Rufus's Roost

Who doesn't like a treehouse? We love them, and our friends at nearby Baxby Manor raised the bar that little higher when they opened Rufus's Roost, a luxurious purpose-built yet almost fairytale structure that at first sight will have you pinching yourself. Its turreted profile looks like something conjured from a dream, perched on a hillside in Baxby Manor's woodlands and reached by way of a raised boardwalk through the trees.  Once here, you can enjoy pure peace and uninterrupted views through the trees across the Moors, have a soak in the terrace hot tub and basically commune with nature to your heart's content.

It's quite a sight by any measure, and it may take a while to sink in that this is your home for the next few days – so unusually secluded and, well, exciting this is as a venue; and it's even better if you have kids in tow, they provide a travel cot, highchair, sterilising equipment and a milk and food warmer for really little ones. It's not really glamping if we're honest, and the treehouse can sleep up to six people in as much comfort as any holiday cottage – there are two double bedrooms on the ground floor plus a double/single bunk on the mezzanine above, so it is perfect for a family or a group of three couples. All bedding and towels are provided so you just need to bring yourselves plus food and drink. There is a wood-fired pizza oven and an eco Air-Source Heat-Pump Hot tub, and a large verandah for alfresco dining. The "Den”, furnished with bean bags and  cushions, a TV, games console, movies and a popcorn machine, is perfect – and perfectly accessed via a slide, while all around you can monitor the wildlife, with binoculars and your very own  bat monitoring station. Write what you see in the ‘Beasts, Birds, and Bugs’ log provided, before properly getting back to nature in the woods and by the stream. It's eco-conscious too, with heating and hot water provided by an Air Source Heat Pump and all lighting LED.

The guys at Baxby Manor have built Rufus's Roost as a place to get back to the wild and re-energise; it's a place of almost total peace and repose, and as such won't appeal to Stags and Hens or noisy groups.  Families will love it, but it could also be seen as a romantic retreat, and they've really made the most of this undeniably off-the-track location. Above all, it feels truly remote, despite being just a short drive from nearby Thirsk – which itself is hardly a metropolis but it might as well be Manhattan after a few days' spent at Rufus's Roost. Make the most of it while you're here. It's hard to think of a more secluded, eco-friendly escape in the whole of North Yorkshire.