Travel
HOLLY Hexham, Northumberland
Parked in the far reaches of a wild-edged Northumbrian estate, may be a very English-looking hideaway, but her creation was inspired by time her owners spent staying in a shepherd's hut on an Argentinian estancia. A tiny chapel on wheels, complete with reclaimed church doors, here guests get to enjoy a slice of the same back-to-basics restfulness, and connection to the surrounding landscape, but with the comfort of a king-size mattress and giant copper tub thrown in. One of a handful of cabins, treehouses, towers and huts on the , Holly may come with luxury bedding and a flushing toilet, but the idea is to swap modern distractions for evenings spent sitting round the campfire or gazing skywards; surrounded by ancient, the estate is on the edge of a Dark Sky Reserve. Walks around () and () are worth a detour for added context, while () is within easy reach. And if the novelty of campfire suppers starts to wear off, head half an hour south for an equally star-speckled dinner (albeit of the Michelin kind) at (). Tasting menus at this sleek Scandinavianinspired restaurant are equally swayed by the Northumbrian landscape, with picture-perfect caraway tartlets laced with lovage, roe deer, pickled anchovies and fried garlic; and mouthfuls of gently smoked rainbow trout, drizzled with caramelised buttermilk and pine sauce.
