Ruby Retreats

A magical experience under the stars, a cottage on wheels that provides a sanctuary in the middle of forest and wildlife, experience a taste of 'Tiny Living' with luxuries like a full screen movie projector for nights in and a heated swimming pool to make your time at Ruby Retreats extra special. The space Our lovingly converted 7.5 tonne lorry Ruby was our home for over 2 years and was originally ‘born’ in Penzance, Cornwall. She was hand crafted by Matt Banks (Touchwood Carpentry) the master craftsman who brought her to life from being a cargo lorry to a home on wheels which has taken us to the likes of the Scottish Highlands, Norfolk, Suffolk, Dartmoor, Dorset and various parts of Cornwall. She was featured in the Tiny Living UK magazine and was originally set out to be the home for a Community Interest Company called ‘EarthKeepers’ which aimed to promote the mental health of young people through nature. We now open her doors to share this wonderful creation and experience with others, in the heart of Cornwall. Ruby features a large king size mezzanine bed, child size single bunk bed underneath and a further double sofa bed if required. The double sofa bed is 'clic-clac' and all fresh bedding is stored inside the sofa for your use. We are sorry but we do not currently have floor space for a travel cot. Bed linen and towels are provided. There is a full size shower, composting toilet, kitchen with sink, oven and hob with two burners. The composting toilet uses a separating system and is part of our 'off grid' set up as we are not connected to the mains sewage, please follow the instructions provided on the wall and you should not have any problems during your stay. We do plan on installing an Outhouse for those that prefer to have separate toileting facilities and more privacy, stay tuned! There is also a standard size fridge and freezer onboard. Our water system now works from the fresh water mains system and is drinkable. There is also a projector system which allows you to watch movies on a screen that is approximately 100 inches in size, you can bring your own movies loaded onto a memory drive or you can select from our favourites. There is also a firestick which allows you to sign into your favourite apps such as Netflix and Amazon Prime. Our accommodation is dog friendly and there is a separate dog bed under the bunk bed with fresh bedding available. For heating there is a diesel heater on those chilly nights which you can turn on at the touch of a button for your convenience however in the summer time you will be unlikely to need it as the lorry is very well insulated. We do have a wood burner installed however have taken the decision that at this time this will not be available to use for guests due to additional safety measures needed to ensure fire safety compliance, this is to make sure all guests are safe while using it so do apologise for any inconvenience. There is also a lovely bistro seating area outside on the drop down ramp where you can enjoy your morning coffee or a sunset barbeque. There are plenty of things to do being located in Cornwall, the nearest pub is the Notter Bridge Inn you would have seen on the way in, within walking distance, the nearest beach is Seaton beach however can access within an hours drive all of the well known Cornish beaches including Fistral beach in Newquay if you're a keen surfer! There is a beautiful local dog walk across the forest and fields if you turn right at the Notter Bridge Inn and continue across the river, you can also access some beautiful fishing spots if you are a keen angler! Update for 2024: We are pleased to share that major ground works have been completed to ensure that your stay at Ruby Retreats is comfortable. Ruby is located in a private nature reserve which now has a hard standing made from crushed stone which keeps any mud at bay. Ruby now has high speed Internet on board, no more dead zones! We have now also installed mains water which means no more pump noise when showering. Future plans... Stay tuned for an outside decking area, hot tub installation and a nightsky viewing platform. Guest access Ruby is part of Notter Mill Country Park, located within walking distance of the river Lyhner and set in a designated area of natural beauty. Here you have shared access to a heated outdoor swimming pool, tennis court, table tennis, badminton and children's play park so please feel free to explore! There are also laundry facilities which is coin operated should you require this. Please note that Ruby Retreats is run separately to Notter Mill Country Park so please ensure any queries are raised directly with us. Upon your arrival, please ensure you park in the main parking area which is just after the gated entrance and not next to Ruby (even if its just to unload the car) this is to prevent additional wear on the ground within the nature reserve. Other things to note You will be greeted with a complimentary basket of fresh eggs, Cornish sea salted butter, local sourdough bread and milk. We currently have no WiFi facility at this time but will be installing this as part of future plans. You can use your phone connection at certain points in the park however signal is a little intermittent due to being in a valley and apologise for the inconvenience. Please note that the area leading up to the lorry can get muddy after some rainfall, we do plan on adding a gravelled path to prevent this from happening however at the moment we do advise to bring some wellies just in case.