SHEPHERD’S HUTS, ELMLEY NATURE RESERVE, ISLE OF SHEPPEY
Sheppey is derived from the Old English ‘sceapig’, meaning Sheep Island, so it comes as little surprise that Elmley Nature Reserve, on the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, is home to 1,000 Romney sheep. The only family-owned and managed National Nature Reserve in the UK, it also accommodates vast flocks of migrating birds, brown hares, marsh frogs, native and continental-breed cows – along with two farmhouses and six shepherd’s huts. The residences allow you to feel completely immersed in nature while remaining a stone’s throw from boutique hotel-style hospitality. Book a shepherd’s hut – each is nestled in a different part of the reserve with unspoilt views across the marshes, and some have outdoor showers and baths on the decks, too. Inside, they’re boarded in reclaimed wood, with vast beds (some with a pull-out bed for kids), tiny corner kitchens and ready-to-light wood burners. Bathrooms are equally bijou, with impressive showers and lovely Bramley products. There are firepits outside the huts, with jars of marshmallows ready for toasting and Romney Marsh wool blankets for chilly evenings. Best of all, supper and breakfast are brought to your room in wicker picnic baskets – a small and ever-changing menu of delicious local produce, piping hot and ready to be served. This is the perfect place to retreat to in winter, where you can hibernate in your hut, read, relax and watch the great waves of birds swoop in harmony across the reserve. In the summer, there’s a convivial buzz, as bell tents spring up around the reserve, too, evening catered barbecues are put on for guests and everyone is encouraged to swim at the tiny private beach.
HUTS FROM £125 A NIGHT; ELMLEYNATURERESERVE.CO.UK