Branching out in Somerset

NESTLED beneath the branches of a mature lime tree deep in the vale of Taunton Deane, The Treehouse at West Hayes, near Halse in Somerset, offers a unique, eco-friendly holiday experience, writes Jeff Potter.

My adolescent ambitions of leafy seclusion having never amounted to more than a single board nailed to the trunk of my parent’s apple tree, I swung into action at the prospect of this luxurious arboreal lodging — although with a five-star rating from the English Tourist Board, there were no actual ropes involved. The way into the house — built of sustainable wood around the trunk of the tree, on 6ft stilts — is up a wooden staircase.

Inside, an octagonal room serves as kitchen, dining and living room and a spiral staircase leads to the bedroom above, complete with superking-size iron bed, covered in Egyptian cotton linen, straight out of the pages of a style magazine. At bedtime, we saw the stars through the skylight, and in the morning, sunlight dappled through the branches. There’s a Morso wood- burning stove and a Finnish hot tub on the deck that uses seaweed enzymes to keep the water clean without chemicals. The decor is rustic-chic, but includes a plasma television and iPod dock. Also on the lower floor is the bathroom with roll-top bath, and a small room with bunk beds.

Our meals came from Select Catering, run by Gayla Stewart, just a mile or so down the road. We had chosen from her menu before we left home, so the food was waiting in the fridge-freezer on our arrival. All we had to do, following the instructions, was to defrost where necessary, then heat it up. We enjoyed two delicious home-cooked dinners: a fish pie, followed by hot chocolate souffles; and a beef and apricot casserole (beef from Rumwell Farm, just seven miles away), with apple and vanilla tart for dessert.

— A weekend break at The Treehouse (01823 431 622, treehouseholidays.com) costs from £450; a main meal for four from Select Catering (01823 401 146) is about £12

Monument to estuary English

FOR ANYONE with a sense of history, Landmark Trust properties are a thrill. The trust rescues properties of historic or architectural value which have fallen into ruin, and some, such as Kingswear Castle in Dartmouth, Devon, have the added attraction of stunning locations. To call Kingswear a castle is a bit misleading; it’s actually a tiny 15th century fort and stands at the sea’s edge at the mouth of the river Dart. It’s in pole position on one of England’s most beautiful estuaries. From £855 for four nights, sleeps four (01628 825 925, landmarktrust.org.uk).

— There may be grander castle-hotels in England but none can match Langley Castle’s rough-hewn sense of solidity. This looks and feels like a proper fortress, with hefty masonry (some of the walls are 7ft thick) and no-nonsense architecture. The best rooms at the 14th-century castle at Langley-on-Tyne, Northumberland, cost £255 a night, B&B, for two (01434 688 888, langleycastle.com).

— Billy the Purple Camper was built in 1979 and sleeps up to four people. He’s one of the classic mark 2 Volkswagen models — with curved windscreen, headlights like eyes and a big VW badge for a nose — and is all ghetto fabulous thanks to a recent makeover. As well as alloy wheels, chrome fittings and a natty black-and-white checked floor, he has a PlayStation 2. Billy is one of four campers available from Rainbow Camper Hire in Keswick, Cumbria. From £500 for a week or £295 for three nights (01768 780 413, vwcamperhire.net).

Beach retreat catches eco wave

AS SOON as you catch sight of the roofs at Rosehill Lodges, you know this is somewhere out of the ordinary, writes Doll Makin. You’re not seeing things — they really are made of grass.

It’s part of the environmental ethos at this holiday site near the village of Porthtowan in Cornwall. There are 10 lodges, fitted with bamboo floors, solar water heating and recycled glass tiles in the bathrooms. Staff walk to work and low-energy light bulbs are used. What’s clever about the place, a former campsite that has been developed by owners John and Pauline Barrow, is that while its eco credentials have won numerous awards, it also manages to be positively luxurious.

The lodges are comfortable, stylish and even have a hot tub for those indulgent moments. You can sit on the balcony with a G&T, enjoy a barbecue and take in the site’s attractive natural setting, including a relaxing stream.

Not that you’ll want to spend all your time close to home — there’s no shortage of things to do. A few minutes’ walk takes you to the sandy beach, where you can hire wetsuits and boards and take surfing lessons, or to the shops and restaurants of Porthtowan. Buses will take you to Redruth and Truro (and if you’re in a frivolous mood, you can cycle to the nearby village of Skinners Bottom, just to say you’ve been there).

The area is also great for wildlife, with owls, butterflies and badgers among the regular visitors to the lodges, and guillemots and cormorants spotted by the beach. There’s even a webcam that monitors activity in the Rosehill bird box.

This is an ideal spot for either a romantic break or a family holiday — children will love the surfing. The environmental message is clear, but you won’t be made to feel guilty if you fail to recycle the occasional item. Not that you’re likely to forget, when even the roof above your head is green.

— Rosehill Lodges, 01209 891 920, rosehilllodges.com. A week in a two-bedroom lodge costs from £820 in June

Cottage with Victorian value

IF YOU enjoyed the BBC’s Victorian Farm, why not live the dream? It was filmed on the Acton Scott estate in Shropshire and you can stay in the actual 19th-century farm labourer’s cottage where it was set. Henley Cottage, near Church Stretton, has bare oak floorboards, coal-fired range — and no electricity. It sleeps five and a week’s rental in August costs from £852 (07976 839 997, actonscott.com).

— There can’t be many better places from which to enjoy the dramatic North Yorkshire coast than Vanguard Cottage, near Whitby. It is nestled on the site of a lighthouse station, although light sleepers will be relieved to hear there’s no working foghorn. The cottage has a walled garden and children are welcome. From £746 for a week, sleeps five (01386 701 177, ruralretreats.co.uk).

Pitching in with a yurt

FULL CIRCLE’S Mongolian yurts are pitched in the grounds of Rydal Hall in the Lake District. The circular tents made from four layers of fabric and are heated by a toasty wood-burning stove. Mod cons are kept to a minimum. Up to six of you sleep in beds on freshly laundered linen, and when you fling open the door in the morning — ta-daa! — forests and fells stretch out before you. The showers and loos are tucked away nearby. Book very, very early if you want to stay here: there are only four yurts and most of the slots are already gone for the summer. It costs from £260 for three nights (07975 671 928, lake-district-yurts.co.uk).