Bristol vs the world

Not counting festivals or nights in caravans, I have only camped once. It was a practice trip for a school expedition to Vietnam and we were forced to go to Buxton in January. (Quite how pitching a tent on snow prepares you for trekking in the rainforest I’ll never know.) One night I woke up and was shaking so much, I genuinely considered waking my tent-mates and asking them to tell my parents I loved them should I freeze to death. Let’s not even get started on the trauma of putting on new underwear. Overall, not a life highlight.

So despite John’s repeated suggestions that we should invest in a tent, I’ve been avoiding any ‘real’ camping ever since. That was until last Christmas, when I happened upon Canopy & Stars. The ‘glamping’ arm of Alistair Sawdays, the website lists a number of unique, and quite appealing, camping hideaways in the UK and Western Europe. They seemed like the perfect Christmas present: enough outdooryness/nature for John and a proper bed for me (also part of making this a perfect present for him, as it meant that I wouldn’t wake up grumpy after a bad night’s sleep on an under-inflated air mattress).

After searching through options in the South West, I eventually settled on Crook’s View Shepherd’s Hut on Woodspring Farm, Kewstoke. Situated between Weston-super-Mare and Worle, Kewstoke’s less than an hour from Bristol by car, which meant we could spend more time enjoying being there and less time driving/getting lost.

The hut turned out to be perfect in so many ways. From the moment I booked, the owner, Victoria, was incredibly friendly and helpful, sending an email full of information about the hut. This continued throughout our stay; she and her partner, Andy, made us feel welcome and were more than happy to chat and offer recommendations, but they also gave us plenty of privacy, too.

The location, too, was ideal. Although described as being in Kewstoke, Woodspring Farm is very much in the countryside, close to walks through picture-perfect green fields overlooking the coast. It’s the ideal combination: a peaceful escape, yet close enough to towns to be able to get hold of amenities (and takeaways) easily!

And then there’s the hut itself. When we arrived – on a very wet January Saturday (date chosen because it’s our ‘anniversary’, and I’m a masochist) – the stove was already burning. This and the abundance of blankets kept us cosy throughout our stay. Victoria and Andy provided everything we needed (and more), from utensils, plates and mugs to marshmallows for roasting over our wood burning stove. A handy folder gave recommendations of walks, restaurants and other nearby attractions. And if the weather had been better, we’d have loved to have tried out the storm kettle and outdoor fire pit.

If you do want to cook for yourself, but it’s not quite outdoor-cooking weather, there’s also a ‘guests’ section in Victoria & Andy’s farmhouse which contains a small kitchen (as well as a toilet/bathroom and space to hang up soggy clothes to dry overnight – very much appreciated!). As it was a Christmas present (and we’re lazy), we instead decided to treat ourselves and order in from the local Indian, who deliver to the farm. Delicious, and exactly what we needed on a stormy January night.

We also ate out for lunch, at the Sand Bay Tea Rooms in Kewstoke. Excellent grilled cheese sandwiches and milkshakes, and really friendly owners. We popped in on our way to the farm, but it’s also walking distance from the hut.

Talking of food, the breakfast (included in your stay and delivered to your door at the time you request the previous night) was amazing – and very filling! Even we couldn’t finish it all, and packed some of the snacky bits for our morning walk and journey home.

But although everything about our stay was lovely, there were two stand-outs. The first was the resident mischievous-but-friendly goats! We had a good giggle watching them try and break into our hut and, later, out of their field! They also seemed to like the taste of my waterproof.

The second was waking up in in the hut. Hut’s windows and doors open, we clutched mugs of tea and watched as the goats devoured their breakfast and dawn broke over the hills. There is no better way to start a morning.

Admittedly our shepherd’s hut experience isn’t exactly what many would consider ‘proper’ camping. It’s certainly not roughing it – not that I’m complaining. But if you want to get away from it all and back to nature but with some home comforts, it’s the perfect way to do so. We’ve already booked our next Canopy & Stars getaway, and were planning to go back to Crook’s View before we’d even left. Perhaps in the summer next time, though; I want to use the fire pit!

Photo Credits
Top photo: Courtesy of Canopy & Stars website
All other photos my own – please credit if using

The details
Crook’s View Shepherd’s Hut
Pricing starts at £160 for two nights (we actually only stayed for one, but I don’t know if that’s an option any more – and I’d highly recommend staying longer, anyway!)
Near Kewstoke, South West England
Nearest train station: Worle (about 3 miles). You can cycle from here, or Victoria will pick you up from £2
Parking on-site