Cosy, cute, convenient camping… That’s exactly what our family found at The Original Hut Company. My husband and I don’t have licenses here yet (US expats who need to learn to drive on the left!) but we love to get out of the city now and then. With two children, and without a car, our overnight options are somewhat limited, but at just over an hour from London, and near a train station, we were happy to put this glamping site on our list.

Owners Anna and Nick Eastwood, who are as helpful as they are cheerful, have six shepherd’s huts, each built by hand primarily with salvaged materials. After a short cab ride from the train station we found the huts nestled on a hill behind an apple orchard. Ours had a well stocked little kitchen, comfortable bedding and a wood burning stove. Each hut also has its own firepit, so we were warm and toasty inside and out. There’s also a covered communal picnic area and large fire pit which would be great for a group. The shower was wonderful, and the loos are the nicest we’ve come across at a campsite.

We managed to pull ourselves from our cosy abode and found plenty of fun things to do nearby. The stunning Bodiam castle is just a short 15 minute walk across the field, and we also enjoyed a pleasant steam train ride to a handful of towns on the Kent and East Sussex Railway. We had a picnic and a lovely country walk and did lots of blackberry picking along the way. We wanted to hire a boat with the Bodiam Boating Station for a cruise along the river Rother but ran out of time. We’ll put that one on our list during our next visit.