Crafty Camping

Mallinson's Woodland Retreat, known to many returning guests as Crafty Camping, is an adults-only luxury treehouse retreat set in a West Dorset woodland near Holditch, close to where Dorset, Devon and Somerset meet. The woodland lies within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, about 10 miles from the coastal town of Lyme Regis and 16 miles from Bridport, with Forde Abbey and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's River Cottage nearby. There are three RIBA award-winning treehouses to choose from (the Woodsman's, Dazzle and Pinwheel), each a self-contained space for two adults with a private deck, William Holland hot tub, en suite flushing loo and wood-fired pizza oven. Stays are self-catering, the minimum age is 18 and there are no group bookings, so this is a grown-ups' getaway rather than a family site or a place for tents and caravans. Dogs cannot be accommodated because of the surrounding woodland wildlife and livestock. What stands out is the hand-built craftsmanship, the deliberate quiet (guests are asked to leave portable speakers at home) and soaking in a hot tub under the trees and stars. The treehouses are open all year. Prices start from £590 for a two-night midweek stay in the Pinwheel or Dazzle treehouse in low season, with the Woodsman's Treehouse from £495 a night.