A Somerset Hideaway - 5* Review from Mr and Mrs One Off Places
A couple of weeks ago, Mr and Mrs One Off Places had the good fortune to be able to spend a couple of days at the idyllic Shepherds Hut Retreat in Somerset. We've had our eye on this place for a while, and can safely say that it's a wonderful choice for a couple of days away with a loved one. Set on an organic farm in rural Somerset, the first thing that strikes you when you arrive is that you are in the middle of nowhere. Green fields and trees all around you, and aside from the odd tractor / farm vehicle, there's no traffic noise. In fact, there's no noise at all, unless you count twittering birds and whispering trees.
We stayed in one of four gloriously kitted out shepherd's huts, set around a lovely lake which was teeming with birdlife when we visited (in fact, we had a moorhen nesting at the bottom of our little garden). Although the huts are near one another, each is beautifully secluded from the next and has a fenced garden going down to the lake.
Outside the hut, table and chairs, a BBQ, a firepit and a hammock - all the necessary ingredients for an evening al fresco. Inside the hut - wow, what can we say? More gorgeous, more spacious and more comfortable than we could have imagined. In fact, the hut interior was larger than many hotel rooms, and certainly a lot more picturesque. Inside is also a little bathroom with loo, basin and hot shower. The kitchen area is perfectly equipped and the bed (with a window looking out across the lake), wonderfully comfortable. Not only did it look pretty, but we were so impressed by the attention to detail - fresh flowers on the garden table, marshmallows (in a pretty jar with a ribbon around it) for toasting over the fire pit, a bottle of wine and some milk and bread.
Also inside the hut is a DVD collection and TV screen so if you're unlucky enough to have a rainy day, you can just stay in your gorgeously comfortable bed and watch a movie.
There is an honesty shop on site where you can buy additional wood for the fire, disposable BBQs etc. Also on site, new for 2018, is a wonderful woodland sauna. Fill your name in on the board outside to book your hour long slot, pop your contribution into the honesty money box, and relax in an infrared sauna which looks out into the woodland, where you can watch the woodland birds coming and going from your sauna cabin. Such a fantastic additional touch.
Although in the heart of the countryside, there are all sorts of things in the vicinity which are worth a visit. On our first evening, we walked the 1.5 miles down the country lanes to a wonderful pub in the village of Hinton St George and enjoyed an excellent meal there. The following day we went half an hour south to the coast, went fossil hunting in Lyme Regis, ate icecream on the beach, and headed a little further along the coast to the wonderful beach of West Bay (where Broadchurch was filmed). So there's no shortage of things to do and places to go.
Aside from the shepherd's huts, also on site are some yurts, a treehouse, and a couple of cottage conversions - all also for 2 people, and equally gorgeous inside and out. The retreat makes a point of being adults only, so you can be assured of peace and quiet during your stay!
Crucially too, it is not going to break the bank. For such a glorious and romantic retreat, a 3 night stay costs from £264 - significantly better value than a hotel of a similar quality, and with heaps more character. We absolutely recommend it - 2 days and nights felt like a week's holiday - it's a wonderful place to switch off from the chaos and sit back and watch the world go by.
To see more information about The Shepherd's Hut Retreat, click here.
If you'd like to see where else you can stay on the farm, see the Yurts, Birdhouse, The Old Workshop, and The Hideaway.
