Hideaway Hut is a halfway hut between the wild and the luxurious. On first glance this hidden clearing, secluded away in an ancient woodland with a shepherd’s hut, shelter and seating area, has all the hallmarks of a glamping getaway. But the off-road track to get here, the wild feel signals that this is a thoroughly outdoorsy experience. This is a place that feels utterly remote and off-grid, yet still has a double bed come nighttime. If you want a setting that’s truly unique, you’d be hard pressed to do better.
From the moment you arrive, Hideaway Hut is mysterious in its seclusion. The entrance is a gate, practically lost among the wood’s edge, from which a long, rough track leads through parkland, following the contours of the steeply sloping valley (if you don’t have a 4x4 you might prefer to park your car here and walk the five minutes or so to the site instead). Then, just as the woodland might be about to end, the clearing appears, populated by a pastel green shepherd’s hut, a shelter and a series of seating areas, some tucked away in trees, others with magnificent views.
When you book a stay at Hideaway Hut, you are given the clearing in its entirety. If there are two of you, you can sleep in the shepherd hut’s fitted double bed enjoying total privacy, while the shelter provides extra seating space. If there are three of you, there is room for a third person to sleep or, if you want to come as a little group, you can arrange for an extra bell tent to be pitched for a few more people. So the size of your group is slightly flexible but you're always guaranteed seclusion.
While real beds, solar lighting, a wood burner and comfortable furnishings provide all the basics you need, ‘rustic’ is still the name of the game here. Instructions reveal how to boot up a generator, which gets the hot water going for your en-suite shower and, along with a separate composting loo, there's a caravan-style loo in the hut. Campfires are an absolute must. There’s a firepit on the wooden viewing deck, which, facing west, makes the perfect place to toast marshmallows as you watch the sun sink over the Shropshire Hills, and bottled water is provided.
The aforementioned hills are, in fact, a 20-minute drive away, though there are pleasant walks to be had locally too, while the foodie town of Bridgnorth is just five minutes by car, with Ludlow, Ironbridge and Shrewsbury a little beyond that (once you’ve made your way back out of the woods!).
