ST201905

Where we stayed

Say a treehouse and I’m picturing

the makeshift kind of place I played

in as a kid. Tinkers Treehouse

was an infinitely more impressive

structure. I still got the sense of

adventure and freedom that comes

with sleeping amid the trees, but

with all the luxury of a boutique

apartment stay: a well equipped

kitchen, a kingsize bed and rainfall

shower that childhood me (and

present me, to be quite honest)

can only dream of. It’s one of two

treehouses on the farm, set in

five acres of woodland, and feels

deliciously t ucked away f rom t he

world. The kind of place where it’s

a pleasure to spend a wet evening,

with the sound of rain on the roof

and the wood-burning stove

keeping things cosy.

I

t hadonlytakena bitoveranhourtogettherebut,bythetimeI arrivedatTinkers

Treehouse,it feltlikeI’dleftLondonfarbehind.Onwentthewellies,outcame

thetorchandmymoodfeltinstantlylighter.Provingthatyoudon’tneedto

undertakea mammothjourneytofeellikeyou’refarawayfromit all,thetreehouse

isinfarmlandnearTicehurstvillageintheEastSussex-Kentborders:proper

countrysidebutcloseenoughtoLondonandBrightontomakeit a sweetspotforcity

dwellers(likeme)tobeabletoenjoya fullweekendtherewithouthavingprecioustime

takenuptravelling.Plus,there’ssomethinginstantlytransformativeaboutgettingto

stayupamongthetrees.Comparedtomydailylife,lookingoutandbeingabletosurvey

thebeautifulsurroundinglandscape(HighWealdisanAreaofOutstandingNatural

Beauty,afterall)gavemea much-needed,refreshingperspective.

FOR EASYESCAPISM,HEADUP TOTHETREES

AND THE SORT OF BREAK THAT CAN BRING

A WHOLE NEW POINT OF VIEW

Words: FRANCES AMBLER

A weekend away