Heartwood Collection Acquires The Abbey Field, Kenilworth with Plans to Rename It ‘The Kingfisher of Kenilworth’

Award-winning hospitality group Heartwood Collection has acquired The Abbey Field in Kenilworth, Warwickshire.

The pub will undergo a multi-million-pound refurbishment before reopening in Autumn 2027 as The Kingfisher of Kenilworth, a 24 bedroom 'pub with rooms'.

The extensive refurbishment will transform its bar and dining areas into warm, welcoming spaces with Heartwood's signature charm and space for 200 guests. Guests will enjoy seasonally changing menus and a carefully curated drinks list, alongside a beautifully landscaped terrace for a further 88 guests.

The new name takes its inspiration from the historic Abbey Fields parkland at the heart of Kenilworth, where kingfishers are among the birds recorded along the Finham Brook. Abbey Fields is also home to the ruins of St Mary's Abbey, an Augustinian priory founded in the 1120s, and lies a short walk from the picturesque Kenilworth Castle.

The Kingfisher of Kenilworth will join Heartwood Collection's growing portfolio of characterful pubs and pubs with rooms. It will sit alongside The Angel Inn in nearby Leamington Spa, which the group acquired in October and which will also reopen in 2027, and Heartwood Inns' two existing pubs in the county: The Black Swan in Henley-in-Arden and The Red Lion in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Once open, alongside other planned openings, Heartwood Inns will have 40 pubs, of which 12 will have bedrooms.

Heartwood Collection holds the Sustainable Restaurant Association's highest rating of three stars, won 'Best Pub Group' at the 2026 MCA Hospitality Awards and 'Best Brand/Concept' at the 2025 Publican Awards.

Richard Ferrier, CEO of Heartwood Collection, said:

"We are delighted to have acquired The Abbey Field from Greene King and to be growing our presence in Warwickshire. Kenilworth is a wonderful town with a rich history, and we wanted a name that celebrates what makes it special. We look forward to restoring the pub and welcoming guests to the newly named ‘Kingfisher of Kenilworth’ in Autumn 2027."

Notes to editors

Heartwood Collection is the Group that operates 36 Heartwood Inns pubs and 13 Brasserie Blanc restaurants across the UK. Heartwood Collection’s current site portfolio is as follows:

Inns

The Barley Mow – Englefield Green, Surrey

The Black Horse – Thame, Oxfordshire

The Black Horse – Reigate, Surrey

The Black Swan - Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire

The Boot – Histon, Cambridgeshire

The Britannia – Parkstone, Dorset

The British Queen – Locksbottom, Kent

The Coat & Bear - Newbury, Berkshire

The Cricketers – Cobham, Surrey

The George & Dragon - Marlow, Buckinghamshire

The Hare – Old Redding, Harrow Weald, Middlesex

The Highwayman – Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire

The Jobber’s Rest – Upminster, Essex

The Jolly Farmer – Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire

The King’s Arms – Prestbury, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

The King’s Head – Teddington, Middlesex

The March Hare – Guildford, Surrey

The Oaks – Highcliffe, Christchurch, Dorset

The Old Crown – Great Bookham, Surrey

The Plough & Harrow - Long Ditton, Surrey

The Potter’s Heron - Ampfield, Hampshire

The Prince of Wales - East Barnet, London

The Queen’s Head – Weybridge, Surrey

The Quill & Scholar - Lichfield, Staffordshire

The Ragged Robin - Godalming, Surrey

The Red Deer – Horsham, West Sussex

The Red Lion - Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire

The Rising Sun - Reading, Berkshire

The Ropemaker - Emsworth, Hampshire

The Royal Forest - Epping Forest, Greater London

The Sun Inn – Chobham, Surrey

The White Bear – Ruislip, Middlesex

The White Hart - Lewes, East Sussex

The White Hart - Lymington, Hampshire

The White Horse - Dorking, Surrey

The Woodman - Southgate, London

Upcoming openings

The Meadow Lark - Trumpington, Cambridgeshire. Opening December 2026.

The Muddy Fox - Solihull, West Midlands, Opening Summer 2027.

The Angel Inn - Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, Opening Summer 2027.

The Kingfisher of Kenilworth - Kenilworth, Warwickshire, Opening Autumn 2027.

Brasserie Blanc Restaurants

London – Chancery Lane

London – Southbank

London – Threadneedle Street

Beaconsfield

Bournemouth

Cheltenham

Chichester

Hale Barns

Leeds

Milton Keynes

Oxford

Portsmouth

Winchester

For further information please contact press@heartwoodcollection.com.

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