Finding an escape to a true wilderness experience in the UK can sometimes prove trickier than expected. You can find yourself in a woodland suburbia with manmade river rapids, needing extortionate membership for keys to a cabin, or glamping in fields that feel more pantomime of the great outdoors.
Luckily Hidden River Cabins is on hand to cater for rural ambitions, offering untouched scenery and authenticity in Cumbria.
Sweeping roads lead to farmland that house a cluster of mesmerising cabins, named after the wildlife and fauna in the area, all skilfully secluded from one another, and offering ultimate connection and quiet with nature. What’s more, they’re dramatically perched in view of the rugged River Lyne, with the ambient current serving as your sound for the stay.
The décor is impressively dominated by the structure of the cabin itself – giant like logs resembling something from a Canadian forest. The subtle touches of luxury make it a go-to for young adults – open plan kitchen, emphatic log burner, a bedroom accessed balcony for ‘wine in the sky’, and a statement hot tub with views of the river. The estate also has a charming cabin restaurant/bar, with local ingredients and specialities leading the way.
Being dog friendly, we took full advantage of the roaring hills, and other nearby activities that can be found and booked include fishing and horse riding. For any yearning of Cumbrian civilisation, Brampton is a 15-minute drive away, complete with chocolate box delis and an antique warehouse. Carlisle is a bustling city at a similar distance away, with historic quarters and some of the friendliest locals you’ll encounter.
It’s easy for holiday destinations to imitate rural bliss, but rare to find those places that naturally embody it. Hidden River Cabins does just that, and being someone that lives and works in a city, I was fully replenished after the night stay. The amount of writing achieved there might even make it a poetic haven. This was an escape I’ll plan on making time and time again, and bringing friends along for the ride too.
If you’re looking for your own wildnress experience in the UK, check out Hidden River Cabins.
