Shepherd Hut in your own field!

Enjoy gorgeous sunsets, see wildlife and watch farm animals. Light the fire pit and sit out under the stars. Our off-grid shepherd hut with wood-burner makes for a warm and cosy glamping retreat, with your own private shower room and a fully equipped, covered, camp-kitchen. Dogs are welcome and will love having the run of the half hectare, enclosed field! A group of up to six people (four of them staying in your own tents) are welcome to come enjoy this beautiful countryside retreat. The space Come and have a digital detox in the midst of the Northamptonshire countryside, on a working family farm! You have the whole 0.5 hectare, fenced in, glamping field to yourselves! It used to be the farm’s storage area, and several tons of scrap metal were removed to create this beautiful space. After the dairy cows were sold in 2019, the farm entered an environmental scheme and we have seen a huge increase in biodiversity. Half the fields are now full of wild bird seed and nectar flowers and the other half is grazed by the sheep and cows belonging to the farmer next door. You are certain to see red kites and buzzards and may well see hares, foxes and badgers. There are also many birds frequenting the lagoons at the end of the field. The shepherd hut started out as someone else’s unfinished project (turns out the roof wasn’t even attached!). We’ve put in a super-cosy cabin bed (linen supplied) and sofa. There’s also a small, but mighty, wood burner you can boil a kettle on. (The guard for this is made from an old oil drum- we love a bit of repurposing!). The steps and patio are the repurposed walls of a silage pit (where cattle feed is stored). They are quite high and, even though there is a hand rail, this is the main reason the hut isn’t suitable for small children. The trunk Mr. Elliott arrived with, at nearby Moulton College, in the 1960s is now on wheels and doubles up as storage and a table. It is stored under the bed along with a small dining table. There is also space under there for dog beds. The shepherd hut is completely off-grid and we try to be as eco-friendly as possible. A solar panel supplies the lights and USB charging points for phones and laptops. Your adjacent, private, kitchen/bathroom block has hot water, courtesy of LPG, which also supplies a single gas hob and a camping fridge. The septic system cleverly utilises bacteria to turn the waste into clean water. Your camp-kitchen is well equipped for semi-outdoor cooking and a BBQ with pizza oven is provided. The shower room has a clothes-horse for drying the travel towels that we provide. There is a solar powered security light to illuminate the way to the bathroom at night and another in the bathroom itself. The field is completely fenced in but we never promise anything is dog proof (we have a terrier after all!). We provide dog towels and poo bags (there is dedicated bin for them in the field once they're full!) for your canine companions. Next to the entrance to the glamping field is space to park up to four cars and a trolley for transporting your belongings to the shepherd hut. We keep the grass short but wellies are good idea in the wetter months as is a torch for crossing the field at night! There is access from the farm onto three public footpaths and beautiful walks to be had to the nearby villages. Relax, unwind and just "come and be" at Elliotts' Rectory Farm! Guest access You currently have the whole 0.5 hectare glamping field to yourselves! The shepherd hut sleeps 2 people and one large or two small dogs (and isn’t suited to young children). You can bring an extra 4 people in a maximum of two tents and an extra two dogs. There is enough parking for 4 cars at the entrance to the field. A trolley is provided to transport your belongings. The field is fully fenced but we never say it’s ‘dog proof’ (we have a terrier after all!), so roaming dogs need to be supervised and poo picked up! The guests in the cabin, at the far end of the field, may have dogs in their enclosed garden. As well as the cosy shepherd hut you have your own private shower room and camp kitchen. You can walk through certain parts of the farm to access the public footpaths. A map will be provided! Other things to note It’s not quite a dark-sky reserve, but you’ll need a torch for walking across the field at night! No need for camping stoves, for those in tents, the camp-kitchen has all you need. We sometimes hold events at the farm (check out the Elliotts’ Rectory Farm website if you’re interested!). We’ll let you know at the time of booking if there’s anything happening when you plan to stay. There is no Wi-Fi at the shepherd hut, so you can digitally detox! (Mobile phone reception is pretty good).