Philip and Corinne Merricks
FARMERS
Philip and Corinne took over Elmley over 40 years ago and have worked tirelessly to transform an intensive arable and livestock farm to a site of international wildlife significance. Their pioneering and dedicated approach, in which farming and wildlife go hand in hand, has resulted in the incredible restoration of nature to this huge area of North Kent. In 1991 Elmley was designated a National Nature Reserve by Natural England, the only family owned and managed farm in the UK to have this status.
Gareth & Georgina Fulton
DIRECTORS
Elmley was so important to Georgina's upbringing, it was no surprise that Gareth was similarly captivated by Elmley. Experiencing Elmley at dawn and dusk, they both knew that they had to share the incredible experience of spending the night here with other guests.
Gareth and Georgina moved to Elmley in 2013 to set up holiday accommodation and welcome new visitors to the Reserve. They started with three shepherd's huts which they ran from a cottage on the farm. In these early days they did everything themselves from the ironing to the cooking, so they couldn't be more proud of and grateful to Elmley's incredible team today.
Gareth is the Reserve Manager and works hands on the Reserve, with a background in the Army and a training in Physical Geography, he is passionate about developing his in-laws' conservation work.
Eleanor Rouse
GENERAL MANAGER
Eleanor joined the team in 2015. She has been a central part of our journey and has been involved in many areas during her time, from being chief tent putter-up to booking software ninja, before becoming our Weddings Manager in 2018. Eleanor stepped into the role of General Manager in 2024 and brings her brilliant organisational skills and a love of hospitality to the role. Eleanor is responsible for overseeing all parts of our guest experience, as well as weddings & events. When she’s not hanging out in Kingshill Barn, Eleanor is normally thinking about dogs or Australia where she spent a year guiding walkers over the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Claire Watts
WEDDING & EVENTS MANAGER/DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER
"I have always loved meeting people, looking after them, and making sure they have the perfect day…so working in weddings was something I always wanted to do.
My background is in hospitality, I took on my own pub in 2004, developed it, and started offering small weddings. Then I expanded into a second pub, so service and hospitality have always been a huge part of what I do. After that, I spent six and a half years as a weddings & events manager at another venue, where we hosted around 180 weddings a year! This was so busy and I learnt so much, there is nothing about weddings that I haven’t come across before, so it has been so wonderful to move my experience to Elmley where I have been for 4 years now.
I really value that here at Elmley we hold just a small number of weddings each year, every wedding is personal and bespoke and it is wonderful that we can really get to know all our of our couples and their families and focus on their wedding.
I love being part of the planning process, sharing my knowledge and helping couples bring their vision to life, and then then it is such a joy to host these weddings – each wedding is so unique and a real reflection of the couple creating an unforgettable celebration over a two-day event."
Stephanie Kitching
WEDDING & EVENTS COORDINATOR
"I’ve loved weddings for as long as I can remember…For me, weddings are such a positive and amazing day, based around happiness and togetherness, and I love being a part of such a special moment in people’s lives. Plus I’m super organised and love it when a plan comes together!
As soon as I finished uni I started out in the wedding industry, working for a weddings & entertainment company, where I was for 4 years. I learned so much about what goes on behind the scenes at a variety of weddings and events. When Covid hit, my career in weddings took a back seat and I moved to working in a care home as the Family Liaison Officer for 3 years. My main responsibility was to provide families with support and guidance, and look after their needs with care and understanding during sensitive and challenging times. Even though the role was unexpected, I really loved it, it was an amazing balance of working with people and multi layered administration. I learnt so much even through the challenges of Covid. My role expanded to include Activities Lead, organising events large and small for the residents and their families, which only reinforced how much I love bringing people together for special occasions.
I always knew I wanted to come back to weddings, so I’m so pleased to have been looking after weddings here at Elmley since early 2024. The weddings here are so incredible and really varied, and so there is a lot of planning that we take on behind the scenes. I’m super organised, and making sure everything runs smoothly so couples can truly relax enjoy their day is something I’m really passionate about."