If you follow the likes of Alex Strohl and Hannes Becker on Instagram, you’ll know the appeal of a log cabin. Set against a backdrop of star-studded skies and water as flat as a television screen, there’s a rustic charm that hints at the surroundings, truly off the beaten track. The only issue for those of us within the UK, however, is that these evocative images usually come from the faraway lands of Finland, British Columbia or remote Nordic fjords. And, while rustic charm is all good and well for the shoestring nomad drunk on wanderlust, these secluded huts tend to be rather lacking when it comes to the element of luxury. Which, if you slog the 9-6 five days a week, is high up on the priority list when leaving the city behind. But worry not, for a family-run reserve in the Cotswolds is the perfect tonic.
Log House Holidays offers seclusion that belies its relatively urbanite positioning on the map, only 90 minutes from London. Eight Scandinavian log cabins have been positioned on the banks of an expansive lake within a 130-acre nature reserve, the opus of Anthony Edmondson, who acquired the plot as a barren gravel pit some 36 years ago. The area is now an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest), as the waters are teeming with wildlife: there are birds of all exotic shapes and sizes, a family of otters which can be seen early in the morning as the soft mist lifts from the surface, and monster pike cruising between reed beds (a 36lb specimen was recently landed).
Inside, the cabins are meticulous in every detail, with a chalet-like warmth that is every inch the epitome of comfort, whether it’s wide blue skies, raining by the pail or the depth of winter. Cabins range from accommodating four people to the largest, Mayo Landing, which sleeps 11 and is situated on its own island, featuring a pool and sauna. Slotted together like a puzzle, the log walls blend as neatly into the surroundings as Cotswold stone, each with their own beach, outdoor hot-tub, Irish rowing boat, decking and bank-side fire-pit offering something that is all too rare in today’s rat race: utter peace. At night, the silence is striking, broken only by the occasional peep of an oystercatcher or honking of geese. It is true escapism – with a healthy dose of luxury. Believe me, you haven’t had a hot-tub session like it.
In the process of establishing this unabashed level of luxurious hospitality, the Edmondson family have kept a constant eye on conservation, planting over 44,000 trees since 1980. As a result, the reserve is an oasis for all manner of flora and fauna.
Such is the air of seclusion, it’s all too easy to forget that you’re only a stone’s throw from the capital, seemingly more in the hinterlands far from any civilisation – only without the threadbare corrugated iron roof, shattered window panes and bone-chilling drafts seeping through the floorboard gaps. You may be tempted to lock yourself away in your own slice of tranquility from start to finish – you won’t be judged – or, alternatively, venture into one of the many quaint villages dotted throughout the Cotswolds, quietly boasting the sort of pubs that you can really settle into and totally lose track of time. You only have to look at the return rate of visitors to appreciate the unique identity of the place.
At Log House Holidays, cabin fever has a totally different connotation. Sure, you’ll be in a state of delirium, but the last thing you’ll want to do is escape it.
For more information, and to book, visit here.
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