Dear mummy, there’s nothing better than getting out in the fresh autumn air and being ‘at one’ with nature. This month you went above and beyond with your adventures, literally. You stayed high above the trees in your very own treehouse bolthole.

You stayed at Uplands Treehouse, from the Canopy & Stars website, a very lucky competition win which allowed you and daddy to go away for your 10 year wedding anniversary. It was the best thing you’ve ever won and a much-needed break away from the daily grind.

Location

My folks stayed in the treehouse for a long weekend and it was amazing to wake up to views over the Mendips and have friendly neighbours which included horses and alpacas. Every morning the light streamed into the treehouse through floor to ceiling windows, waking up my folks gently. Good thing the treehouse was up high and surrounded by foliage as there were NO curtains! Very risqué 😉

The treehouse was beautifully crafted and my folks gasped when they saw the treehouse from the farm owned by creators and owners David and Tricia. It’s built around a large oak tree on their farm and supported on stilts within thick woodland at the back of their large garden.

The Views

The huge balcony with uplighters and picnic table is perfect for watching the squirrels and birds. The views from the deck of the treehouse are breath-taking – my folks loved sitting out with a couple of drinks and some magazines, watching the sun go down! It was surprisingly warm and looking at the idyllic views of the Mendips my parents felt that they were on holiday. They even had breakfast on the balcony in the bright morning sunshine…in September, with the local town’s church bells ringing in the background.

Attention to detail

The thing that really sets this retreat apart from the rest, is not just the quirky location, but the ‘little things’. On arrival the owners, David and Tricia had left a welcome hamper, which included fresh bread, croissants and homemade jams, fresh-baked chocolate brownies (a whole tin of them), lovely snacks from Waitrose and even a small bottle of bubbly which made my folk feel very pampered and special.

The hamper also included organic eggs for my parents breakfast and a fridge stocked full with milk, butter and fresh juices. From start to finish we felt very well looked after and appreciated the impressive craftsmanship that has gone into this delightful hideaway.

Sleeping

Every night my folks would scale the wooden ladder up onto the mezzanine to reach the king-size bed, with crisp, soft cotton sheets and a little reading light. My mummy could have quite happily sat in bed, looking at the views, watching the horses and reading, it was very comfortable and snug.

However, a couple of nights on the tiles at a local pub in Wrington, scaling a ladder to get to bed might not be the most practical thing, and my mummy nearly found herself falling asleep on the sofa, wrapped up in a warm blanket with the woodburner going. Let’s just say that she has lots of bruises on her legs from getting up in the middle of the night in her drunken stupdor!

Living space

The treehouse was so well-equipped that my folks could have stayed up there for the duration of their stay – there’s a compost loo inside with its own eclectic library and hi-fi, an open, outdoor shower and a compact kitchen with fridge and sink.

The outdoor shower was one of the most amazing things and being surrounded by nature was so…um… liberating. My daddy loved his morning showers and even managed to drop his shower gel in the woods below and had to send my mummy to retrieve it! Large wooden beams adorn the inside of the treehouse which brings the outside in. Wood is everywhere and used for the workspaces in the open-plan kitchen and a lot of the furniture, the coffee table was made from an offcut from the treehouse. The main draw in the treehouse is the lovely wood burner which was such a luxury for my folks, they just wish they had it going more during their stay.  The treehouse was clean, cosy and warm, totally private and a perfect hide away up in the trees.

Exploring

While daddy packed on the last day my mummy explored the woodland behind the treehouse, every night she could hear an owl and was intrigued to see what was behind the woodland gate. A folder of owner David’s recommended trails was tucked away in one of the drawers in the treehouse, along with leaflets and phone numbers of local pubs and restaurants. My folks enjoyed walking to a nearby village called Wrington on one of the evenings and had a lovely meal at The Plough. There was something magical about walking back to the treehouse, through fields and down country lanes in the dark with only torches and the moonlight to guide them.

While my folks were in the area they visited the small city of Wells. Bristol, Cheddar Gorge and the coast are half an hour’s drive from the treehouse too. My folks are National Trust members so visited Tyntesfield while they stayed at Uplands Treehouse. There were many maps and guides in the treehouse and some very nice walks which they didn’t have enough time to discover. On their last night they visited very good restaurant, the Ethicurean, which is set within a fabulous walled garden looking over the Mendips and they would highly recommended it, the food was locally sourced and tasted absolutely wonderful.

The little video tour

My folks are a bit rubbish at video, but this place was so amazing that the photos didn’t do it justice! So here’s a little video clip to show you around Uplands Treehouse.

My folks enjoyed their stay so much that they have vowed to go away with Canopy & Stars for their anniversary every year as a special treat. It’s sometimes nice for parents to have ‘adult time’ and its important for the heart and soul to connect with nature and loved-ones to be free from the distraction of modern-day interference and work pressures. The treehouse was a beautiful, peaceful place to get away from the everyday stresses of life and have some quality time together. My parents couldn’t recommend this place highly enough. Uplands Treehouse was the most magical relaxing holiday they have been on for a long time.

….maybe next time take me?

Love Bella xx