Luxury wilderness cottages
If you go down to the woods today you're in for a big surprise. In places where bleating sheep and burbling hot tubs are the only hubbubs to break the silence, our luxury wilderness cottages are a breath of fresh air.
Evenings in the wilderness: between cups of tea and bites of oatcakes, you'll balance on the sofa’s edge to remove Jenga blocks in the lull of a late-night radio show. Later, you'll dash between the hot tub and sauna, wrapped by the winds of a forested valley, and be glad you escaped from the city. Including one that was dubbed ‘possibly the best log cabin in Britain’, our luxury wilderness cottages pack a paradisiacal punch. These are places that carefully balance the great outdoors with the great indoors; meaning, there's swimming pools in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, yoga decks in the Outer Hebrides, and cinema barns among Welsh mountain ranges.
Taking a break from urban living may well calm the mind and soothe the soul, but its greatest accolade is how it helps us return to our most wholesome selves. Hike up high hills with your city-fatigued dogs, take the children blackberry-picking, or gather in the garden to char homemade margheritas in the pizza oven. Now's the time to assemble your coterie and make for the wilds, trying a slice of expeditionary life on home soil. These cosy private homes are made for storytelling by the inglenook fire, morning coffee among 20,000 books, and warm crumble made from backyard apples. Solitude is beckoning; how far will you go for your wilderness escape?
Juneberry
Cubert, Holywell Bay, Cornwall, UK
Tucked away between the trees on Cornwall’s north coast near Holywell Bay, Juneberry is a luxury self-catering cabin settled in the quiet idyll of rural bliss.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,095 per week, £850 per short break
Pets: Two small well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Yoga deck with mats and blocks, outdoor shower
Firefly
Trebudannon, Newquay, Cornwall, UK
Nomadic types will love unique self-catering cabin Firefly, with its earthy, back-to-nature appeal and proximity to Mawgan Porth. Handcrafted using rough cut timber and complete with a hot tub and wildlife pond, this luxury woodcutter's cottage in North Cornwall is perfect for couples.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,295 per week, £995 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome, or three on prior request
Features: Hot tub
Tangle Belle
St Martin, Helford, Cornwall, UK
Situated in acres of private woodland with the pretty stream meandering along beside, this wooden-cladded self-catering cottage near Helford is the epitome of rural charm and exudes oodles of rustic country character.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
From: £1,295 per week, £995 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Morwell
Calstock, Tamar Valley, Cornwall, UK
Tenderly cosseted by the arms of the Tamar Valley AONB, this stylish luxury self-catering farmhouse with natural outdoor swimming pool enjoys 1.5 miles of private river frontage.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
From: £1,795 per week, £1,650 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 8 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Table tennis, natural outdoor swimming pool (available July - September)
The Artist´s Retreat
Michaelstow, Wadebridge, Cornwall, UK
Between the moors and sea in mystical North Cornwall, where folklore and truth twist to forge history, a bohemian country home with an outdoor heated pool awaits.
Sleeps: Up to 8 guests
From: £2,895 per week, £2,095 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Outdoor swimming pool (heated June - September), outdoor ping pong table, fire pit, croquet lawn, badminton
Northcott Beach House
Northcott Mouth, Bude, Cornwall, UK
A breathtaking cliff-top large self-catering beach house in north Cornwall offering large luxury accommodation near Bude in north Cornwall for up to 16 guests.
Sleeps: Up to 14 guests
From: £3,295 per week, £2,450 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
