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Gone are the days of old when shepherd’s huts stood in a lonely corner of an open field, sad, dilapidated, purely to serve the shepherd on the occasional night in the field. These days, shepherd’s huts have taken a stylish turn. With the surge of popularity in micro-homes, these old cabins have now been turned in to effective, efficient, comfortable even luxurious homes and holiday homes.
A taste of micro living
To satisfy our own curiosity about how comfortable Shepherd’s Huts really could be, and to have a taste of micro-living, we booked a night away at a nearby shepherd’s hut to find out.
It was easy enough to meet the very friendly owner, Fiona, at the entrance of the nearby farm shop and she showed us how to unlock the massive gate to the private airfield in which the hut was located. Bumping along the muddy dirt track, in almost pitch black darkness isn’t quite the most comforting welcome, yet we prevailed.
The hut stood at one end of the large field next to the make-shift ‘airport lounge’. Electricity was supplied by six solar panels with a backup generator making it completely self off-grid in that sense. It was not an automated switch though and if the solar power ran out, it would be a case of physically turning on the generator. No wifi is provided unfortunately so you will have to rely on 3-5G from your mobile data, which for us was a bit hit and miss with Three as our provider.
Inside the hut
The old-fashioned key unlocked the door with a satisfying clink and once inside, the hut was surprisingly modern.
There was a full size sink a double hob even an under-counter fridge, which we did not bother to turn on as we were only there overnight. Next to the kitchen area was a broom cupboard which also housed the boiler.
The very modern and complete shower and a fully functioning toilet took up the left end of the hut while a cosy king-sized bed filled the entire width of the right side of the hut.
A wood burner in the corner just to the left of the entrance and with wood and burner logs provided, ensured that we were warm through the night of howling winds and rains.
King-size Double Bed
Kitchen
Amenities
What we thought
The shepherd’s hut was certainly a change from the usual multi-room Airbnb stay that we usually check-in to. Nevertheless, like all over night stays, it was in itself an experience.
We were pleasantly surprised at how comfortable the hut was despite being a very small space. We could see ourselves staying over for several nights with no problem at all. The bed was very comfortable and the lovely cotton sheets and duvet covers were very warm and cosy.
As it was the middle of winter, it was necessary to light a fire in the wood burner and despite having very little experience with woodturners and lighting fires (apart from on the bbq) it was very easy to get the woodblocks going. The fan that stood above the wood burner worked very well to distribute the hot air around the small cabin. The lack of experience on our part, made it difficult to get the optimal temperature from the wood burner. This meant that it was actually too hot at some point and we had to open a window to balance out the heat.
This shepherd’s hut directly looked over the private airfield runway and green. It was not a terribly inspiring view, but being able to watch the sunrise over the horizon of a vast green plain did feel somewhat magical.
We especially loved the skylights over the bed and it mean being able to gaze up through the shadows of the branches overhead in to the very dark night sky.
We did not cook while we were there but the facilities to cook were complete. There are a number of local farm shops and excellent pubs in the area so it’s likely that if you’re in the area, you might prefer to visit these and take a break from cooking.
Would we recommend it?
We would definitely recommend an overnight stay or two at this gorgeous shepherd’s hut. If you’re a fan of getting close to the land but roughing it and camping isn’t quite your thing, then a stay in a luxury shepherd’s hut would tick both requirements.
Bonus: Pet-friendly
Skylark shepherd’s hut is pet-friendly which means that your four-legged friend can join you on this micro-getaway. Nothing is provided for your pet though so remember to bring along their food and drink bowls and their bed.
How to book
The direct listing link for Skylark shepherd’s hut is on AirBnB. Look to see if the dates you’d like to stay are available and get in touch with the owner to ask to book your stay.
