Heartsease is one of two extra-large (6m x 2.4m) Shepherds huts retreats at the bottom of the owner's beautiful rural garden, overlooking miles of rolling countryside. There's a super-comfortable kingsize bed, a kitchenette, a seating/dining area and a luxury shower room. It feels like you're in the fields but there's no long walk with luggage and all mod cons including excellent wifi. It's got a private area of garden with a little patio with a bistro set and a private hot tub. Access to shared garden with BBQs and firepit.
Tucked away down a little lane with trees meeting over the top in places, 15 minutes walk from the charming Sussex village of Herstmonceux, nestle Heartsease and her sister hut Meadowsweet. Designed to be the perfect antidote to the stress of modern urban life without sacrificing any of its creature comforts or modern connectivity, they enjoy uninterrupted views across an area of outstanding natural beauty and still have very civilized bathroom arrangements, 32" smart TVs, excellent wifi and good 4G reception. They're ideal for romantic breaks, retreats, shielding, isolating, working remotely or for groups who want to book more than one hut and have a socially-distanced reunion.
Horses clop down the lane and the air is filled with bird song. At night you can hear owls. There is a farmer along the lane who has equipment in use and large vehicles during the week sometimes so it's more reliably peaceful at night and weekends. There's a private patio especially for you outside your hut and a much larger shared patio in the middle of the garden with two charcoal barbecues, a fire pit and pots of fresh herbs which you are welcome to use. Next to the big patio is the new Therapy Room built during the latest lock-down, where guests are able to book treatments such as Aromatherapy massage, Reflexology and Reiki. The owner is an artist, music teacher and Reiki practitioner who lives in the main house with one child.
Newly built and finished to a high standard, the huts offer a level of comfort far beyond what might have been available to a shepherd in times gone by. Much bigger than a traditional hut, each has more than enough room for the king-size bed which has a 3000 pocket sprung mattress topped with memory foam, goose feather/down duvets and pillows, high quality linen, deliciously supersoft blankets and a sumptuous array of cushions to lounge on whilst you drink in the magnificent view. Should you require a bottle of chilled Champagne or Prosecco on arrival this can be arranged with the owner.
Heartsease is the furthest hut from the main house and the nearest to the fields behind the garden, which are often occupied by sheep or horses. At the moment we also have cows and calves :) The windows in the bed area are dual aspect and you can look out and feel like you're right in amongst the animals but actually you're a few feet the other side of the fence and a few yards from your car. There are fairy lights around the bed for night time. Unlike some huts, our beds are normal height and fixed in position, so there is no need to rearrange anything before going to bed or climb to get there. There is ample room for suitcases underneath, as well as a bedside cupboard and hooks with proper wooden hangers by the door and hooks in the bathroom.
Heartsease has a folding table and chairs in the main body of the hut. Opposite is the kitchenette, which has a small fridge, a sink and a small tabletop oven/grill with a two-ring stove on top. It's equipped with pans, crockery, cutlery, utensils and basics such as cling film, foil, kitchen roll, washing up liquid, cooking oil, mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup and seasoning. It's also got tea, coffee, sugar, herbal teas, a kettle and a cafetiere. There's a 32" Smart TV which can be angled towards the dining area or the bed.
Opposite the door there's a rocking chair ideal for admiring the view through the door/reading/strumming an instrument/snoozing by the little electric flame-effect stove which provides a warm glow and variable heat in winter as well as cool air in summer. The hut also has an oil-filled radiator by the foot of the bed which can be left on all the time in winter, making it much nicer, cleaner, quieter and safer to sleep in than having a real fire or fan heater running all night whilst ensuring you'll wake up warm and cosy. The huts are very thoroughly insulated to keep them warm in winter and cool in summer. There’s also a HEPA air filter which removes dust, bacteria and viruses which you are welcome to run during your stay.
To the left of the front door is an ensuite shower room with big super-absorbent towels, soap and shower gel/shampoo. Because the huts are elevated off the ground and pointed towards the fields, you can see the beautiful view but nobody can see you, so you have a loo with a view :)
Outside Heartsease there's a little private patio with a bistro set and an area of garden which is secluded from the rest by the hut and has been recently landscaped and laid to turf and borders with a lot of flowering shrubs and bulbs. The view is really spectacular - the owner's favourite spot on the property - and because of the angle of the hut, something of a secret garden. As of June '23 it also houses a brand new hot tub exclusively for the use of Heartease's guests. It's got really strong massage jets, LED lights and a waterfall. It's utterly, deliciously, fabulously divine. Please be aware before you book there are some reasons you can't go in - if there're high winds or a thunderstorm, if you've got heart problems or are pregnant - or if you're wearing fake tan as the tan comes off the person and won't come off the tub!
There's a stepping stone path leading past the other hut, Meadowsweet (which you can't see from inside Heartease and can't see into your hut) across to the bigger communal patio with two charcoal BBQs, a wood-burning fire-pit that you can also cook on and the new treatment room, where guests can book Reiki, Reflexolgy and Aromatherapy massage treatments. There's also a giant chess set for guests to use. Beyond this is the garden gate to the driveway and a building housing the owner's art room and above, Treetops, another holiday home with a treehouse balcony.
Beyond Treetops is the main house and owner's lawn and veg plot which is not fenced off for aesthetic reasons but guests are asked not to go beyond the big shared patio. We encourage guests to feel welcome in the shared spaces and avoid going very near each others' front doors, none of which overlook each other. There are a maximum of six adult guests onsite at any one time, which makes social distancing easy and ensures the facilities are never too busy. You can choose to interact if you want to but it's a really big garden so if you'd rather keep yourselves to yourselves it's very easy to do so.
On top of Airbnb's enhanced cleaning protocol we are also running an ozone generator (which kills everything including viruses) between stays. This takes time for the gas to do it's work and then the accommodation has to be aired out before we can start cleaning, which has affected the check in and out times we are able to offer. If you want to come earlier and explore the area there are loads of things to do in our Guidebook for Herstmonceux which has lots of information about the local area, places to eat, walk and visit and activities available nearby. You can find it by clicking on my profile picture. If I'm ready early I'll let you know ASAP. Likewise, if I'm able to offer a slightly later checkout I'll let you know :)
We have a dog and a cat who are very friendly but not allowed in Heartsease because of people with allergies. Because we have our own pets we can't have anyone else's here and it wouldn't be fair to people with allergies so please don't book and then ask if you can bring your pet, no matter how well-behaved. Also if one of your party is afraid of animals please don't book as it's not practical to keep the dogs in all day. They love a game of ball and are very affectionate.
If you'd like Reiki it's £37 for a 45 minute session of full body and mind relaxation and restoration or £49 for an hour and quarter, which is a double dose and more suitable if you have more significant physical/emotional challenges to face. I have a colleague who can sometimes visit and who offers Aromatherapy massage and Reflexology. It's £30 for a 30 minute neck, back and shoulder massage or £35 for a 40 minute Reflexology foot massage. Treatments need to be pre-booked so they can be fitted in around existing work commitments.
If you’re interested in booking more than one of our places at the same time please click on my profile to see my other listings and check availability. The location is ideal for socially distanced reunions enjoying the great outdoors together while having your own separate accommodation. It's also a great venue for face-to-face team meetings/corporate treats because the wifi is great in all the accommodation and there's even a wifi router on the big guest patio.
Weeknights are cheaper and there's a 10% discount on stays of a week or more.
