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A overview of my magical, nature-filled glamping keep at Swallowtail Hill close to Rye in East Sussex.
One thing stirs me from sleep simply earlier than 7am. There isn’t any alarm, no road noise, no noisy neighbour slamming her door on the best way to work. Simply the mushy early morning daylight – filtered via the leaves of the woodland that surrounds my cabin – creeping across the edges of the curtains on the foot of my mattress.
It takes me a second to understand that the sound that woke me is a loud, insistent knocking. Which seems to be a robin perched on the cabin’s entrance door, tapping on the window like some magical woodland alarm clock.
So I rise up, feeling like a cartoon princess in the beginning of a Disney film.
The wood-fired scorching tub continues to be heat from final evening, so I climb in. And as I sit there, relishing the indulgence of an out of doors tub earlier than breakfast, one thing magical occurs. A deer steps into view, lower than ten ft away from me. It appears to make eye contact for a second, then walks on, adopted by one other, and one other.
A part of me is satisfied that the homeowners of Swallowtail Hill staged all this for my keep. However the fact is, that is simply what occurs if you take time to decelerate and immerse your self in nature.
With a handful of superbly designed, utterly distinctive glamping lodging set inside 50 acres of personal nature reserve, Swallowtail Hill is the right place to do exactly that.
This overview was created as a part of a sponsored journey supported by Swallowtail Hill and 1066 Nation. As at all times, all phrases and opinions are my very own.
Swallowtail Hill Glamping Evaluate
The BEST glamping close to Rye, East Sussex
Even with out these magical animal encounters, Swallowtail Hill is definitely among the best locations to go glamping close to Rye in East Sussex.
There are six distinctive cabins unfold throughout a rewilded farm turned nature reserve. Surrounded by the beautiful landscapes of 1066 Nation, this actually is the last word glamping escape.
The placement is completely excellent. The farm is simply quarter-hour drive from the historic city of Rye, with its cute cobbled streets and timber-clad buildings, and 20 minutes from the well-known seashores at Camber Sands. There’s hundreds to see and do within the space: like exploring the ruins of Bodiam Fortress, paddleboarding on the River Rother, or taking a seal-spotting boat tour alongside the coast.
Or, if you happen to’d favor to easily do nothing in any respect, you may simply whereas away an entire day exploring Swallowtail Hill’s nature reserve and having fun with the peace and quiet surrounding your glamping cabin.
The Idea: Sustainability, nature, and slowing down
Homeowners Sarah and Christopher first started their conservation challenge at Swallowtail Hill round 35 years in the past. Right this moment, the farm is a 50-acre non-public nature reserve encompassing woodland, grassland, ponds, and wildflower meadows. It’s run solely for conservation (no crops or livestock) and is thought to be a beacon web site for biodiversity.
After spending so lengthy creating such a particular, wildlife-rich panorama, the husband-and-wife group launched sustainable glamping at Swallowtail Hill in 2010 – lengthy earlier than glamping had turn out to be one of many UK’s greatest journey traits.
They knew that this magical place could be excellent for folks trying to get away from all of it and luxuriate in nature. They usually had been 100% proper!
Every cabin is exclusive, constructed to be as sustainable as attainable, and produced from largely native supplies. The farm is carbon-positive, and the positioning is usually off-grid. Click on right here to seek out out extra about Swallowtail Hill’s sustainability efforts.
The Roundhouse cabin at Swallowtail Hill
I used to be staying on the Roundhouse Cabin, one in every of six quirky cabins which will be discovered dotted round Swallowtail Hill.
Because the identify suggests, it’s utterly round. This uncommon, bespoke cabin is nestled in a clearing deep throughout the woods, set effectively again from the primary monitor that runs via Swallowtail Hill. It feels utterly lower off: the right place to take pleasure in some solitude and immerse your self in nature.
Indoors
This cabin’s quirky design is bespoke to Swallowtail Hill, and it has a lot character. It appears like a rustic cottage mixed with a treehouse, with critical fairytale vibes (completely consistent with my morning robin wake-up name!).
The cabin seems to be tiny from the surface, however there’s plenty of room inside. Every little thing could be very cleverly designed to make full use of the house. There’s tons of under-bed storage, for instance, so you’ll be able to pack your baggage away to maintain the room clear.
The kitchenette is far larger than every other glamping lodging I’ve stayed in. There are a number of cabinets, a two-ring fuel hob, a mini fridge and a microwave with a grill. Mixed with the out of doors BBQ tools for the fireplace pit, you actually have the whole lot you want for cooking.
There’s additionally a compact ensuite rest room, with a correct flushing lavatory and scorching operating water, so you actually do have all the house comforts. It’s nonetheless sustainable: the bathrooms are linked to a water remedy system that returns protected, clear water to the land.
High tip: I’d advocate bringing a dangling toiletries bag to assist save on house. Get extra ideas in my glamping necessities packing record.
A mattress with a view!
Though the house is all one room (besides the ensuite rest room), the bed room space is stored separate by a room partition shaped by the big headboard. That is product of reclaimed wooden – a few of which got here from a historic pub in my hometown of Dorchester!
On the foot of the mattress, there’s an enormous window which seems to be out into the woodland. I liked waking as much as the mushy, green-tinted forest gentle and watching the squirrels leaping from department to department.
Between the luxurious bedding, tremendous cozy king-sized mattress, and silence of the woodland, I slept like an absolute log the 2 nights I used to be at Swallowtail Hill!
Outdoor
Exterior, you’ve got your individual non-public woodland glade as a again backyard. There’s the whole lot you may presumably want for the right glamping keep right here: a lined wood eating space for al fresco meals, reclining seats for sitting again and watching the native wildlife, and a hearth pit for night campfires.
There are woodland trails main proper out of your entrance door, so you’ll be able to set off on a stroll to discover the encircling nature reserve. Or simply sit again with a e-book and benefit from the peaceable sounds of the woods round you.
However one of the best half? The big, wood-fired scorching tub on the sting of the clearing. Superb for unwinding after a day exploring 1066 Nation – or for an indulgent morning dip if the water stays heat sufficient!
It takes a few hours to warmth up, and it’s not a precise science. Fortunately, Sarah gave very thorough directions – and there’s a video in your downloadable digital information.
I nonetheless managed to significantly overheat the new tub, and had so as to add chilly water from the hose! However constructing the fireplace and manually heating the water is all a part of the “slowing down”, back-to-nature expertise – and it actually makes you’re feeling such as you’ve earned your time stress-free!
There was one thing magical about sitting within the scorching tub at evening with a glass of wine, watching the steam rising from the water within the glow of battery-powered lanterns and searching up at a scattering of stars via the bushes overhead. There was completely no sound of civilisation, solely the noise of the forest. That’s an expertise I’m not going to neglect for some time.
The remainder of the positioning
All of the cabins at Swallowtail Hill are dotted across the web site, so each has its personal non-public panorama. Whereas I positively suppose the Roundhouse is one of the best, I additionally liked the look of the Lengthy View – which has a surprising view throughout a sloping wildflower meadow from the window on the foot of the mattress – and the lovable, Disney-cottage vibes of the Meadow Keeper’s Cottage.
You possibly can’t drive to your cabin – which provides to the adventurous feeling of being lower off from all of it. There’s a carpark on the farm entrance – about 10 minutes stroll from the cabins, relying which one you’re staying in – and, on arrival, you’ll be taken all the way down to your cabin in a golf cart.
The barnyard space on the entrance units the tone of your keep: there’s a surprising view of the countryside, and a number of other rustic wood buildings dotted round. Amongst them is a Log Retailer and a Farm Store crammed with helpful necessities in addition to yummy native produce, each of which function on an honesty foundation.
You’re additionally free to discover the remainder of the character reserve, and go wildlife recognizing across the woods, wildflower meadows, and ponds. You actually might simply spend your complete keep on web site, utterly immersing your self in nature.
Why Swallowtail Hill is nice for solo feminine travellers
In the event you fancy a solo glamping getaway, Swallowtail Hill actually is the best place. As a result of the totally different lodging are so unfold out, you’ll be able to take pleasure in whole solitude and peace. No noisy neighbours or close by barbecues: simply the sounds of the woodlands and some busy squirrels for neighbours.
However with the farmhouse so shut and the homeowners only a WhatsApp message away, you gained’t really feel too remoted. Staying in a comfy, safe cabin (with a lockable entrance door) feels a lot much less intimidating than tenting solo – so you’ve got one of the best of each worlds.
And that sense of being utterly alone within the woods is excellent for anybody in pressing want of some me-time.
Swallowtail Hill Glamping Evaluate: The Fast Model
- Conservation-led nature reserve on rewilded farmland.
- Sustainable glamping.
- Unfold-out lodging for whole peace and solitude.
- Log-fired scorching tub.
- Mattress with a view!
- Loads of house for a tiny residence, with a well-fitted kitchen and ensuite rest room.
- Quirky, bespoke cabins – every with its personal character.
- Peaceable and safe: excellent for solo feminine travellers.
- Subsequent door to a winery (inside strolling distance for tastings!)
- Superb location close to Rye, Camber Sands, and the encircling 1066 Nation.
I completely liked my keep at Swallowtail Hill. Proprietor Sarah is an inspiration: a kind of unbelievable, passionate folks whose love for what they do is infectious.
The farm and the cabins are all really beautiful – and they’re precisely what glamping needs to be: the right mixture of getting back-to-basics with residence comforts and splendid particulars (like that scorching tub). In the event you’re searching for a tranquil glamping escape in East Sussex with whole immersion into nature, Swallowtail Hill is the place for you.
The data
The Roundhouse Cabin begins from £235 per evening. Click on right here to test costs and availability.
Try @swallowtailhill on Instagram to see the opposite cabins and the remainder of the positioning. AND watch my reel for a video showcasing precisely what my keep within the Roundhouse was like.
Don’t miss my information to one of the best issues to do in 1066 Nation for assist planning your go to!
Contact: 01797 260 890 or [email protected]
Swallowtail Hill Farm
Hobbs Lane
Beckley
East Sussex
TN31 6TT
