Winding through lanes that were only wide enough for one; we knew that we must have been getting close. As we drove deeper and deeper into the Dorset Woodlands, it began to hit my inner child and I just how real it was that we were going to be staying in a treehouse deep in the woods.
As we pulled into a meadow quite literally in the middle of nowhere; we were convinced that we were lost. With nothing and no-one around us, we decided to get out of the car and take a stroll just in case, by some miracle, we were in the right place.
The corners of my mouth lifted as I noticed the twitter of the birds and the rustling of the squirrels in the trees above me. I looked up to find blue skies and blossom beginning to make its springtime debut on the woodland trees.
A yurt finally came into view through the many branches that lay ahead. We were in exactly the right place. Though, my other half who had no idea where we were going looked increasingly concerned as even though the weather was glorious, it most certainly wasn’t the weather for camping.
I led him through the woods, completely enthralled by the horror on his face. I could tell exactly what was going through his mind, and he wasn’t impressed.
I giggled, as I continued to ramble through the dense woodland.
Finally, tucked away deep in the Dorset Woodlands, the trail to the treehouse came into view. I set my eyes on the wooden walkway, but quickly found them being stolen by the impressive wooden structure that lay beyond it.
The Woodsman’s Treehouse.
Considered to be the most impressive treehouse in the entire country, I was not surprised when my other half’s jaw dropped dramatically. I knew where we going, and I’m sure my jaw dropped just as much.
An utterly secluded two-storey treehouse set high up in the branches of a Veteran Oak Tree; The Woodsman’s Treehouse is a true work of art.
I reached out my hand and let it find the fraying rope rail that led me across the bridge to the front door. Using both hands to turn the heavy submarine locking mechanism on the scorched oak front door, I felt an unfamiliar feeling run through my body. It was what I imagine could only have been unversed excitement.
As I swung open the door and peered inside, I found myself stopping to take a look behind me. It was almost as if it were my way of shutting off from the rest of the world as I closed the door, looked back through the marine-style porthole, and took myself off into the treehouse.
A floor to ceiling glass sheet lay just beyond a double-ended copper bath tub that stands at the front of the treehouse; looking out onto the magnificent trunk at the core of the man-made structure. The impressive Veteran Oak Tree completely stole my attention, to say the least, and after I’d noticed it I couldn’t stop to look at a single other thing and found myself pushing open the door to the outdoor deck.
The tree towered above me, and the treehouse for that matter, but stood as one with the impressive wooden structure. Continuing to grow, the two-hundred-year-old Veteran Oak remains completely undisturbed by the house and the guests that often occupy it.
An outdoor shower is something I’ve only dreamt of and imagined in bucket-list worthy destinations across the world. Funny that, isn’t it? And yet, an outdoor shower amongst the trees in the Dorset Woodland proved to be the most incredible shower I’ve stood beneath.
A metal spiral staircase invites you from the treehouse deck up to the rooftop where you’ll find a round copper Jacuzzi bath and a sauna – the perfect spot to watch the sun set amidst the Dorset countryside before watching the stars and the moon gradually light up the night sky above the tree canopy.
I carefully watched my step as I made my way back down the spiral staircase to find that my other half was already taking a look at the wood-fired pizza oven, while my eyes met with the fire pit surrounded by two small deck chairs and a hammock. As each log caught more and more alight and the fire started to roar, I cosied up by its side with a blanket and took a moment to listen to absolutely nothing but bird song and the gentle rustling of the trees.
If it wasn’t enough that we were staying in one of the most luxurious treehouses in the country, if not the world; it wasn’t long before we discovered that the treehouse had a slide. One-metre-wide and leading down to the stream that trickles through the wood; the slide ticked the last box that I didn’t know remained.
As the day drew to a close and it began to get really really dark, I made my way inside. A small kitchen complete with everything you’d ever need lay neatly tucked away against one wall of the treehouse, while a bed lay on the other. A rotating fire in the middle of the room proved to be the perfect treehouse companion. Whether you were bathing in the copper tub by the window, drifting in and out of sleep in the bed, or curled up in the armchairs playing a game of cards; the fire could be turned so that its roaring red flames were facing you wherever you may be.
There’s nothing quite like the distinctive crackle of a fire, and even more so when you’re staying overnight in a treehouse. We found ourselves longing to be outside our entire stay; a real sense of adventure had well and truly kicked in. So, we ventured outside and got the fire going so that we could take in the sounds of the night-time woodland and make the most of the starry night sky that you just don’t get in London. Being in the middle of nowhere with absolutely no light pollution meant that the inky blue night sky of Dorset was filled with countless twinkling stars.
As it got later, we retired reluctantly back inside. Though, we need not be disappointed. As I sat on the side of the bed and let the weight of my body pull me back; my eyes met with the stars again.
“A skylight above the bed?!”, I exclaimed inside my head. In that moment, I decided that The Woodsman’s Treehouse was heaven on earth.
With the flick of a switch, the grand Veteran Oak can be illuminated so that you can lie in bed and be reminded that you are in fact sleeping in a tree. Or, switch if off and you can be reminded that you are in the middle of nowhere with only the stars twinkling above you. Eventually, pull the cord and close the hatch and drift off into an utterly undisturbed sleep in the deepest part of the Dorset Woodlands.
As I began to wearily wake, I realised that I’d almost forgotten entirely where I was. The bed linen wrapped around my body was crisp and crunched as I fidgeted beneath the sheets. I found myself in the unfamiliar territory of wanting to jump out of bed and onto the deck by the fire in the early morning sunlight.
I tugged on the rope beside the bed and let the daylight stream down from above. Nothing but blue skies and blissful country air called me from my bed. Within minutes I was sipping coffee whilst swinging in the hammock out on the deck and making the most of the gorgeous morning light.
Not long after breakfast, we headed out on a morning walk through the Dorset countryside. Fields of yellow, lilac, and green stunned me as we walked the country trails, while country lanes where not one car drove past us stunned me even more so. Each friendly farmer we passed nodded their head, smiled, and greeted us good morning as we walked by.
We were sad to be packing up our things and leaving the treehouse later that afternoon, but decided to take our sadness up to the rooftop jacuzzi bath and sauna one last time where we could while it away. One last glance out to the rolling hills of the glorious countryside with a glass of Laurent Perrier in hand and it all didn’t seem so bad.
As we packed up our things and made our way out of the treehouse, I stopped along the wooden bridge and looked back at the treehouse and through the porthole of the front door. I was leaving the secluded sanctuary and re-entering the world I’d left behind on my arrival.
The sunlight was streaming through the woodland and bouncing off each of the branches; creating the most beautiful light. I could hear the slight trickle of water beneath me and the birds singing above me, and found myself exhaling deeply as my eyes closed for a moment to take it all in.
The Woodsman’s Treehouse is an entirely unique stay and one that is more than memorable. Hidden away deep in the Dorset Woodlands, a weekend at The Woodsman’s Treehouse is the therapy that you might not even realise you need.
Prices from £390 per night
@craftycamping
www.mallinson.co.uk
