The Original Hut Company Ltd
South East England East Sussex Bodiam
- From £64.75 a night
- 8 Shepherds Huts
Cosy, romantic shepherds' huts in the heart of the Sussex countryside.
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An hour's drive or train journey from London, the Original Hut Company is a perfect retreat from city life, an enchanting woodland that bursts with bluebells in spring and hosts a collection of sturdy shepherd's huts along with a couple of camping areas for exclusive hire. Built from recycled and reclaimed materials (an old caravan chassis and local wood to be precise), these cosy glamping abodes are designed to have minimal environmental impact, but they don't compromise on comfort, with solar energy providing lighting, gas hobs for cooking and separate huts with pristine showers and eco loos. They have wood-burning stoves to keep you warm, fires are permitted in the designated fire pits and in the autumn there's no sweeter smell than wind-fallen chestnuts roasting on the campfire.
The eight huts occupy the 180-acre Quarry Farm, divided between two ancient coppiced clearings which are shared with woodland creatures including badgers, squirrels, pheasants, mice, green woodpeckers, and deer. Keep your eyes peeled for an extremely rare albino squirrel as well as a few black rabbits too. Barn owls use the bottom of the farm as a hunting ground and there's a pair of buzzards that work the top while the River Rother, which meanders through the farm, attracts egrets, herons and kingfishers.
Site owners Anna and Nick have been honing their glamping site for more than a decade now. They’ve been careful to retain the wild side of glamping while developing what’s on offer to guests. The secluded accommodation areas remain pretty much unchanged but a short stroll across the farm takes you to The Hub – a reception, shop, activity space and cafe-bistro rolled into one; the location for pizza nights on Fridays in summer, sundowners after days out, and all manner of workshops and activities. It also has wifi!
And while there’s lots to do on-site, you don’t need to go far to find the most local of local attractions. The Kent and East Sussex Railway’s Bodiam Station is within the farm’s 180 acres, fairytale Bodiam Castle is just a short stroll from the site and the Oastbrook Vineyard is within kayaking distance. (The same owners run the lovely Bodiam Campsite nearby, which is a terrific spot for more purist campers.) The area is a bit of a foodie hub too, with several decent country pubs in the vicinity and countless food festivals nearby including Rye's famous Wild Boar Week and Rye Bay Scallop Week plus the autumn and spring harvests of the Brighton and Hove Food and Drink Festival just down the road.
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Details
Facilities
There are two sites of five shepherd's huts on-site, with four of them providing living accommodation while the fifth includes two toilets and two showers. The huts are off-grid and do not have mains electricity but lighting is provided by solar power and heating is provided by cast-iron cookware. Each hut is kitted out with a fully-equipped kitchen area including a four-burner gas hob and sink and each has a top-of-the-range cool box. There's a dining area that folds out to form a double bed plus three fold-out beds or bunks (depending on the hut). Each of the glamping areas has an outdoor communal covered cookhouse allowing guests to dine and hang out if it rains. There are two large campsites for exclusive hire, each accommodating up to 60 guests each, that can be booked in their entirety (guests will need to pre-arrange this!). A separate pole barn serves as a communal covered camping area for rainy days.
Campfires are allowed, with a large campfire available in the private sites, and logs are for sale at The Hub, a short stroll from the huts. You can also stock up on camping supplies and local produce here (we would advise pinging them an email prior to arrival) and dine or drink at the fully licensed cafe-bistro. The Hub has space for a wide range of workshops and activities ranging from yoga to foraging and there are treatment rooms for pampering too. You can also hire paddleboards and kayaks to use on the River Rother. Contact the site directly to pre-book activities.
Remote working: We have bespoke meeting rooms and venue spaces with secure WIFI in our café, catering capability, and great activities for business groups like paddle boarding and mega SUP’s on the river, foraging, English wine tasting, mindfulness and Yoga, HIT classes and a wood fired Sauna in a horse box!
Suitable For
Camping and glamping for groups, families, couples, hen, and stag parties (by pre-arrangement) – yes. Campervans, caravans, motorhomes, dogs – no.
Nearby
The National Trust-run Bodiam Castle is a mere 10-15 minute stroll across three undulating fields. You can travel from the castle by boat (01797 253838) to nearby pub, The White Hart (01797 252166) in Newenden, or by a Kent and East Sussex Railway steam train to Tenterden. The Bodiam station is actually within Quarry Farm and there’s a 10% discount for midweek glampers and campers. Tenterden itself (12 miles away) has a lovely high street of independent shops and cafes and is home to both The Old Dairy Brewery and the well-known Chapel Down Vineyard, a little way out of town. Even closer to site (within walking or kayaking distance) is the Oastbrook Vineyard where tours and tastings are also available. The huge sandy beach of Camber Sands is about half an hour away (17 miles) and well worth a visit on a sunny day. Battle, with its famous abbey, battlefield and small high street of independent shops, is eight miles away. The enchanting medieval port town of Rye is 13 miles away and it’s about the same distance to seaside Hastings. There's lots of lovely walks, bike trails and Go Ape at the National Pine Arboretum at Bedgebury (nine miles from site) and the nearby Bewl Water reservoir.
Food & Drink
This part of East Sussex is renowned for food and at the heart of the English wine renaissance. You don’t have to go far to find either. On site, The Hub is a shop and a licensed cafe-bistro where you can buy and try local produce. A range of catered options are available for groups too (if booked in advance - contact the site directly). The Oastbrook Vineyard is within walking distance of site and just one of the vineyards within easy reach. Chapel Down, Sedlescombe and Oxney Organics are others. Pub-wise, The Castle Inn (01580 083330) is within walking distance, just the other side of the river, and does some great homemade pub fare. The Salehurst Halt (01580 880620) and The White Dog Inn (01580 830264) are both lovely local free houses and about an hour’s walk (or a five-minute drive) away.
Open
March–December.Pricing
Huts from £82-£99 per hut per night plus a surcharge of £7 per person. They also have special off-peak midweek prices, get 4 days Monday-Friday for the price of 3!Why Book Direct?
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The Owner Says
The Original Hut Company consists of two sites of 5 Shepherds huts, these have been designed and built by us on site, from largely reclaimed and recycled materials, 4 of the huts provide living accommodation and the 5th houses 2 loos and 2 showers. The site also homes two campsites, which can be booked in their entirety (please drop us a line to enquire about this). We believe we have created a unique and comfortable Glamping and Camping experience which is very user friendly and convenient as well as being of minimal environmental impact. It is equally usable for couples, families and groups of friends. The shepherds huts are set in a small area of woodland on our family run farm in Bodiam. The woods being big enough to explore and build camps in, yet small enough that children can explore independently . The farm land flanks the National Trust site of Bodiam castle, the River Rother Flows through the bottom of the farm providing fun and fishing! The Kent and East Sussex Steam Railway has its Bodiam Station within the farm itself. This coupled with our proximity to the historic towns of Rye, Battle , Hastings and Tenterden, the amazing sandy Beach @ Camber, unique woodland habitats at Brede High woods and Bedgebury Pinetum which also offers mountain biking and Go Ape. There are amazing foodie experiences and vineyards all within a stones throw, with a range of activities and services available form the site. Means there is something for everyone.
The Huts themselves can accommodate 5 people, they are fully insulated and fitted with gas heaters. The wooden construction and double glazed windows ensure the huts are really warm and cosy. The kitchens are fitted with a 4 burner gas hob for convenience, all the cooking and dining equipment is provided. We also provide cast iron cookware to enable our guests to cook over the open fires outside. Down in the woods we have a little hide with a tin roof (previously a wood store), this provides a covered eating area, it houses a 13 foot long table which has proved to be invaluable dining space for our group bookings. Providing shelter should the Great British weather let you down, there is also a larger campfire down there surrounded by logs for shared time, stories and marshmallows!!
All bed linen and fire wood is provided. The on-site cafe and shop are now open daily.
Video Tour
Location
Getting There
From London, head South on the A21 through a village called Hurst Green. On the south side of the village, bear left (signed to Bodiam Castle). Continue along that road to a crossroads at the end. Go straight over. As you drop down into the village, the castle is on your left. Continue over the bridge and railway crossing. The farm drive is clearly marked on the right; vehicles are not allowed on-site, though parking is only a short walk away (approximately 300 yards).
Most guests drive; however the site is only a few minutes by car from the main line stations at Robertsbridge or Etchingham. Taxis are available from local firm AK Rother but pre-booking is essential (01424 401424).
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