Whether it's powerful pharmaceuticals, mini workouts or beer in thirds, a small amount of something goes a long way. So we thought we'd give you the chance to do the same with nature. These places all accept two-night stays, meaning you can nip out of town, breathe in the power of the outdoors and be back home for Monday morning.
This is just one of ten types of experience in The Feel Good 100, a series of ways to boost your wellbeing with the outdoors. You can see the other types here, or sign up to our newsletter, and have them sent straight to your inbox over the next few weeks.
When we say treehouse, we mean it. You’re enveloped in the cool, fresh canopies of the surrounding trees – with trunks shooting out from the deck. Even a single night in this bedroom would cure your ails, let alone two. Nature is everywhere you look, and easiest to enjoy in the outdoor hot tub…
It doesn’t take long to feel the benefit of Green Shutters. Relaxation begins the moment you set eyes on it, perched on the hillside, and surrounded by trees. Take a walk through lowland forest, to a lake on top of a hill for wild swimming – or simply sit by the wood burner – and breathe big sighs.
In amongst 25 acres of livestock-free farmland, all you can see whilst you sway in the hammock, is open country and The Cat’s Back in the distance. Get a long walk in, an afternoon on the swing, an evening in the wood-fired hot tub, and a night under the stars.
Rooker’s Rest takes no time at all to start loosening those shoulders. Enjoy some downtime, with trees and foliage shooting up all around you, it feels like a world of its own. Spend a little time out by the firepit, perhaps an afternoon cooking pizza in the wood-fired stove.
While you can microdose on your nature time, there's no need to skimp on other kinds of indulgence when you're staying right on a vineyard. On arrival, you'll find a dry white bottle of the very local produce waiting for you and there are tasting sessions available to mix in with your hot tub dips.
Whether you spend your two days by the wood burner, kicking back on the loungers by the firepit, dining al fresco on the covered deck or simply dipping into the outdoor bathtub – it doesn’t matter. Downtime’s as quick and easy as breathing here.
On a private stretch of riverbank in a location that's rural even by Devon's standards, The Batman's Summerhouse has been welcoming guests for over 100 years. Even an hour here is restorative and relaxing, so a whole weekend is more than enough to get you feeling good, if not great.
Would two nights by a firepit, with a view of the sea reset your brain? We think so, or at least perhaps after a wood-fired hot tub, a walk to the local waterfall or simply waking up and showering outdoors in the fresh air. Whatever you pick, you’ll leave feeling refreshed.
You follow the road to Orchard Wagon so deep into the countryside that it literally runs out – a great starting point for a spot to hide away from the world. Once there, you’ll be spending a couple of days cooking outdoors, taking long baths in front of an open window – and toasting your life choices.
If you can make use of the suspended treepod, the log burner, the outdoor shower and wood-fired hot tub, the firepit and outdoor dining table and the swimming pool in just two days, well, you’ll have broken some kind of record. Or maybe you’ll just have to book twice.
As part of The Feel Good 100, we’ll be giving away a great prize every week for the next ten weeks. We’re talking wild spa weekends, treehouse adventures and even a stay for six at a Beach House in Dorset.
Join us for the second series of Wild Weekends, where you can experience what a weekend in nature looks like through the eyes of someone new. Each episode explores stunning landscapes, beautiful wildlife, and the simple beauty of the great outdoors.
Have you ever heard of a babymoon? Taking a trip with your significant other before a new arrival is a bit of a travel trend, but at eight months pregnant I swapped a weekend with my husband (with whom, after all, I’m about to be spending a LOT of time as we juggle endless rounds of nappies and sleepless nights) for an escape to a cabin lost in the countryside with two of my best friends.
We spoke to Live Little about taking a break in nature, WFC (that’s working from cabin, to the uninitiated) – and finding inspiration away from the whiplash life of writing on the train on the way to the next big thing.
We're majority employee owned, which means we all get a say in how the business is run.
Our Charitable Trust uses 24% ownership of the company to support environmental causes
We're committing to raise £50,000 by 2027 to help protect nature in our national parks.
