts, woodland trails, a natural lake for wild swimming and a growing range of thermal experiences including saunas and ice baths make it a strong choice for leadership away days where the brief includes recharging as well as planning.
For strategy sessions and leadership retreats where the agenda needs room to breathe, it is one of the more interesting new venues to open near London this year.
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The appeal is straightforward.
A change of location signals that an event matters. It removes everyday distractions and gives teams access to the outdoor space, privacy and downtime that a central London hotel simply cannot provide.
Venues like these are responding to that demand by combining serious meeting technology with genuine wellbeing and leisure offerings. The best corporate retreat venues now need to deliver both, and the strongest properties near London are built around exactly that.
The result is a new generation of offsite venues where teams can step away from the day-to-day, think differently and still have everything they need to get down to business.
If you are planning a corporate offsite or residential conference and want the right venue found without spending hours researching, get in touch.
We will come back to you with a tailored shortlist, availability checked and ready to go.
