Shepherd's Huts in the United Kingdom

Whether it's cosying yourself away around a wood-burning stove or flinging open the stable-style doors and basking in the sun, nothing beats a shepherd's hut retreat.

98% (1167 reviews)
98% (1167 reviews)

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12 top shepherd's huts sites in United Kingdom

99%
(230)

Graig Wen - Wild Snowdonia Escapes

32 units · Glamping, Motorhomes, Tents45 acres · Gwynedd, North Wales
Succumb to the tranquil hills of Graig Wen. Smart, sustainable and quite simply, lush.
from 
£22
 / night
97%
(140)

Whitlingham Broad Campsite

72 units · Glamping, Motorhomes, Tents5 acres · Norfolk, East Anglia
Laid-back camping and glamping a stone's throw from Norwich and at the gateway to the Norfolk Broads
from 
£12.50
 / night
96%
(131)

Abbey Home Farm

21 units · Glamping, Motorhomes, Tents1600 acres · Cirencester, Gloucestershire, South West England
Eco-camping for real. Cooking on an open fire. Unspoilt natural beauty.
from 
£8
 / night
97%
(38)

Hideaway Camping

17 units · Glamping, Motorhomes, Tents24 acres · Okehampton, England
Carefree camping and glamping in Devon with a nature-friendly setting and imaginative owners
from 
£13
 / night
90%
(5)

Harebeck Holidays

8 units · Glamping, Motorhomes1 acre · Wasdale, England
Nestled between the Western Lake District Fells and the Irish Sea coast this site is situated on a working dairy and sheep farm. Farm tours can be arranged on arrival. A play hut with outdoor games, drying room with communal fridge and freezer (some units have their own small fridge). Natural hedges surround the site. Four fruit trees near the shower block Half a mile to Gosforth village with Shop, Bakery, Cafe, 4 Pubs providing food and an Italian restaurant. Gosforth and Seascale villages have play parks. Muncaster Castle, Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, Wasdale, Scafell Pike and Sandy Beaches with Cafes selling local ice cream are nearby with most Lake District attractions within an hours drive and Edinburgh a three hour drive away. There are 5 campervan/motorhome pitches, a pod, a modern take on a shepherds hut with underfloor heating, a heated pod and two gypsy caravans with electricity to book. All pitches are on gravel positioned to enjoy views over farmland to Scafell Pike and other fells, they are surrounded by grassy areas with seating and a picnic table. A wooden play hut has outdoor games and toys inside. Awnings can be added on the 3 larger pitches. Tents can be pitched next to units for an extra £10 per night. Barbeques are allowed on gravel with our Gypsy Caravans having a campfire area. There is a communal fridge and freezer, outdoor drying space. Farm tours can be arranged. Wildlife and farm animals can be seen in the surrounding fields. Fresh vegetables and barbeque packs can be ordered with 24 to 48 hours notice. Grocery deliveries accepted from supermarkets. There is also a holiday cottage on the farm sleeping 6 over two rooms. Situated midway between the Western Lake District Fells and the Irish Sea Coast makes this site ideal for lower or higher level walks. Sandy beaches at Seascale and St Bees have cafes selling locally made ice cream alongside play areas to keep children happy. Scafell England's highest mountain is close by as are a number of Wainwrights. Nearby is Muncaster Castle and Gardens with its Hawk and Owl Centre, also Ravenglass (a Roman port with remains of a bath house),  you can ride up the Eskdale Valley on the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway (Laal Ratty). Perhaps take a stroll to Stanley Ghyll waterfall. They have a cafe at both terminuses with a museum in Ravenglass where nearby you can sample Ravenglass Ice Cream. Wasdale and Ennerdale are close by both valleys having cafes and pubs.
from 
£25
 / night
99%
(114)

Hamperley Hideaways

6 units · Glamping, Motorhomes, Tents5 acres · Church Stretton, England
Almost wild camping and rustic glamping in the Shropshire Hills, with campfires and compost loos
from 
£10
 / night
100%
(118)

Westland Farm

21 units · Glamping, Motorhomes, Tents27 acres · Barnstaple, Devon, South West England
Camping and glamping on a working farm, with yurts, huts with hot tubs, and simple, spacious, sociable camping pitches
from 
£12.50
 / night
100%
(25)

Broadmeadow Glamping

3 units · Glamping12 acres · Hereford, Herefordshire, West Midlands
A quaint wooden cabin, tucked away on a Herefordshire farm. Perfect for a romantic glamping retreat or year-round family getaways.
from 
£110
 / night
100%
(51)

Woodman's Huts

3 units · Glamping1 acre · Cumbria, North West England
Beautiful handmade shepherd's huts in the heart of the picturesque South Lakes
from 
£110
 / night
95%
(66)

Cattlestone Farm

36 units · Glamping, Motorhomes, Tents60 acres · West Sussex, South East England
Friendly camping and glamping on a Sussex farm, with animals to meet, a pond to swim in, and the South Downs nearby.
from 
£35
 / night
95%
(31)

Dernwood Farm Wild Camping

17 units · Glamping, Tents70 acres · East Sussex, South East England
Camping and glamping in Sussex meadows and woodlands
from 
£16
 / night
100%
(13)

Beautiful hideaway, panoramic views

1 unit · Glamping5 acres · Rake, England
The Shepherd's Hut at Coombe Farm Glamping is only an hour or so from London and within easy reach of Goodwood, Cowdray and the south coast; yet once you're here, you'll feel as if you've stepped through the back of the wardrobe. With it's unimpeded views over the South Downs and barely another soul around. It is the only hut in the field, so you can enjoy the peace and space to yourself.
from 
£120
 / night

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Explore our complete collection of shepherd's hut glamping sites and find the place that's right for you.

Shepherd's Huts in the United Kingdom guide

Overview

Shepherd's Hut Glamping in the UK, France & Europe

Nothing provides better year-round glamping accommodation than a shepherd's hut. Inspired by the travelling shepherds of old, transporting their wares in these four-wheeled hideouts, shepherd's hut are arguably the origin of glamping. Sure, shepherd's back then didn't have deep double beds and en-suite toilets but what's to stop us now? If you're looking for the best shepherd's hut glampsites you've come to the right place. Browse our selection of the best Shepherd's Hut glamping here on the Hipcamp website and book your next Glamping Holiday online today.

What is a shepherd's hut?

Shepherd's huts were originally used several hundred years ago, with the earliest notes about their use dating back to the late 16th century. The huts were humble affairs, crafted on farms and built with whatever was at hand. If you had a resident carpenter or woodsman on the farm, then your shepherd’s hut would have been built from wood and, if a blacksmith, then it would be built from repurposed metal. These huts were not about luxury but about a simple, practical shelter for working hill farmers and shepherds.

The use of shepherd's huts peaked in the mid 19th century, a time when they were particularly prevalent in the south of England and in Wales – most notably in the South Downs, the West Country and the rolling Welsh valleys. It was around this time, too, that you’ll find them inspiring novelists such as Thomas Hardy. Shepherd’s huts began to dwindle in the 20th century, with the advent of mechanised farm machinery and electric power reaching rural farms. Shepherds huts were still used, however, in the more remote part of the county and in the roughest upland terrain, particularly Northumberland and the Scottish Borders.

During these times, a shepherd’s hut offered everything rolled into one. A shepherd’s hut was a bedroom, dining room, kitchen, sitting room, storeroom and wet-weather shelter all simultaneously. They would almost always have a stove with a chimney in one corner – providing heating, drying and somewhere to cook – and a window on each side so that the shepherd could see his flock from inside. A hinged stable door, positioned away from the prevailing wind, enabled the shepherd to hear the flock and any stirs of trouble, while strong axels and wheels allowed the shepherd to move with the sheep, from field to field or area to area. At times, shepherd’s may be out in their hut for months at a time.

Today things have changed. Shepherd’s huts have become a far more luxury offering and, when it comes to glamping, you’ll now find shepherd’s huts with deep double beds, plump pillows, en-suite bathrooms, modern kitchens, electricity and running water. Some glamping sites offer genuine, original shepherd’s huts that have been restored from their former use and are now offered to glampers. Other sites will offer newly built units with all the mod cons you could ask for, like power showers and under-floor hearing. Whatever you’re after, here on the Hipcamp website we're sure to know of a place that’s right for you. Browse our collection now and book your break online today.

Why go glamping in a shepherd's hut?

As with all glamping, the benefit of staying in a shepherds hut is that you needn't faff about with the tent or clog your car with expensive camping gear. Even so, when compared with other forms of accommodation such as tipis and safari tents, you'll often find the shepherd's hut comes hut on top. Shepherd's huts are one of the most popular forms of glamping accommodation and for good reason. They offer sturdy, weather-proof accommodation all year round and, while the likes of bell tents and yurts may prove appropriate in the sunny glamping months of summer, during the depths of winter the shelter of a shepherd's hut is very tough to beat. There is also something wonderfully romantic about glamping in a shepherd's hut. They offer a sense of history and heritage that something like a modern glamping pod cannot offer. There's nothing more wonderful, for example, than sitting cosy around the log-burner while rain tap-dances on the corrugated roof of your hut. The compact, practical nature of a shepherd's hut, meanwhile, also makes it a handy alternative to staying in a modern cottage or holiday home. They offer self catered accommodation all rolled into one small space, with a kitchen, bedroom and living space all seamlessly combined and often at a far better price too.

Five Reasons we love glamping in a shepherd's hut

– Warm, dry and cosy, they offer the perfect insurance against the weather all year round.– There's no need to bring and buy a tent.– There's something undeniably romantic about hiding away in these snug and historical abodes.– Sturdy, strong and versatile, shepherd's huts will often offer electricity, running water and handy kitchen facilities.– You'll feel like the protagonist in a Thomas Hardy novel.

Glamping in a shepherd's hut abroad

Shepherd's huts are, given their history, an inherently British structure. As a result, if you're going glamping in France they are generally much fewer and far between. In France, Spain and the rest of Europe you will also generally find that glamping accommodation caters to the warmer, sunnier climate. The likes of bell tents, safari tents and airy canvas structures are far more prevalent. Nevertheless, there are one or two shepherd's hut glamping sites on the continent and, if your travelling during the cooler season, they're worthwhile seeking out. Here on the Hipcamp website you can search and find shepherd's huts quickly and easily and also filter your results using our handy refine your search function. Whatever you're after, you've come to the right place.

We go glamping in shepherd's huts because...

they're cosy, romantic and charming with bags of history and a wonderfully homely feel snuggled away in the rolling landscapes of the countryside. We love the way glamping sites today have taken such an iconic countryside structure and transformed it from its humble origins to a compact form of luxury accommodation with built-in double beds, fully functioning kitchenettes and en-suite bathroom facilities. In the winter time, you can warm around the campfire and stay snug as rain drops tap upon the rooftop, while in summer you can fling open the shepherd's hut doors and bask in the sunlight just as shepherd's wood in the hills centuries ago. For luxury, romance and a hefty dose of nostalgia, we just adore shepherd's hut glamping!

Popular Shepherd's Hut Sites

  • Abberton Shepherd's Hut
  • Little Otchan Shepherd's Hut
  • Jacob's Hut
  • Greenhill Glamping
  • Woodmans Huts
  • The Shepherds Hide
  • Frankshore Shepherd's Hut
  • The Shepherd's Hut at Mill Granary
  • Huts Upon a Hill
  • Morrells Wood Farm
  • Waydown Shepherd's Huts
  • Blackgrounds Farm Shepherd's Huts
  • Snowdonia Shepherds' Huts

Popular Destinations

  • Glamping in France
  • Glamping in Cornwall
  • Glamping in the UK
  • Glamping near London
  • Glamping in the Lake District
  • Glamping in Wales
  • Glamping in the Cotswolds
  • Glamping in Dorset
  • Glamping in Devon
  • Glamping in Scotland
  • Glamping in Snowdonia
  • Glamping in Norfolk
  • Glamping in the South Downs

Glamping Accommodation

  • Yurts & gers
  • Safari Tents
  • Bell tents
  • Pod glamping
  • Treehouses
  • Gypsy Caravans
  • Tipis
  • Geodesic domes
  • Hot tub glamping
  • Dog-friendly glamping
  • Winter glamping
  • Glamping with campfires
  • Regular camping

About

From cosy nooks in the mountains to coastal glamping retreats, discover the best shepherd's huts across the UK, France and Europe with this specially selected collection from the experts at Hipcamp.

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