Cabin fever

Offering cosy, doll's house-sized country retreats, cabins combine modern comforts with an immersive experience of nature

- ANDRÉA CHILDS

A few months ago, I went to stay in a cabin for a couple of nights on my own, and it felt like pressing the pause button. The cabin was ina meadow, with woodland and heath close by, and I could feel my shoulders dropping as I set down my bags, and my breath slowing as I watched a pair of pheasants peck across the field. Inside, the beautifully designed space felt cosy, compact and safe. I had a table to eat and work at, a generous hot shower, and a galley kitchen to cook in. The view from the double bed was of pasture and hedgerows. I lit the woodburning stove, put the kettle on the hob, and when its whistle was done, sipped my tea on the deck while listening to birdsong.

But this idyllic getaway, while feeling magically peaceful, wasn't in a remote valley or glen. In fact, for many guests, a big part of the appeal is that the cabin, which is near St Albans, Hertfordshire, is an easy train ride from London and is close to the MI, AI and M25 (I came from the south coast by train). "The accessibility of the cabin is important to us,' explains Luke Jones, co-founder of Re Cabins (recabins.​com), which designed and rents out the space. A lot of places are either too close to home, so you don't feel you have to travel a long distance to stay there. Here, you feel as if you're in the middle of nowhere, but, certainly for Londoners, you could be back home in 90 minutes or so."

For solo travellers looking for a peaceful retreat, wild-at-heart city folk seeking respite from urban life, or country dwellers wanting a unique getaway that still feels connected to nature, cabins combine calm and comfort with a sense of adventure.

A PLACE TO SLOW DOWN