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A evaluation 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 a alarm, no road noise, no noisy neighbour slamming her door on the best way to work. Simply the smooth early morning daylight – filtered by means of 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 grasp 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 stand up, feeling like a cartoon princess firstly of a Disney film.
The wood-fired scorching tub continues to be heat from final night time, so I climb in. And as I sit there, relishing the indulgence of an out of doors bathtub earlier than breakfast, one thing magical occurs. A deer steps into view, lower than ten toes 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 house owners of Swallowtail Hill staged all this for my keep. However the reality is, that is simply what occurs while 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 evaluation 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 Evaluation
The BEST glamping close to Rye, East Sussex
Even with out these magical animal encounters, Swallowtail Hill is well the most effective 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 gorgeous landscapes of 1066 Nation, this actually is the last word glamping escape.
The placement is totally 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 Citadel, paddleboarding on the River Rother, or taking a seal-spotting boat tour alongside the coast.
Or, in case you’d want to easily do nothing in any respect, you possibly can 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 venture at Swallowtail Hill round 35 years in the past. As we speak, the farm is a 50-acre personal 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 develop into one of many UK’s largest journey traits.
They knew that this magical place can be excellent for folks seeking to get away from all of it and revel in nature. They usually have been 100% proper!
Every cabin is exclusive, constructed to be as sustainable as doable, and constituted of principally native supplies. The farm is carbon-positive, and the location 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, certainly one 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 principle monitor that runs by means of Swallowtail Hill. It feels utterly lower off: the right place to get pleasure from 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 looks like a rustic cottage mixed with a treehouse, with critical fairytale vibes (completely in line with my morning robin wake-up name!).
The cabin appears tiny from the skin, however there’s quite a lot of room inside. All the pieces may be very cleverly designed to make full use of the house. There’s tons of under-bed storage, for instance, so you possibly can pack your baggage away to maintain the room clear.
The kitchenette is far greater than another glamping lodging I’ve stayed in. There are a number of cabinets, a two-ring gasoline hob, a mini fridge and a microwave with a grill. Mixed with the out of doors BBQ gear for the hearth pit, you actually have all the things you want for cooking.
There’s additionally a compact ensuite rest room, with a correct flushing lavatory and scorching working water, so you actually do have all the house comforts. It’s nonetheless sustainable: the bogs are linked to a water therapy system that returns secure, clear water to the land.
High tip: I’d advocate bringing a dangling toiletries bag to assist save on house. Get extra suggestions in my glamping necessities packing listing.
A mattress with a view!
Though the house is all one room (besides the ensuite rest room), the bed room space is saved separate by a room partition fashioned by the large headboard. That is fabricated from 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 appears out into the woodland. I cherished waking as much as the smooth, green-tinted forest gentle and watching the squirrels leaping from department to department.
Between the luxurious bedding, tremendous comfortable king-sized mattress, and silence of the woodland, I slept like an absolute log the 2 nights I used to be at Swallowtail Hill!
Open air
Outdoors, you might have your personal personal woodland glade as a again backyard. There’s all the things you possibly can 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 fireplace pit for night campfires.
There are woodland trails main proper out of your entrance door, so you possibly can set off on a stroll to discover the encompassing nature reserve. Or simply sit again with a e book and benefit from the peaceable sounds of the woods round you.
However the very best half? The massive, wood-fired scorching tub on the sting of the clearing. Very best 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 an actual science. Fortunately, Sarah gave very thorough directions – and there’s a video in your downloadable digital information.
I nonetheless managed to noticeably overheat the new tub, and had so as to add chilly water from the hose! However constructing the hearth and manually heating the water is all a part of the “slowing down”, back-to-nature expertise – and it actually makes you are feeling such as you’ve earned your time enjoyable!
There was one thing magical about sitting within the scorching tub at night time 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 by means of the timber 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 location
All of the cabins at Swallowtail Hill are dotted across the web site, so each has its personal personal panorama. Whereas I undoubtedly suppose the Roundhouse is the very best, I additionally cherished 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 right 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 several other rustic wood buildings dotted round. Amongst them is a Log Retailer and a Farm Store full of 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 entire 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 possibly can get pleasure from 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 house owners only a WhatsApp message away, you received’t really feel too remoted. Staying in a comfortable, safe cabin (with a lockable entrance door) feels a lot much less intimidating than tenting solo – so you might have the very 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 Evaluation: 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 dwelling, with a well-fitted kitchen and ensuite rest room.
- Quirky, bespoke cabins – every with its personal persona.
- Peaceable and safe: excellent for solo feminine travellers.
- Subsequent door to a winery (inside strolling distance for tastings!)
- Very best location close to Rye, Camber Sands, and the encompassing 1066 Nation.
I completely cherished my keep at Swallowtail Hill. Proprietor Sarah is an inspiration: a type of unimaginable, passionate folks whose love for what they do is infectious.
The farm and the cabins are all really attractive – and they’re precisely what glamping ought to be: the right mixture of getting back-to-basics with dwelling comforts and splendid particulars (like that scorching tub). In the event you’re in search of a tranquil glamping escape in East Sussex with whole immersion into nature, Swallowtail Hill is the place for you.
The information
The Roundhouse Cabin begins from £235 per night time. Click on right here to test costs and availability.
Try @swallowtailhill on Instagram to see the opposite cabins and the remainder of the location. AND watch my reel for a video showcasing precisely what my keep within the Roundhouse was like.
Contact: 01797 260 890 or [email protected]
Swallowtail Hill Farm
Hobbs Lane
Beckley
East Sussex
TN31 6TT
