A week ago we were enjoying a much-needed family break in the Boundary shepherd’s hut at Wriggly Tin with Canopy & Stars. The weather was unexpectedly glorious, and it felt like ages since we’d had a chance to hang out just the four of us, so it was the perfect trip. Wandering back to our hut, dandelion seeds blowing in the sunshine, with the twins running through the long grass and flowers to greet me, or watching the twins walking off to the toilet hut hand-in-hand (this hardly ever happens these days) – the weekend was just full of the kind of feelgood moments you want to remember forever.
Boundary, our hut, was small but perfectly formed. Beautifully decorated and kitted out with the kind of things I love – enamel crockery, vintage books, army cool box (now on my camping wish list). The twins slept in bunk-beds at one end of the hut, our double bed was at the other end, with a petite living and kitchen space in the middle.
Boundary is the largest of the six huts at Wriggly Tin, and clever, removable bunks mean that the hut can be tailored to sleep a couple, a group of four friends or a family of up to five, as an extra bunk can be added above the double bed. It’s in its own fenced off paddock in a corner of the main meadow. Alex, the owner, couldn’t be more welcoming. Often to be found chopping wood (all wood for the fires and wood burning stove is included during your stay), he’ll happily offer advice about the local area, and the wildlife that can be spotted around the site. We had a badger wander past in the woods behind our hut both evenings we stayed.
There’s no electricity at the Wriggly Tin site – cooking is either done on the wood-burning stove in the hut (with hot plate and oven) or on the campfire outside. At night you light the hurricane lamps and gather around the fire. Having no electricity meant everything took longer – we had no choice but to slow down. It was just what we needed as life has been so busy recently, and Wriggly Tin in the sunshine was the perfect place to do it. In a meadow by a wood just outside Hambledon in Hampshire, there’s a wealth of things to do in the area, from walking routes, to cycle ride, to places to visit, but we actually spent most of our time just hanging out by the hut.
Boundary’s interior is bright and and cheerful in spring green. Alex kits out each of the huts at Wriggly Tin differently – I totally wanted to go and have a look into all of them (not really the done thing when they have guests staying in them), but you can have a peek at them all if you search ‘Wriggly Tin’ on the Canopy & Stars site. Less than an hour’s drive from our house, I’ve definitely got my eye on Old Winchester for a child-free break soon – it’s even got its own wood fired hot tub!
I took way too many photos to fit into a single post, so come back tomorrow for another sunshine-filled post all about what the twins found to do at Wriggly Tin (think campfire, whittling, exploring). They definitely enjoyed being off-grid as much as we did, and I strongly suspect that a stay at Boundary may well become a regular fixture in our busy family calendar. We’ll be back, without a doubt.
Disclosure: This post was written in collaboration with Canopy & Stars, but all opinions and content are very much my own.
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