Bucks Coppice

£182.75 per night

Ramble through ancient woods on the miles of the Jubilee Trail that crosses at the top of the country lane, then come home to lie on the suntrap deck and slide into the lake whenever you get too hot. The only visitors to this secluded spot, hidden in the depths of Dorset countryside, are a huge array of bird life, maybe deer, wild boar and if you're super lucky, visiting otters.

Mix up the walks in Hooke Woods and even a visit to the Hooke Park Architecture Centre, with trips to market towns and the cliffs and coves of the Jurassic coast, with beaches at Eype and Seatown overlooked by great pubs.

The chance to stay in the middle of a Site of Scientific Interest is rare, but after over 20 years living on the site in a caravan, Sid was granted permission to build this fabulous forest retreat. He did so with a considerate balancing of the comfort of nature and that of humans. The off-grid space draws its water from the lake with solar power and gas taking care of lighting, cooking and water heating. Any sense that this is “roughing it” is dispelled by the smart, understated style of the interior and the swish kitchen space, an aspiring chef’s dream. All this looking out upon the tranquility of the lake and the sea of greenery on your doorstep.