‘You don’t have to travel far to feel as though you are on holiday, and you don’t need to be away for long to feel recuperated.’ Last week Plankbridge co-founder Jane enjoyed a staycation just down the road from the Plankbridge workshop at Tokenhill Dorset, where there are two Plankbridge Cabins for guests to stay. In this blog, Jane tells us about her stay in one of these beautiful huts.
It was so good to grab a Sunday night’s stay at Tokenhill Dorset before the new working week began. This beautiful farm with two Plankbridge huts is situated amidst the rolling hills between Piddletrenthide and Cheselbourne. I stayed in Spindleberry hut with its gorgeous red interior (chosen from our very own colour card).
I arrived to warm sunshine in such a peaceful countryside setting – Dorset at its best. The bobbing wagtails and chirpily singing goldfinches were the only busy things around and they provided me with some lovely entertainment. I felt totally surrounded by shades of green and blue. With the sun umbrella up and a tub of delicious Purbeck ice cream in hand (from the little honesty shop by the huts) it was a very good way to unwind.
Later in the evening with Shrimp, one of our beloved elderly dogs, I gently pottered down the farm track. In the distance, as the sun started to set, there were long shadows of trees on the surrounding hills and it felt really special to be in the right place at the right time.
When I returned to the hut it crossed my mind how the basic shepherd’s hut of old sheep farming days has turned into such a mainstay of spacious luxury glamping. I love the dimensions of the old original huts, that’s how it all began, but only a foolhardy shepherd would have disagreed with having a fully-fitted kitchen and bathroom with hot running water. Certainly not the comfortable king-size bed with beautifully soft linen, much better than the straw mattress that they would have been used to!
The following morning, I woke up to a beautiful sunny day listening to the reassuring call of a woodpigeon. I made myself a coffee (in an Emma Bridgewater mug with spindleberries on, a very nice touch) and then got back into bed to savour the moments of peace away from the busy life I lead. I catch another short walk with dear old Shrimp, down that beautiful green farm track, before packing my overnight bag and his little bed.
As I got into the car I spotted one of the most impressive birds around here, a red kite gliding over the neighbouring fields. An uplifting sight to see before I headed back down the Piddle Valley to the humming (and so often singing) Plankbridge workshop.
- A stay in one of the huts at Tokenhill would make the perfect addition to a visit to our workshop, book here
- To read more of our ‘ Staying in a shepherd’s hut’ blogs, click here
