GLAMPING | An Incredible Night Suspended From a Tree at Brook House Woods, Herefordshire
Looking for glamping accommodation that’s out of the ordinary in a secluded woodland setting? Join Joanne and Matt as they experience a night in a treehouse at Brook House Woods in Herefordshire.
The treehouse we stayed in
Where did we go?
Brook House Farm, Avenbury Lane, Bromyard, Herefordshire, HR7 4LB
Tel: 07966 529815
Email: [email protected]
Website: Brook house Woods
Prices from £100 per night
Our stay
We took a leisurely drive up to Herefordshire and enjoyed the countryside scenery on the way. Upon arrival at Brook House Woods we followed the quaintly marked road system through the forest to find our destination.
Brook House Woods is no ordinary glamping site, part collective natural working and teaching space, part glamping site and the two work beautifully side by side. The site is home to a very talented bunch of creators, and their passion for their work shines through in every inch and corner of the place.
The place has a true feeling of community. With some carpenters even living on site throughout the summer, and the immediate homely yet wild essence of the site meant we felt extremely at ease from the moment we arrived.
We parked just outside of a beautiful woodwork shop, used to teach lessons in carving, weaving and carpentry. The workshop was an incredible sight to behold- something so completely away from modern life, and yet so advanced and robust.
Facilities
We were taken up a small track, which wound meticulously through the forest, to a clearing which housed a shared kitchen, shower, compost toilet and dining area. All incredibly well engineered and built from felled wood in the area.
Everything we needed was there at our fingertips. From bottle openers to a pizza oven, we were well catered for.
We were surprised at how well thought out the offering was. Everything we needed was there at our fingertips. From bottle openers to a pizza oven, we were well catered for. We had tasty organic coffee, milk, and plenty of condiments for our fire cooking.
A BBQ was provided, with all the necessary equipment, along with a cable reel table and comfortable seating under a fairy light-lit tarp. All the lights and devices were solar powered, making this the biggest, but solely solar powered camping experience we’d been on. If you’re an eco-warrior, you have to see Brook House Woods!
The entrance to our treehouse
Our hosts, Will and Penny, and also Loki the beautiful campsite collie, answered any questions we had, and suggested walks and activities in the local area. We followed this advice and headed to a local produce store just a 10 minute drive away, called Legges. The store was a treasure trove of organic, home made local produce – from cheese to cider, this store celebrates the best that Hereford has to offer. With bags full of vegetables and local beers, we headed back to the site to settle in and spend a night suspended from the trees.
The accommodation
Our accommodation was an architectural marvel in itself. Constructed by Tree Tents, the treehouse is a completely spherical “tent” hanging from cable wires in an old oak tree- Goji (clearly named after the succulent berry), was our home for the night. Descending hand carved stairs, we had a beautiful balcony overlooking the woods.
We both had an extraordinarily good night’s sleep with the delightful sounds of the night time creatures snuffling away below us.
We spotted tree creepers, woodpeckers, black caps and of course, blue tits, surrounding us in a cacophony of woodland rustling and song. Despite a few initial wobbles, we settled in well to our suspending accommodation.
The sheets smelled wonderful and along with the comfy beds, provided the perfect level of comfort. We both had an extraordinarily good night’s sleep with the delightful sounds of the night time creatures snuffling away below us.
The other accommodation on site including a collection of yurts, cabins and even ‘hobbit huts’- all hand crafted and created from the surrounding woodland. All were cosily furnished and lit by solar lights, with easy access to nearby toilets and solar showers. The sheer attention to detail in these structures is enough just to come for a visit.
The interior of the treehouse
We awoke to perfect coffee and the dawn chorus. Admittedly we didn’t want to leave the comfortable beds, but we rose to further explore our woodland paradise, sad that we were leaving so soon. The short trip was a real eye-opener, allowing us to experience the isolation that we both crave, away from our busy everyday lives.
The quirky looking composting toilet
The verdict
The site was neither pretentious nor extravagant yet it was comfortable, with excellent facilities, all sympathetically designed to blend in with the beautiful woodland setting – exactly what you’d want from a woodland glamping stay and perfect for escaping from the real world.
We both agreed that we could quite happily live here.
The silence was only broken by bird song, and there was plenty of fire wood available to ward off the chill night air. We both agreed that we could quite happily live here, a world away from the distractions of modern life, happy knowing that the only Tweets we’d have access to, were those of the plentiful birdlife amongst the woods.
Goji, the funky treehouse that we stayed in (find out more about these incredible structures on the Tree Tents website) was a complete joy to the senses as well as being a real pleasure to sleep in.
We would love to visit again in order to stay longer and really get back to grass roots living. It gave us so many ideas for the future, and the hosts are nothing short of brilliant for creating such a beautiful and soothing little woodland world.
Highlights
- The most incredible night’s sleep we’ve had in many years!
- The sheer attention to detail with the architectural design of all the huts, yurts, showers, toilets and communal structures
- The welcoming hosts – the perfect face of Brook House Woods, and what they are achieving here is outstanding
- Very well equipped – we didn’t want for anything!
- We love the fact that Brook Wood House provides optional woodworking and country crafts tuition
- The wow-factor of the Goji treehouse – suspended from the trees, but 100% safe and secure
- The silence and isolation of being in a beautiful British wood, and the ideology around the way of living sustainably and at one with nature
Thank you to Brook House Woods who invited us to stay.