You know that feeling when you desperately want to get away and stay in the middle of nowhere, for some peace and quiet? Well we found the answer – Rest + Wild luxury cabins in Exmoor do literally just that. Their mantra is, “a little room to breathe, small spaces to switch off”. Beautiful wooden cabins with wood burners and outdoor copper baths, each one is located in its own field. You can sleep, eat, swim and repeat. Just bliss.
(Image credit: rest and wild)
The cabin
Launched in 2020 when everyone in lockdown so desperately wanted to flee to the countryside, Rest + Wild host super-luxurious cabins in spectacular locations. Their first cabins were in the Shropshire Hills and they recently opened a new destination in Exmoor, North Devon. The perfect hideaway, the cabins, which sleep two, have wood burners for cold nights, king-size beds, luxe bedding, outside copper baths and fire pits. What they don’t have – on purpose – is WiFi, so you have to switch off, which we really appreciated.
Our cabin had incredible views across the countryside, while still giving us complete privacy, which was a relief with the outside bath, which was quite exhilarating. The sheep didn’t seem to mind us being at one with them and nature.
In fact, one of the things I loved most about our stay was waking up to the view of the field and the sound of nature… seeing and hearing our sheep neighbours and their lambs, was very peaceful.
This is beyond glamping – the cabin was spacious, clean and super-comfortable and had just the right amount of amenities, with solar power and natural toiletries. It was cosy, too, we loved sitting by the fire reading books and the fire pit outside was wonderful. You can star-gaze in the clear night sky, as the area is a Dark Sky Reserve, meaning there’s no light pollution.
(Image credit: rest and wild)
Food and drink
As the cabins are remote, you can bring your own food or pre-book a bespoke hamper, stocked with local food and drink. We tried the pizza hamper, which was delicious and fun and we also had a breakfast hamper, which meant we didn’t have to even think about food. I highly-recommend doing so.
In the wider area, there are plenty of great dining options, from the 16th century The London Inn at Molland, just around the corner, to a whole host of gastro pubs in the region, such as Tarr Farm Inn in Dulverton.
The area
It’s all about slowing down and enjoying nature and the countryside, here. Rest + Wild helpfully suggest local walks you can take, which we did, such as a hike up Dunkery Beacon to take in the spectacular views from Exmoor’s highest peak and the riverside walk across the footbridge, Tarr Steps.
There are lots of nearby sites for some of the best wild swimming in the country, like the plunge pools and waterfall of Long Pool, Watersmeet and Wimbleball Lake. And for those wanting some more energetic pursuits, you can go horse-riding through some of the 400 miles of bridleways, or mountain-biking.
It’s also worth driving to the coast, as Exmoor has some gorgeous little towns and beaches, such as Porlock and Lynton.
And after that, you can take a long warm soak in the bath and curl up with a book by the fire… Regeneration complete.
How to book: Rest + Wild Exmoor cabins, from £175 per night, visit restandwild.co.