Budget glamping cabins with an unlimited supply of nature

On its own by the bank of the Boondreigh River, Fishing Hut is more than the humble name suggests. If making use of the extra space the field has to offer, and pitching a tent for extra guests, you can cook over the fire, Francis Mallmann style, or on the hotplate indoors and serve your feast to applause fireside. Indoors there are two sofas by the wood burner – for cooler nights when the four wooden walls will easily contain the party. At the other end, where the cabin seamlessly morphs into caravan, three windows frame the bedside and give views of the field and river to wake up to.

This beautiful former shipping container has gone up in the world in every sense. It’s more cruise liner than cargo barge these days and now sits high on the hills, overlooking the Solway Firth and the seas it used to travel. Huge sliding doors and well-placed windows mean you can sit and watch the water from the sofa and the bed. Enjoy meals on the picnic bench and after dinner drinks in the chairs by the firebowl, with views of Whitehaven & the Northern Fells in the Lake District. Wave to the alpacas as you come and go, or arrange to go for a walk with them.

Settle into The Barley Store and forget the outside world. Breeze around cooking over an open fire and enjoying the peace on the benches of the outdoor stargazing platform or the swinging chair. There’s a wood burner for the soft background music of crackling logs. There’s also beer brewed across the valley at Gyle 59 and sparkling wine from a vineyard just down the road. When you get back you can light the fire, crack open a bottle of something local and lovely, then sit back and watch the stars.

The two carriages have been artfully converted into a single, self-contained space with en suite bathroom and a full kitchen. The space has a magical feel, decked out with fairy lights and sitting over the bridge from where you park, like an island floating in a sea of green. It’s a simple place, designed to let you connect with nature or whoever you’re taking with you. Whether you’re lounging in the king-size bed, the leather deckchairs, or sitting outside while you fire up the BBQ, you’ll be surrounded by nothing but the abundant birds and bees of a thriving landscape.

Caban Crwn is a curious combination of simple frontier cabin and cheery, colourful beach hut. The broad deck, plain wooden frontage and simple firepit make you think wilderness, while the striped fabrics of the interior and the burgundy paint of the wood-burner are much more ‘cosy cottage’. Hiking or biking is a must while staying here. The downhill bike trails are spectacular and you’re within striking distance of the famous Howie’s Endero route. Machynlleth is just five miles away for a stop in a great country pub.

This is an idyllic spot, created to immerse you in the peace of the woods and send you wandering through the surrounding countryside. Cycle the Strawberry Line, stride through the Mendips, scramble through Cheddar Gorge or take a dip in Clevedon Marine Lake. Rookers Rest is a lovely spot to come home to whatever you’ve been up to, or possibly to spend all day in without leaving. The open-air (but screened) outdoor shower by the cabin is an energising experience and the firepit tucked in a ring of trees is the perfect place to end the day.

Off-grid, romantic and relaxed, this repurposed fisherman’s cabin is centred around the River Dart which runs straight past the front door. Jump on a paddleboard straight after breakfast, spend long and lazy afternoons with just a rod and the kingfishers for company, then wrap up in blankets and huddle around the fire pit at sunset watching the bats swoop and skim the water for their dinner. There are acres of woodland to tramp through, as well as the attractions of Dartington Estate itself: grand gardens, a café and pub, even its own independent cinema.

With its position in the north of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, you can explore miles of unspoilt open space from the door of this lovely roundhouse, but you’ll also do a bit of exploring through time. Anthony, the creator, has used original building techniques, handmade furniture and wooden crockery to give the feel of a real iron-age roundhouse and bring the area’s thousands of years of history back to life. Get outside and hike for miles over the fells and take in the dramatic landscapes, and spend the evenings watching the stars in unspoilt night skies.

Pen-y-Fan cabin is named for the mountain visible in the distance as part of the sweeping, spectacular views it commands. While you might sit on the deck with morning coffee, surveying potential adventures all the way to the horizon, you can set off on great locals straight from the door. The walk up Garway hill leads through fields where wild ponies run free, to unmatched 360 views of Herefordshire. As well as the lovely border country to explore, part of the joy of being here is the cabin itself. It has an innovative design that gives you space and a taste of the simple life.