1. Alder Igluhut, Suffolk
Like a curvaceous Airstream caravan, made only from natural materials, the Igluhut, which sleeps two, morphs into the meadow at Blyth Rise, in greenest mid-Suffolk. It’s made for weekending and not for little travellers. Spend your days, then, picking up local produce — a dozen of Butley Orford Oysterage’s finest, perhaps? — looking out for seals on the River Alde at Iken, and paying what you like for treats from the shipping-container honesty shop.
Details Two nights for two from August 13 to 15 from £469 (canopyandstars.co.uk/alderigluhut)
2. The River Lodge, Yorkshire
An invigorating wild swim at dawn in the river that loops around this Swiss-style wooden lodge is just a few strides from your comfy king-size. Step over the boundary of the 6,000-acre Egton Estate and you’ll feel as if the North York Moors are your own — although Whitby, and its fresh fish suppers, is just eight miles away. A copper roll-top bath on the decking ramps up the luxury and the estate even has its own pub in the Horseshoe Hotel.
Details Three nights for two from May 28 to 31 from £675 (canopyandstars.co.uk/theriverlodge)
3. Paradise Pines, Devon
The nearest neighbours at Paradise Pines, a stylish three-bed cabin in 65 acres of pastoral splendour in west Devon, tend to be of the four-legged variety, with white stag, wild boar and deer grazing amid the trees near by. It is made for cosy seclusion, so guests can turn down the stress via a glass of homemade wine from the owner’s micro-vineyard and a soak in the freestanding bathtub. Or bag one of the rocking chairs and enjoy the view of Devon’s star-studded nocturnal skies.
Details Three nights for six from May 21 to 24 from £1,180 (canopyandstars.co.uk/paradisepines)
4. Sky Den, Northumberland
A treehouse with serious credentials, the Sky Den was conjured up by the TV architect George Clarke and featured on his Channel 4 show Amazing Spaces. Built to offer the perfect vantage point for the dark skies of Northumberland, the roof fans out to let in widescreen views. Set in the heart of Kielder Water and Forest Park, home to northern Europe’s largest man-made lake, the Sky Den puts activities aplenty within easy reach, including horse riding, zorbing and canoeing.
Details Five nights for four from May 28 to June 2 from £920 (canopyand stars.co.uk/skyden)
5. The Batman’s Summer House, Devon
This bijou two-bed 1930s cabin with a superhero name could have been transplanted from America’s Deep South. Set in a private spot, in gorgeous grounds on the banks of the River Avon, Batman’s gaff actively encourages lounging, with a hammock strung up in the sunniest spot. Bantham Beach, a 20-minute drive, is great for paddleboarding, and a post-swim feast at the Sloop pub is recommended. For evening warmth, huddle around the fire bowl and listen to the owls hoot.
Details Three nights for four from June 4 to 7 from £805 (canopyandstars.co.uk/thebatmanssummerhouse)
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6. Welcombe Pod, Devon
Where Devon and Cornwall meet, Loveland Farm gifts those who sleep under its geometric domes a rural stay with a clear conscience — the farm is entirely carbon neutral. The Welcombe Pod, a stainless-steel skeleton wrapped in a lightweight shell, is roomy enough for four and a pet, with neighbouring wooden huts offering a kitchen, shower and eco-loo. Kids will love the heated indoor swimming pool and the animals.
Details Three nights for two adults and two children from July 2 to 5 from £575 (canopyandstars.co.uk/welcombepod)
7. The Forager’s Cabin, Powys
In a secluded little woodland in Powys, this cabin makes the perfect retreat from reality. Spend days exploring the many local walking routes near by, before returning to the cabin for lazy evenings on the deck beneath twinkling fairy lights. This is prime stargazing territory and you can do just that from the hot tub or around the chiminea. Inside, it’s rustic cool with a king-size bed, proper kitchen and rain shower.
Details Three nights for two from June 25 to 28 from £519 (canopyand stars.co.uk/theforagerscabin)
8. Red Pippin Lodge, Suffolk
Named after the apple variety its owners harvested in their former careers as fruit growers, Red Pippin Lodge is one of a scattering of holiday pads on a pretty lake in Suffolk. Inside, clean lines and chic upholstery set the tone, with window walls in the en suite doubles ensuring that light pours in. By the lake, apple trees have been planted and you can PYO. For dinner, pick up a side of salmon from the beach hut smokeries in nearby Aldeburgh.
Details Three nights for four from July 16 to 19 from £795 (canopyandstars.co.uk/redpippinlodge)
9. Quiet of Stars, Cornwall
A tucked-away cabin for two, a few miles inland of the Cornish beach idyll of Polperro, Quiet of Stars is an open-plan bolt hole with winsome views of the surrounding hills by day, and glittering coal-black skies at night. Stop off en route at rural farm shops for pasties and clotted cream. With a king-size bed, hammock and hot tub at your disposal, you may choose not to leave until check-out. If you do, it’s nicest on foot with the South West Coast Path close by.
Details Three nights for two from July 31 to August 3 from £740 (canopyandstars.co.uk/quietofstars)
10. Hinterlandes Cabin, Cumbria
Lacquered in on-trend pitch-black paint and with its own set of wheels, this cabin creates a striking silhouette in the Lorton Valley. An oversized window bestows views of England’s favourite national park that change with the light, and a marble bathroom, wood-burner and modern kitchen are the stuff of much grander abodes. Outside, a wood-fired bath is made for midnight stargazing. Even better, a hamper full of foodie essentials — including wine, bread, jam and orange juice — greets those checking in.
Details Three nights for two from August 6 to 9 from £565 (canopyandstars.co.uk/hinterlandescabin)
11. Kensa, Cornwall
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If a pod for two with a verdant view is your staycation aim this summer, then Kensa — a futuristic-looking glamping pod in the middle of rolling hills — is just the ticket. Huge panelled windows let the views stream in. Inside, there’s careful design, with a hammock, wood-burner and a double bed — and the sofa bed can turn this into a family stay. Afternoons out include Cornwall’s other geodome, the Eden Project, as well as the ruins of Tintagel and a little surfing at Widemouth Bay.
Details Four nights for two adults and two children from August 9 to 13 from £540 (canopyandstars.co.uk/kensa)
12. Humble Bee, Devon
Take your colony of two for a few restorative nights at the Humble Bee on Dartmoor’s wild fringes in south Devon. Fling open the doors on this novel human beehive and wind up the wooden staircase to the king-size bed on the top floor. Fill the days with long walks on Dartmoor’s Tolkienesque heathland before clinking flutes in the steaming outdoor bath. Steps away, set into the decking, stands a wooden hot tub, shared with equally novel neighbours, the Bird Box and Moonbeam Yurt.
Details Three nights for two from August 20 to 23 from £660 (canopyandstars.co.uk/humblebee)
13. The Arc, Cambridgeshire
The Arc, a two-bed wooden cabin on Duck Street, in the pretty village of Elton, quickly feels like yours; bookshelves creak with well-thumbed novels, an antique French bed awaits and the veranda is crying out for an unfurled picnic blanket on a warm night. The river is almost at your front door and the Wind in the Willows author Kenneth Grahame put pen to paper in a house close by. The Crown pub, a ten-minute stroll away, promises a cracking Sunday roast too.
Details Three nights for four from August 20 to 23 from £630; (canopyandstars.co.uk/thearc)
14. Dabinett Treehouse, Somerset
Elevated just enough to put the Mendips in optimum view — and birdsong right by your window — this immersive forest stay showcases Somerset’s mellow rural charms. Climb the steps to the Dabinett Treehouse, a gorgeous wood-panelled ovoid on elegant stilts, and a generous bath tub on the deck bids you welcome. Pick up a bottle of something local at the vineyard next door after easy days exploring, with the Mendips’ Ebbor Gorge and Deer Leap both favourites with locals.
Details Three nights for two from August 20 to 23 from £830 (canopyandstars.co.uk/dabinetttreehouse)
15. Bagthorpe Treehouse, Norfolk
Inspired by the safari lodges of Africa’s hinterland, the Bagthorpe Treehouse lies slap bang in the middle of nature, on the Bagthorpe Hall estate — also a working organic farm — near Burnham Market. Sitting pretty under a holm oak in a small copse, it makes complete privacy a given. Indoors, there’s a king-size four-poster and sizeable copper bathtub. Children over five can come too.
Details Three nights for four from August 24 to 27 from £750 (canopyandstars.co.uk/bagthorpetreehouse)
16. The Lodge, Cumbria
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Fish for your own supper from the tree-lined banks of the River Eamont — brimming with salmon — in the emerald environs of the Lake District. The Lodge, which sleeps six, asks nothing more of you than to pull up a comfy chair and watch the Edenhall Estate’s resident wildlife pass by. Grill the day’s catch (if you’re lucky) over the barbecue and, post-supper, stare from the hot tub at Cumbria’s glinting skies.
Details Three nights for six from April 16 to 19 from £1,314 (canopyandstars.co.uk/thelodge)
17. The Artist’s Retreat, Suffolk
The triangle of green canvas that tops the roof of the Artist’s Retreat, one of four lodges dotted around Hintlesham Hall Farm, perfectly preserves the outdoorsy feeling. Step indoors, though, and a roll-top bath, a farmhouse kitchen table and kids’ den, plus two king-size beds, suggest this is the nicest of camping compromises. Earn a pub lunch by hiring a rowing boat at Flatford.
Details Four nights for six from August 30 to September 3 from £1,060 (canopyandstars.co.uk/theartistsretreat)
18. Kalmynsi, Cornwall
One of a pair of freshly built treehouses on Cornwall’s beguiling Lizard Peninsula, Kalmynsi is the fruit of a labour of love that has taken six years. The owners’ vision of creating an up-high haven of peace begins as soon as you cross the cantilevered walkway to the canopy of treetops. By day the wider coast is your playground but when the sun bows out, Kalmynsi is all about good food under the stars, with the fire pit ensuring guests can stay out long enough to watch constellations twinkle.
Details Three nights for two from August 27 to 30 from £975; (canopyandstars.co.uk/kalmynsi)
19. Silva Treehouse, Cumbria
Stretch out your dough and watch it bubble and crisp in the pizza oven on deck at Silva, a palatial treehouse in a quiet spot in the Penrith woodland. A fire pit — toasted marshmallows at dusk, anyone? — and a barbecue add to the outdoor culinary assets of Silva, which is built into the trees, but still affords beautiful vistas of the surrounding Pennines. Strike out on one of the nearby hiking trails, or hire a mountain bike to tackle gnarlier terrain further afield. If that sounds too energetic, then pick a pew with a view on an Ullswater Steamer and simply enjoy pootling around on these magical lakes.
Details Three nights for six from May 28 to 31 from £1,350 (canopyandstars.co.uk/silvatreehouse)
20. Hidey-Hole Cabin, East Sussex
The latest addition to Downash Wood’s quirky throng of short-stay accommodation, Hidey-Hole does what it suggests, providing a tranquil pad to hunker down in. There’s a picture window designed with badger-spotting in mind and, thanks to a roll-down projector screen, it doubles up as your own private cinema (there’s a popcorn machine in the kitchen too). Active souls can hurdle the fence to Bewl Water reservoir — with fishing, mountain-biking and a 12-mile walking trail in the offing. Or slow the heart rate with a board game and a pint at the 13th-century Bull Inn, just up the road.
Details Three nights for two from May 28 to 31 from £720 (canopyandstars.co.uk/hideyholecabin)
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All properties are self-catering
To book any of the properties, head to canopyandstars.co.uk/sundaytimes
