Help for busy, happy family in historical English country house in Hertfordshire, UK
Last activity
: 7 Jun 2025
Min stay requested: at least 2 weeks
Workawayers needed
Possibility that workawayers are needed
No availability
Details
Host ref number: 343942443283
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Feedback (15)
Left by Workawayer (Kayla) for host
My stay with Ed, Emma and the kids was my first workaway stay and I couldn't have asked for a better first experience. I was originally meant to stay for 4 weeks but I ended up staying for 8 weeks due to everything going so well. It was lovely staying in such an historic house and town with plenty of public bridleways through the countryside that
… read more I could walk in during my free time. I liked that it was very clear what my tasks were everyday and coming from New Zealand I found the driving to be not a problem at all. Ed and Emma were very encouraging of me getting out to experience different places like Cambridge and London during the weekends but also for me to chill at home for the weekend if that's what I wanted to do that week. I'm sure it's going to be hard to top this workaway experience but I think I'll definitely be back at some point during my travels (I'm already missing Emma's homemade bread!!) . Thanks again for such a great first Workaway experience :)Left by host for Workawayer (Kayla)
Kayla was one of the very best people we have hosted. We are so sad she has to go. She was so very dependable and straightforward and willing to help out. She drove the children safely everyday. She helped out on all the other little things around the house. She was no trouble to live with. She was reliable, solid and conscientious. She's was a
… read more pleasure to host and help with her mini-adventures from our base and her onward wider travels. We would have no hesitation in recommending her and we hope to welcome her back.
Left by Workawayer (Suana) for host
Edward and Emma are great hosts! They are helpful, communication is great and their children are lovely. They were always understanding and I truly felt like part of their family. Definitely going back in the future :)!
Left by host for Workawayer (Suana)
Suanna was with us for a month or so and was terrific. We would recommend her to any workaday. She is reliable, confident, capable, easy to have around, organised and super helpful. She was with us for a big event and was a great help. She coped with all the driving back and forth. She dealt with the chaos in the kitchen. A great December. We wish
… read more her all the best in the future.
Left by host for Workawayer (Emily)
Emily was great. She came in to help us for a weekend event. And she was so helpful and resourceful and can-do! She got along with everyone, helped with all the chaos and organisation and was a good person to have around. We would recommend her to anyone for workaway! We wish her all the best in her future adventures and her career.
Feedback
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Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Left by Workawayer (Kayla) for host
My stay with Ed, Emma and the kids was my first workaway stay and I couldn't have asked for a better first experience. I was originally meant to stay for 4 weeks but I ended up staying for 8 weeks due to everything going so well. It was lovely staying in such an historic house and town with plenty of public bridleways through the countryside that
… read more I could walk in during my free time. I liked that it was very clear what my tasks were everyday and coming from New Zealand I found the driving to be not a problem at all. Ed and Emma were very encouraging of me getting out to experience different places like Cambridge and London during the weekends but also for me to chill at home for the weekend if that's what I wanted to do that week. I'm sure it's going to be hard to top this workaway experience but I think I'll definitely be back at some point during my travels (I'm already missing Emma's homemade bread!!) . Thanks again for such a great first Workaway experience :)Left by host for Workawayer (Kayla)
Kayla was one of the very best people we have hosted. We are so sad she has to go. She was so very dependable and straightforward and willing to help out. She drove the children safely everyday. She helped out on all the other little things around the house. She was no trouble to live with. She was reliable, solid and conscientious. She's was a
… read more pleasure to host and help with her mini-adventures from our base and her onward wider travels. We would have no hesitation in recommending her and we hope to welcome her back.
Left by Workawayer (Suana) for host
Edward and Emma are great hosts! They are helpful, communication is great and their children are lovely. They were always understanding and I truly felt like part of their family. Definitely going back in the future :)!
Left by host for Workawayer (Suana)
Suanna was with us for a month or so and was terrific. We would recommend her to any workaday. She is reliable, confident, capable, easy to have around, organised and super helpful. She was with us for a big event and was a great help. She coped with all the driving back and forth. She dealt with the chaos in the kitchen. A great December. We wish
… read more her all the best in the future.
Left by host for Workawayer (Emily)
Emily was great. She came in to help us for a weekend event. And she was so helpful and resourceful and can-do! She got along with everyone, helped with all the chaos and organisation and was a good person to have around. We would recommend her to anyone for workaway! We wish her all the best in her future adventures and her career.
Left by Workawayer (Malachi) for host
I really enjoyed my time with Ed and Emma. Orginally planning on spending 3 weeks there, we extended and I got to spend nearly 2 months. The kids are really great and very polite. Ed and Emma are very well traveled and gave me lots of advice on my travels and let me have use of their massive library. Really enjoyed my time with the family and wish
… read more them the best.You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (Malachi)
Malachi was a great Workaway. He did everything with a real commitment to do it well. And then helped on all the extras in the garden. He was a trusted driver of the children. He was dependable, reliable and always available. He checked he had things right when he didn't know. He was honest and has a real sprit if for adventure. We had some great
… read more conversations with him about his future, his country and books. We wish him all the best on his journey. Good luck!
Left by host for Workawayer (Alexis)
Alexis was great.
She is super reliable. Super helpful. Super can-do. Super dependable.
And a really amazing cook - especially Mexican and Korean.
She drove the children safely and well. She joined in with family life. She was fun to have around but also dilligent and got things done. She was very practical and yet happy to chat about
… read more whatever was going on. She was always in a good mood and even-tempered and she can cope with anything.
We missed her when she left and would have had her come back for another month if we could!
Short version: don't hesitate to have her come and Workaway. She's a great all round person. And a great help.
Left by Workawayer (Alexis) for host
An amazing experience, I don't even know where to begin!
I stayed with Emma and Ed for two months and I knew I was in the right place from the first day I arrived. They are fantastic hosts and some of the easiest people to communicate and work with. It was such a good time getting to know all of the kids, they are so much fun to be around! I can
… read more easily say I would go back in a heartbeat.
A huge part of the job is driving the kids to and from school with a bit of help around the house. Ed and Emma make it super easy to know what is expected so there is still plenty of time during the week to explore the area and have some time to yourself. It's also very easy to visit London and Cambridge on the weekends! If you get the opportunity to stay with such wonderful people you will 100% not be let down.
I could go on and on with good things to say about this family so, in short, thank you all for such a lovely two months (and for letting me read all of your books!). I will miss you all, especially Tally :)You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (Letizia)
Letizia was brilliant. Our family is chaotic but she coped with the children and the (ever changing) morning and the evening lifts amazingly well. And she was completely calm about the car issues! She is intelligent, dependable, reliable, flexible and can-do. We loved hosting her. She was great to have around and we couldn't recommend her highly
… read more enough to others. Her Italian cooking is also delicious! An all round good person and great help.
Left by Workawayer (Letizia) for host
I had such an amazing experience with this wonderful family on my first workaway adventure!
They made me feel so welcome from the moment I arrived and made sure that I had everything that I needed.
The tasks were perfectly balanced with the time I needed for myself, and the room was incredibly cosy.
Ed and Emma are absolutely incredible people
… read more - so kind, friendly, and fascinating! The children are absolutely charming, incredibly funny and impressively intelligent! And Tally is just so adorable!
I cannot recommend this wonderful family enough as hosts. I had an amazing time with them and enjoyed every moment. Thank you so much for everything!You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by Workawayer (Emily) for host
I had a great time staying with this family. They are very active! The kids are super fun & witty! Emma & Ed are gracious hosts. So much so, they were flexible & understanding when I fell ill & had to take some time away to recover. Absolutely wonderful people! Beautiful & peaceful location as well.
Would definitely recommend! :)
You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (Emily)
Emily was great. She was cheerful and helpful and did everything she could to help with the never-ending business of family life. She got the children in and out of school, kept the kitchen in working order and helped us with the people who came to stay. She's a great addition to any household. We wish her the best with her onward travels.
… read more Perhaps, the simplest way of putting it is that we would all have liked her to stay much longer! Good luck.
Left by Workawayer (BellaAndTom) for host
This was our first workaway experience and it was absolutely wonderful! The family were so kind and we immediately felt welcome and comfortable.
It was always busy and fun in the household and our favourite part of the day was sharing dinner with everyone and playing tennis with the kids.
We never felt overwhelmed by the tasks (laundry, cooking,
… read more driving the kids to school, etc) and there was a perfect balance of family interaction and space to spend time on our own.
The house itself is magnificent and historic and is in a beautiful area so we loved going for peaceful walks.
We’re so grateful for the time we spent with this family and for all the lovely chats and laughs. Thanks again E and E 🤩You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (BellaAndTom)
Bella and Tom are the perfect workaday people. They fitted right in to the house and the routines and the family. They were unbelievably helpful - doing way more than was asked. They were fun and easy to be with. Tom helped with the driving and the trees. Bella made amazing salads and delicious dinners. But either of them can do anything and they
… read more made a super positive difference to family life. We don't usually have room for couples but we were so glad we had a workaday opportunity that worked for these guys. Highly and heartily recommended.
Left by Workawayer (Nadja) for host
I had a great time staying with this family. They made me feel really welcome and supported me. The area is beautiful and quiet, perfect for walks. It was always fun and busy in this household, it never gets boring. If you want to spend time with an amazing family and explore England this is the right place
You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (Nadja)
Nadja is a great person to have around and in the house. She is super super reliable - even early on cold winter mornings. She is friendly and always helpful and nothing is too much trouble. We would have no hesitation in recommending her to any future host. We really hope she comes back!
Left by host for Workawayer (Miryam)
Miryam is wonderful. She's great to have around - fun, full of life, energetic, enthusiastic, kind and amenable. She went on trips with the children. She made AMAZING home made pesto. She helped everyday in the house. She taught the children Italian. She added to our lives in every way. She's going to be a fantastic teacher. We are hoping she
… read more comes back. Could not recommend her highly enough...
Left by Workawayer (Miryam) for host
Perfect experience! The family is great! The house is beautiful.
They make sure you have everything you need!
If your are looking for a happy place this is the house!
I will definitely miss all of you!
Thank you guys for this wonderful time together!
You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (Tess)
Tess is the perfect person to host. She is super-helpful. She gets on with people wonderfully well and she's great to have around. She made jam, watered the trees, played with the children, tackled the socks, cooked some great risotto and a hundred other things that helped. Most of all, she was cheerful and fun and interested in history, geography
… read more and everything life has to offer. She joined in with everyday living seamlessly and added to the life of the family. One of our very best workdays! We would have no hesitation in hosting her again. We wished she could have stayed for six months! We hope she has a great time on her travels... Five star recommendation.
Left by Workawayer (Tess) for host
The 2 amazing weeks I spent with Emma, Ed, and their wonderful family went by too quickly! I absolutely adored my stay in their wonderfully historic, busy, and fun home. I assisted them by cooking lots of meals, keeping the kitchen tidy, sorting laundry, picking delicious fruit from their wonderful garden/orchard, and completing other small tasks!
… read more They assisted me by welcoming me into their loving family, making me feel at home, providing advice on my upcoming travels, and teaching me the ways of jam making and British accents! I was given my own lovely room, and there was a perfect balance of structured tasks to complete and time to be on my own. Thank you so much to Emma, Ed, the kids, and Tally of course! I miss you all already. :-)You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by Workawayer (Naomi) for host
I spent a wonderful 3 weeks in Hertfordshire working mostly with the family's beautiful border collie, as well as a few other tasks around the garden (sanding/painting garden chairs, planting, tidying). It is a truly amazing home full of history and character and each day I felt incredulous at the fact I was living there and able to treat it as my
… read more home. I was made to feel welcome and appreciated from the moment I arrived and there was a good balance of family interaction and space to spend time on my own.
I had a great time and miss the whole gang - I wish you all the very best!You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (Naomi)
Naomi helped everyday and in all kinds of ways. She's also a great person to have around and fitted in with our lives.
Most of all - she is well and truly amazing with animals. She looked after our dog and taught her so much. She seems to have an instinct and a knack for anything on four legs. Fantastic person to have helping out.
Left by host for Workawayer (Susanna)
Susanna was great. She helped us SO much with our puppy - every day - which was super helpful. (Our border collie really misses her morning walks!) She was a perfect house guest: clean, assiduous, careful and constantly doing things to help. She was also great in the kitchen and made amazing salads and a great aubergine dish. She did everything
… read more she could to join in with family life and made a real difference. Pretty much a perfect work-away. We wish her luck in her studies and many travels ahead.
Left by Workawayer (Susanna) for host
I spent five wonderful weeks with Ed, Emma and their kids. I supported them by doing the household chores and walked their lovely puppy in the morning. There are many paths and it is just a wonderful region for walks and hikes. Everybody strived to make my stay an unforgettable experience: the children and I loved to bake (and eat) cakes together
… read more or played football in the huge garden. But there was also time for myself when I for example wanted to read or explore. The room where I lived in was spacious and very comfortable. All in all, I can only recommend to support this host when you have the chance. I just want to say thank you to you, Ed and Emma!You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by Workawayer (Hannah) for host
I only stayed a couple of days, but it was a great experience and i enjoyed my stay there.
The house is very beautiful, the village is small but there’s a bus driving to the train station if you want to visit bigger citys. The whole family is so nice and friendly, also the little puppy was very cute!
Thank you very much!
You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (Hannah)
Hannah was great. She was super helpful, independent and fitted in well with our busy family.
Left by host for Workawayer (Miriam_S)
Miriam is the best possible person to come and workaday with you. She's capable, generous, clever, warm, funny, hard working and competent. We honestly couldn't praise her too highly. She did everything asked of her and ten times more and we enjoyed her company so much that we invited her on holiday with us! A great human being. You will want her
… read more to stay on. We wish her the very best of luck with her life.
Left by Workawayer (Miriam_S) for host
The best Host you could wish for!
You can feel that Ed & Emma have a lot of experience in hosting people. They are very generous and welcoming and I felt like a part of their family from the minute I arrived.
The work they expected me to do was easy: mainly I was responsible for driving two of the kids to school and the rest was a little bit of
… read more help around the house (and for all the people interested in history, this is the place to be 😉). The children themselves are lovely and I enjoyed every minute of playing with them. Even though it’s based in a quiet village, you will be able to do a lot of trips, for it’s conveniently connected by train. So I could actually experience English countryside life, only 40min by train to central London and even less to Cambridge. Plus I got the best advice for things to do and visit! I extended my stay and really wish life would/will allow me to stay longer with this wonderful family.
Thank you so much for everything Ed & Emma!You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (Cata)
Cata was amazing! She is the most helpful, honest, hard-working and brilliant person. She fitted in to our family and we trusted her everyday to drive the children. She was fun, entertaining, interesting and interested. There was nothing that she didn't do and we would recommend her as highly as possible to anyone else. It's hard to imagine a
… read more better person to have helping around the place. We all miss her. She added to all of our lives and taught us lots about Argentina. A wonderful human being.
Left by Workawayer (Cata) for host
It was a beautiful experience in the house of Edward and Emma. Both are very friendly and always made me feel like at home. Their four children are also wonderful, I enjoyed a lot playing with them every day. I appreciate that they have been patient with me with my basic level of English. In this house i enjoyed the laughs and playing of the
… read more children and the peace and quiet of the garden. I will be eternally grateful to this beautiful family for opening me the doors of their house.You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Childcare and housekeeping help in beautiful and friendly Bristol, UK
Live music events and organic gardening for a non-profit in Langport, UK
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Please note due to the UK leaving the EU, freedom of movement from the EU to the UK ended on 1st Jan 2021. If you are not a UK citizen, Irish citizen, settled status holder, Commonwealth citizen with the right to abode in the UK, BNO passport holder with valid visa or have a Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme (working holiday) visa and you are entering the UK to work or study you may be refused entry to the UK after Jan 1st 2021 unless you have the correct visas and permits in place. To find out more information about visas and work permits for your nationality you need to contact the embassy in your home country BEFORE travelling.
Teaching
Gardening
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
