WEST SUSSEX
What: A dreamy woodland cabin with a hot tub Where: Little Bear, Billingshurst
How much: A fournight stay (Monday to Friday) starts at £850; uniquehomestays.com
Little Bear? Sounds pretty rustic…
Well, it is a log cabin set among an ancient forest and wildflower meadows, so you do feel like you’re off the beaten track. Plus, you can’t actually drive up to it; instead, I was asked to park a few minutes away and arrive on foot while my bags were transferred by, wait for it, wheelbarrow. Now that’s what I call slow travel. But Billingshurst village, which has a train station and a pub, is only 15 minutes away, so it’s not quite as remote as it seems.
There’s no wifi, right? Correct. No TV, either. Initially, the no-screen situation was quite odd. It isn’t until there’s nothing to occupy your aimless thumbs that you realise how many hundreds of times a day you pick up your phone just to check…what, exactly? Anyway, I distracted myself by taking a dip in the woodfired eco hot tub beneath the stars, which was every bit as dreamy as it sounds. Then, for peak hygge, I lit the wood-burning stove, melted marshmallows over the flames, unpacked the gourmet food-filled welcome hamper and poured a glass of red wine, all of which are included in the price. I’m sure this place is pretty in summer, but with a roaring fire, a good book and a king-sized bed to read it in, it has winter hideaway written all over it.
But what if I get bored? You won’t. With South Downs National Park on your doorstep, you’re not short of long, windswept walks (pack some wellies, mind) or runs in the glorious countryside. West Wittering Beach, a favoured spot for paddleboarding, is a short drive away, and the Little Bear owners are happy to sort out some in-cabin spa treatments if you want to relax even more during your stay. Little Bear is selfcatered, but the kitchen is small, so for dinner I went to local pub The Blue Ship, which serves up delicious pizzas to take away (the veggie supreme is perfect) and burgers if you’re eating in. Just remember to take the cabin’s torch with you so you can guide your way back in the dark without having to look at your phone. You’re doing a digital detox, remember?
What: Going off-grid in a self-catering shepherd’s hut Where: The Kailyard at Guardswell Farm, Perthshire How much: From £100 per night for two people; guardswell.co.uk
A shepherd’s hut?
Okay, this is back-to-basics stuff, but therein lies the charm. I found The Kailyard in a field at the end of a woodland path, and while it could be mistaken for a shed from the outside, inside, it’s trendier than the home of an interiors influencer, and cosier to boot. The kitchen is tiny, but perfectly formed, with two hobs, a kettle and a sink, while the other side of the hut is taken up by a double bed with lazy mornings in mind. Best of all are the floor-to-ceiling glass doors. Throw them open first thing and you can kill a few hours watching the vast sky. You can cook your own breakfast –
I had fresh eggs from the farm – on the fire pit just outside the hut. And while the shower is a walk away (or a dash in mid-winter), I’m calling it character building. There are other rooms on the farm – the Pendicle is a hip hideaway with a wildflower roof, wood-cladded interior and sheep’s-wool insulation.
But the shepherd’s hut stole my heart. But what about being off-grid?
This is the real digital-detoxing deal. No TV, no wifi, no electricity. There isn’t even a fridge, though I was given a cool box with ice blocks to keep my food and wine chilled. And yet, you’ll be amazed by how quickly you acclimatise to it all – and how slowly time moves when you’re not keeping up with the lives of people you
hardly know. I read books, played board games, gazed at the stars and spent 40 minutes watching a flock of Hebridean sheep in the next field. Anything else to do besides chatting to farm animals? Guardswell might be a remote 150-acre working farm, but it holds events, too – I’d just missed a ‘no-dig organic vegetable workshop’ and there are sometimes cooking classes on the calendar. Hiking options from The Kailyard are endless and bringing your bike is encouraged. Edinburgh’s an hour’s drive away, but the nearest station is Dundee, from where Guardswell is a £25 taxi ride. But ditch the cab and cycle and the eco-minded owners will take an ‘earth-friendly’
10% off your room rate.