Haddon Copse Farm

Writers, romantics and nature lovers will love The Retreat Hut at Haddon Copse Farm. This curved cabin in the Dorset countryside is a hideaway that’s every bit as wholesome as the food that’s produced from the surrounding fields. Haddon Copse is a regenerative, organic farm that works in harmony with nature. And that’s the way you’ll feel while you’re here too. Everything about the place is designed to connect you with the environment and to protect it as well. It’s just right for a weekend away with the one you love, during which you switch off from modern life to read, write, draw or simply relax on the farm.

The cabin is a comfortable space tucked away in an orchard, with a floor-to-ceiling window giving views of the trees outside. It’s light and airy, all whitewashed walls and timber, with a sofa bed that’s dressed in organic cotton. There’s an electricity supply to power lights, a kettle and a cool box, but that’s as far as it goes for mod cons. Entertainment is found on the bookshelf or outside by the campfire. You’ll find a simple kitchen out there too, as well as a picnic table. Your bathroom facilities are in two well-appointed wet rooms just a short walk away – there's a compost toilet as well as 'normal' flushing ones, plus high-pressure, solar-heated showers.

The cabin and farm are a few miles south of Sturminster Newton, once home to Thomas Hardy, and, as he might have said, very far from the madding crowd. In the summer months, the farm welcomes campers to their small campsite, so you won't have the space (or facilities) entirely to yourself during that time. But The Retreat Hut is in a private orchard and the off-grid campsite is in a separate field that houses just four bell tents and three pitches. There's also a no-music policy, so it's a peaceful place that attracts like-minded folk who are here for similar reasons to you.

Some people come for the occasional events that take place on the farm – pop-up suppers, painting courses or just nature-based retreats. Others come to enjoy time outdoors and to walk in the surrounding countryside of Blackmore Vale; some to visit the nearby towns of Blandford Forum, Sherborne or Shaftesbury – each about 11 miles from here – or riverside Sturminster Newton, which is less than 10 minutes’ drive away. Wherever you decide to venture, your peaceful haven at Haddon Copse Farm awaits upon your return.