Swinton Bivouac

Rustic, off-grid, luxury-budget accommodation – it's the Good Life all right at the eco-chic Bivouac, nestled in the panoramic woods and fields of the Swinton Estate, five miles outside Masham. There's a choice of accommodation here. Half a dozen hand-built, sheeps' wool-insulated timber 'tree lodges' shelter in the woodland – they sleep up to seven in a unique triple-tier bunk-and-bed arrangement, and come with running spring water, flushing toilet and wood-fired range (so you can pop in your casserole before you head out for the day). Fixtures and fittings are fun and funky, from sculpted wild wood railings to mirror frames recycled from tree-trunk off-cuts – basically, you get to stay in a pretty cool cabin in the woods with a minimal carbon footprint. Or there are seven yurts in the meadow (sleeping up to five people), all with super views and all rather beautifully fitted out – again, handmade furniture to the fore, plus wood-burners, rugs, rocking chairs, running cold water and a terracotta 'fridge'.

You can book a woodland hot tub session to soothe aches and pains (they have their own eco-toiletry range for sale, naturally); otherwise for power, wifi, toilets and showers, guests walk across to the main reception area, where there's also a great cafe, and – the final piece of the jigsaw – a twelve-bed bunkhouse, built in the same sustainable vein and available either for sole-use groups or individuals. Built around an old farmhouse, the entire project is a classy advert for – in their words – "all things luxurious and rustic, sustainable and thoughtful", and is set in a beautiful part of the Dales. There's plenty to explore locally, but don't miss the short walk up from the site to the estate's Druid's Temple, an atmospheric and historic folly hidden in the trees. Bivouac also offer all sorts of courses, from wild-food foraging sessions to art and craft workshops.