Moyles Farm Glamping

Dragged from the Dorset hills, the winter-worn shepherd’s hut at Moyles Farm is a genuine specimen that once provided shelter to hardy old herdsmen. Though on first arrival it had seen better days, Mark Woodward (helicopter pilot turned DIY hut-restorer) transformed the rustic abode into a cosy two-person cabin that guests will now find a house fit for shepherding kings. His wife, Amanda, contributed her own stylish eye for detail, with well-chosen furnishings set in a light, seaside colour scheme. Together, the couple make a formidable hosting duo: friendly, helpful and full of local knowledge. If the perfect combination of excellent accommodation and amicable hosts isn’t enough, Moyles Farm can also brag a dreamy Cornish setting; quiet, inland seclusion yet just a hop, skip and jump to the sandy beaches beyond.

If it sounds a little like we’re gushing then it’s probably because we are, but not without good reason. Poised in the grassy garden of a traditional farm, the shepherd's hut is a new addition to a site that already boasts three luxury self-catered cottages, so the hospitality business is nothing new here. In fact, over previous years Mark and Amanda have built quite a reputation, and are more than used to a carefully written review or two from every travel writer in town. Now branching out from stoney-walled cottages, the traditional shepherds hut gives us at Cool Camping something to hark on about, and with such a fabulous restoration, hark we shall...

A white, wood panelled interior houses a comfortable king-sized bed that occupies the whole far end of the hut, with a narrow shelf running alongside for the TV remote, a digital radio and an evening reading lamp. At the other end, twin gas burning hobs are cleverly hidden beneath a wooden kitchen top with crockery and utensils, a miniature fridge and a small table and chairs. As is a must for the proper shepherd’s hut experience, there is also a toasty log-burning stove, so on those chilly winter days you can stoke the glowing fire and listen to rain drops drumming on the corrugated roof. A few yards away, a separate timber building hosts your own private bathroom, with a hot, modern shower and proper flushing loos.

Beyond the farm fences and past the nosey cattle, the rest of Cornwall lies waiting. Polzeath beach is a mile and a half away – a popular surfing spot with pleasant seafront restaurants where you can watch beginners wobble on the waves. Rock, at a similar distance, is also the place to go for sailing, windsurfing and various other watersports. Walkers can stop short of the water and join some of the most scenic parts of the South West Coast Path, a beautiful long distance footpath that covers 630 miles of dynamic coastline. Regardless of whether you wear yourself out at sea or on land, the shepherd’s hut at Moyles Farm is a pleasant place to return – warm, practical and comfortable all year round.

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