Tiny Homes — Are Glamping Trips The New City Break?

Last Thursday was my gorgeous boyfriend’s 26th birthday (everyone say happy birthday Tim!!), and if you’re keeping track you might notice that Thursday was the same day I was at ‘The Eras Tour.’ If you’re thinking I ditched my boyfriend on his birthday for Taylor Swift… You’d be right.

In my defence they were the only tickets my group could get, and I promised to make it up to him, which is where the glamping weekend comes in.

Back in April, I started scheming about what I could do to make Tim’s birthday special — even though I was, in fact, ditching him. That’s when I stumbled upon a ‘Tiny Home’ in Wilby, Suffolk, being advertised on Airbnb. The cottage was an old shoemaker’s studio, converted into a small cottage with a double bed, as well as an additional mezzanine bed, a kitchenette, shower room, bbq area, private garden, and hot tub. It looked perfect. Take a look at the listing here.

I very quickly decided to book it for the Friday-Sunday following his birthday.

A few years ago I would have tried to book a weekend in Paris, Rome, or some other equally gorgeous European city, instead of some random village in the English countryside, but it appears that countryside glamping trips are the new city break.

The Airbnb listing described the cottage as “ideally suited to a couple wanting a romantic getaway, people wishing to escape the hurly-burly, and perfect for people on a budget who want to relax and experience the humble simplicity and beauty of country life.” Truer words have never been spoken. Much of the appeal of country escapes lay in their simplicity, all there is to do is walk, enjoy the scenery, relax in the glorious hot tub, and eat in various country pubs.

When August finally rolled around, and I returned home after singing my heart out at Taylor Swift’s ‘The Eras Tour’, I packed our suitcase (not wanting Tim to guess anything based on what I told him to pack) and we began our three-ish hour drive to Suffolk.

On arrival, we were greeted by our hosts, Ian and Alison, who showed us around the cottage and gave us various instructions for our stay. I cannot speak highly enough of our hosts, they were responsive to our messages, friendly, helpful, and genuinely seemed to have thought of everything — even leaving homemade bread and a selection of jams in the kitchenette for us (I thought the blackcurrant jam was incredible, but Tim favoured the strawberry).

During our weekend in the country, we visited the lovely town of Framlingham, where we had a stroll around the shops, buying books and nicknacks, and wandered around the castle, even going full-pensioner and using the English Heritage audio guides to learn about its history. I remember visiting Framlingham as a child at least twice, so it felt quite nostalgic for me too. We had ice creams and sat outside the castle in the sun; it was a very wholesome day out.

That evening we went for dinner at The Dennington Queen pub, the food was amazing, we started with some bread and olives to share, then I had the pork belly and Tim had the pan-roasted duck breast. There was a tiny little mess up with some allergens (Tim has some allergies so we have to be careful eating out), but the staff were so lovely, making sure his food was safe, and even giving us his meal and some drinks on the house due to the mistake. We really weren’t expecting this gesture, and wouldn’t have made a fuss anyway as they dealt with the issue perfectly, but it was lovely of them regardless. And the food was truly incredible, I’m salivating thinking about the pork belly as we speak.

On the whole, the weekend was lovely, and I truly think more people are turning to the countryside as an alternative to city-breaks for weekends away. Glamping trips can be cheaper than cities, and miles more relaxing, with no crowds to contend with, no stressful public transport to navigate, and no scarily fast-pace to adjust to. I highly recommend the Shoemaker’s Studio, or Ian and Alison’s other properties, The Dennington Queen, and the area in general for a quick relaxing weekend.

Grab your wellies, get on Airbnb (other rental sites are available), and spend some time outside. If there’s a hot tub that’s a bonus, but I promise you’ll have a relaxing time either way.