Stay: Coombe Farm Glamping + Hip Camp, West Sussex.
All photographed on Portra 400 film with a Canon AE-1 + 50mm 1.4 with the exception of a few taken with a Fuji XE-3.
After throwing a few things into a bag, I sat down to figure out what my schedule would be for the next few days. What was nearby the cabin I was staying at? What walks would I blog? Is there must visit towns? How will I fit it all into a few days? Why have I left planning to the last minute… again? This last minute wrestle with finding a balance between taking a break and creating content is familiar and as I sat looking at my scribbles I was wondering how to turn the pressure down on myself.
Forward 48 hours and it turns out nature had a different plan for me altogether. I’d arrived at the shepherds hut at Coombe Farm the afternoon before, just in time to catch golden hour and what I hadn't realised would be about the only dry weather I’d have while staying at the hut. I’d just about got my bag into the hut and taken a few photos before water bucketed on the roof, persisting through until he next morning with consistent force.
It was the greatest gift I could have been given for these few days - forced to stay inside and not go anywhere I scanned what was around me and I lit a fire, played with some self timer photos and rested back with my book. Had the weather been dry I would have worried about not spending enough time exploring nearby Midhurst or walking far enough up Butser Hill. Or maybe I was making enough of the beautiful woodland walks behind the cabin. Of course, exploring the suggestions my host Alice had kindly sent would have been wonderful but for a short time it was bliss to be forced to not do any of them.
It’s a bit of a fib to say I didn't do any of the suggestions. In a rare break in rain Monty and I kicked along the leaf laden path in the stunning woodland behind the cabin. And we did venture out to the farm shop Alice had recommended and stocked up on some wonderful local produce which complimented the generous welcome package waiting for me in the hut with the star of the show being the fresh eggs from the farm that had the brightest orange yolks.
The shepherds hut is set in a mostly unused part of an asparagus farm just a few minutes out of the sweet town of Rake, Liss. From what I saw the area is very South England with the market town of Liss and the tree heavy areas around it. Coombe Farm is in one of these areas and access to the hut is by a sweet drive down what is a lanes and soon turning into a leafy track and in absence of the instructions for check in you’d be wondering where you took a wrong turn. Arriving like this only adds to the experience of a stay here.
Parking up you walk a small distance to find the cabin nestled among the browning ferns. Some steps lead up to a comfortable and sizeable cabin that smells of the remnants of embers - one of the most joyous scents. In the hut coffee logs and eco firelighters for the burner sit ready to be lit in the incredibly efficient wood burner. Crisp bed linen house fresh towels and cosy blankets and little touches are ready to make you feel welcome and at home.
The window frames a view across the golden hued field, which is all yours for your stay here, across to views of the fir carpeted hills. And down a path is another hut where a well equipped kitchen and bathroom can be found. The gas hob does a great job of cooking and the pots and pans are not your standard cabin let quality - this is good quality cookware any keen cook would be happy to rustle up some grub with.
Under the wavy, clear roof taking a hot shower is a joy, looking up to the sky feeling like you are in the open air. It’s clear a lot of thought has gone into crafting an experience at the hut and the sheer peace of the place is enough to make you not want to venture out of your little bubble for the duration of your stay. From the table outside the kitchen you have views into the woodland and it really is a moment tucking into your eggs and watching the morning light illuminate the fungi on the trees.
At night owls echo around the woodland and the skies cleared enough for a show of stars, stretching out in the sky like a technically crafted photograph of the Milky Way (unlike my attempts!). I would have been a sight to see from the grass - eagerly leaning out a warmly lit cabin into the dark night mouthing ‘WOW’.
When it was time to leave the cabin, we did venture to Harting South Downs but there was a shoot on and my gun dog (just sayin’) is terrified by the sound of shots so we didn't stick around for long.
So no, I didn't mind at all that it rained, that I was lay in bed at midday with a fire going and a book in my hand. That I played with my film camera and found new inspiration. That I sheltered from the rain cooking up beetroot falafels on cast iron. That the rain splattered on the roof all day. And that the landscape was an array of soft, rusty hues.
I have no doubt summer is a different kettle of fish at the hut but I loved my autumn visit and taking some downtime at the hut. The hut is set up fro families but I think the hut would make an excellent romantic getaway and an even better bolt hole for writers and artists who need to block out the world for a bit. I wished I was able to light the big fire pit and cook something over it but another time because I have no doubt I’ll be back.
This stay was booked with some gifted credit from Hipcamp. Formerly Cool Camping, Hipcamp is a port of call for unique cabin, hut and outdoor stays and I’ve been eyeing up so many sites from their collection. I’m into it.