The humble shepherd’s hut has long captured the English imagination.
Simply made and stocked with only the bare essentials, they represent a romantic ideal of living off the land.
Of course, nobody really wants to be up at 5am trampling through sheep dung. Like modern day Marie Antoinettes, what we’re all really searching for is our own private Hameau de la Reine (she was the original ‘glamper’, in my opinion). So how about a shepherd’s hut where you can wake up surrounded by nature, but also order gourmet meals made by an award-winning Italian chef to your door?
At Stonor Park, Lord and Lady Camoy provide. For just £150 a night, their luxurious huts on Drovers' Hill offer all the restorative pleasures of a night alone with the stars, without sacrificing modern comforts.
Stonor Park
The Camoys’ Shepherd’s Huts, which sit atop Drovers Hill on the far end of their 250-acre estate, have all the trappings of their historical forebearers. Quarters are intimate, with just enough room for a small table and chairs, a compact kitchen, and a slender sofa that fits two if you’re willing to brush thighs.
Stonor Park
But these huts are not made from any old thing – the one I stayed in was lined with Californian Redwood, felled from the estate, with thick unpainted planks that give off an amber glow in the sun. As well as a woodburning stove (unnecessary during the milder months, but a nice touch), there is adjustable electric lighting, and a modern high-pressure shower stocked with sumptuous herbal soaps. In the sleeping quarters, a king-size mattress stretches to touch three walls, making it feel like a den. I loved the fat hatch-like shutters that could be opened and closed from inside the room, so you could seal yourself off in the evening and reopen in the morning to greet the day, all without getting up.
Stonor Park
If you don’t fancy the Italian chef, you have the option to cook your own food in the hut’s well-equipped kitchenette. It has all the mod cons, including oven, fridge and electric stovetop, and everything is clean and new. There is also a barbecue near the outdoor dining table, which is perfect for a rustic sunset meal. As there are no shops nearby, make sure you bring everything you need with you - except breakfast, which is taken care of in the form of locally sourced eggs, milk and bread, as well as artisanal coffee provided by Shoreditch-based coffee house Grind.
Stonor Park
Yet another dinner option is to venture out to one of the recommended pubs in the area. I decided to try The Bull and Butcher, which is about an hour away on foot. The food was well worth it, and not just because I worked up an appetite on the walk – the chef trained under Raymond Blanc, and their pies are locally famous.
One thing I’ll say, not as a criticism so much as a warning, is that you should definitely bring a car if you can. The huts are remote and not easily reached by public transport, and as a car-less urbanite and spendthrift I struggled a bit with getting there from Henley-on-Thames station (to cut a long story short, my route involved a taxi, hitch-hiking and a very long walk).
Stonor Park
The isolation of the Camoy’s Shepherd’s huts, however, is their most attractive feature. The best part about staying on Drovers’ Hill was waking up alone with the view of the Chilterns. There are only two cabins, so even if both are occupied there is a sense of privacy with the landscape. In the morning when I opened the door, deer that live on the estate were grazing nearby and skittered off into the woods. It’s quiet enough that you can hear whistling kites and blackbirds, percussive coos of all kinds, and the wind brushing the trees. Sitting on the edge of a grassy hill, Shoreditch coffee in hand, looking down on a grand medieval estate – what could be more Hameau than that?
Drovers' Hill Shepherd's Huts start at £150 per night. To book, visit https://www.stonor.com
