'Idyllic' doesn't do this East Sussex hideaway justice. Nestled within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Swallowtail Hill is a landscape like no other with six special places to stay. The farm’s forty acres of wildflower meadow and woodland are run purely for conservation and offer guests a complete getaway from the pace of modern life. In a world increasingly full of ‘content’, Swallowtail Hill is about finding contentment and connection – the things that really matter. Their portfolio of places includes a completely off-grid cottage for those looking for absolute peace, a matching pair of cabins perfect for families wanting space, a woodland retreat, and two new luxury spaces complete with wood-fired hot tubs.
The whimsical Meadow keeper’s Cottage is straight out of the Brothers Grimm and masterfully crafted using locally sourced timber. Once featured on George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces, Meadow Keeper’s Cottage is a ‘gingerbread cottage’ of so many children’s story books, it can sleep a family of four and sits in perfect pond-side seclusion between two wildflower meadows.
There are two cosy timber cabins, too, complete with wood-burning stove, kitchenette and firepit for some bonfire grilling under the stars, along with a luxurious romantic roundhouse in the woods for two, complete with its own hot tub, and another woodland retreat (the aptly named Woodcutter’s Cottage) tucked away in a dell at the end of The Dean Wood. This eight-acre chestnut and oak coppiced woodland is surrounded by hornbeam, holly, hazel, oak and chestnut hedges and makes up the magical centre-piece of the farm.
If you prefer your glamping as luxurious as it can get, Swallow Tail Hill's final abode – The Long View – is the best choice; a gorgeous timber hut on wheels that enjoys seclusion at the end of an eight-acre meadow. Perfect for couples or young families, it has a wood fired hot tub and wonderful views, stretching off over the folding landscape. You can't see as far as Bodiam, Rye or the south coast, but they're all eminently reachable from the site.