This sturdy and well insulated shepherd's hut was built by a retired shepherd,Larry Skeates, who moved from living in shepherd huts to building them. We bought it this spring and we have refurbished it with new curtains, upholstery and bedding. The design is unusual with a spacious 5 foot wide double bed which can be converted into a table with bench seats (loads of storage space underneath for be
dding and camping chairs). This hut is spacious for two but can be used by a family of four as there is a bench seat by the fire which can pull out into a five foot long bed as well as a pull down bunk over the main bed suitable for smaller children (aged approximately 4 -9 years). We charge 5 pounds for each younger guest per night and will provide a sleeping bag with integral pillow and a towel. There is no electric - after all, who would want it when you can use fairy lights and tea lights (although we do provide an LED lantern and light incase you want to read). There is a small wood burner, which makes the whole hut toasty warm in a few minutes and even after you let it die down, it will continue to keep you warm over night. We provide you with a basket of wood which you can use here or on the fire pit outside as you sit and enjoy the sunset (perhaps even toast marshmallows!). There is also a kettle for heating your own water (plenty of tea, coffee or hot chocolate supplied). We have a beautiful octagonal thatched summer house with decking that overlaps the pond. There are no fish so it has been naturally colonised by local wildlife including dragonflies, frogs and newts. There are power points here and you are welcome to make yourself a hot drink or recharge your mobile phones etc. With accessories in bright colours- fairy lights, funky toilet seats, voile curtains, a cold water tap and a hand sanitiser we are sure this will get more use than our traditional toilet in the garage block. Guests are also welcome to use the shower in the house and we provide plenty of bath and hand towels and two towelling robes for your use during your stay. Our shepherd's hut looks out over the fields behind, regularly grazed by deer who have become quite used to us now. We have even seen both fallow and roe deer at the same time. A fox will do his nightly rounds and walks across the fence line daily although he can sometimes be seen in the middle of the day too. We do not offer breakfast as part of the fixed price because we know many of our guests will want to have the choice and flexibility to explore the local cafes. However we are able to offer guests a breakfast hamper with cereal, muesli bars, yoghurt, fresh fruit, a warm bread roll and juice which can be left outside your hut or in the summer house to eat at your leisure (please enquire about this when booking). There are many pubs and restaurants within a few miles. We are not able to offer cooking facilities but there is a Tesco local, off-licence, bakery (pizza takeaway twice a week) and fish and chip shop half a mile away so you certainly won't go hungry! Ringwood is a traditional market town on the edge of the New Forest which has still retained much of its original character. Every Wednesday the marketplace is blocked off for the traditional street market, but every evening it is buzzing with people, whether it is a meal out in a restaurant or a drink in the pub. In the day time there are plenty of small and unique shops to browse in and coffee shops. The old cattle market has now changed to The Furlong with places to sit and relax and some more well known high street shops, sometimes even French markets or street entertainment. Ringwood is also on the Avon Valley Path, a 34-mile route across fields and footpaths across the Forest and alongside our beautiful River Avon that takes you from Salisbury Cathedral to Christchurch Priory. The Castleman trail also runs along an old railway track with sections open near Burley and again from Ringwood, through Moors valley Countryside park and on to Poole and can be done in sections or one long day as a cycle trail, with sections along the River and through the forest. There are lots of family friendly attractions and things to do nearby including Blashford Lakes Wildlife Reserve, Owl Raptor and Reptile Centre, Go Ape or the play trail at Moors Valley or walks at Avon Heath Country Park. For watersports there is also the New Forest Water Park on the road out of Ringwood towards Salisbury. The New Forest villages are full of tea shops, ice creams, donkeys and ponies and well worth a visit. If you prefer open space, we can recommend walks and quieter rural pubs in the forest too. Our house is about half a mile from the A31 which takes you into Southampton or to Bournemouth / Poole (with popular sandy beaches and cinemas/ theatres). From the centre of Ringwood it is easy to access the main cities in the area by bus and it takes about half an hour by car to get to Salisbury, Bournemouth or Southampton. It takes about 30 minutes to walk into Ringwood from Fernwood, alternatively buses leave every 20 minutes from the bottom of the hill. The town’s Visitor Information Centre is located off the main carpark and can provide you with details of many areas nearby that can be explored on foot, bicycle or horseback as well as information about nearby attractions. There is even an open topped hop on / hop off bus that travels around the New Forest villages. With only five minutes in the car you are able to walk in the New Forest. Bikes can be hired from several local places such as Moors Valley Country park, or the villages such as Burley and Brockenhurst (worth stopping for a cream tea too!).
