Wood Life Glamping

Immerse yourself in the Wood Life with a stay in the Woodman’s Wagon, a treehouse with views across Devon countryside all the way to the sea. Here, you wake up to birdsong, cook on the fire and bathe with the windows flung open to that view. It’s a slower way of life that’s more in tune with nature and completely off grid — but it’s comfortable too. This canopy-level cabin has been lovingly handcrafted by owners, Amanda and Matt, to provide a self-contained bolthole for two on the edge of a broadleaf wood.

By Devon standards, it’s relatively easy to get to as it’s just a few miles south of Exeter and the end of the M5. But, because it’s tucked away, Amanda and Matt help you with the last part of your journey. They lead you down a leafy lane and across a farmer’s field to the eight-acre wood where you’ll be staying. The last 100 yards or so is on foot through the trees. It’s a lovely way to reach this enchanting hideaway. It’s timber clad inside and out, with rustic reclaimed wood everywhere you look. It’s well insulated, but there’s a log burner if you need it and water is warmed by a woodfired heater. For that, and your fire bowl outside, logs are provided, but you may need to chop them yourselves. This is the Wood Life after all and that’s all part of the fun.

Everything else is taken care of: your bed is made, towels and toiletries are in the bathroom and there’s tea and coffee in the cupboards of the kitchenette. The same attention to detail can be found over at Orchard Wagon, Wood Life Glamping’s shepherd’s hut. It’s closer to your hosts’ house but still enjoys a private setting; among the trees of an old orchard. It’s lighter, airier and a more 'outside' experience, with its bathroom in another handcrafted hut a few steps away.

Whichever accommodation you choose, you’ll have a break from modern life. You’ll be watching birds instead of TV, listening to the sounds of the countryside and enjoying the lack of WiFi. Even the easy-ish walk up to Kenn village for a meal in The Ley Arms hardly spoils the illusion. It’s a thatched pub that’s been welcoming passers by since the 13th century. Should you want to go further afield, though, there’s plenty to explore. Wood Life Glamping is only five miles from the River Exe, five miles from the nearest beach at Dawlish Warren and five miles from Dartmoor National Park.