Tinywood House One, near Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
A UNIQUE CONCEPT FOR LUXURY GLAMPING, SET IN A ONE ACRE PASTURE FOR THE EXCLUSIVE USE OF GUESTS, THEIR CHILDREN AND THEIR DOGS.
Tinywood One is the original — the first of the Tinywood Homes, and the house every one since has been measured against. It sits in open pasture on a working arable farm outside Long Itchington, in the quiet farmland between Royal Leamington Spa and Southam, with nothing in the way of the view but the crop.
Twenty feet long, built from steel and wood, and arranged over two floors that between them sleep five. What surprises people is how little it feels like a compromise: a proper kitchen with granite worktops, a living room with a wood burner, a separate shower room, and a master bedroom with a king size bed — all in a footprint you could park a car in.
Outside, a South African-style stoep runs along the house, with a gas barbecue, an outdoor wood burner and a wood-fired hot tub. Central heating as well as the log burner means it works as well in February as it does in July.
The location does a lot of work. Long Itchington is a short walk along a disused railway line, now a footpath and cycle route, and for a village of its size it has a remarkable six pubs. Royal Leamington Spa, historic Warwick and Stratford-upon-Avon are all within a short drive, with the Cotswolds beyond them.
There is no Wi-Fi and no television and that’s deliberate.
THE ACCOMMODATION
* The ground floor holds the master bedroom with a king size bed, a living room with a wood burning stove and a stow-away sofa, and a kitchen finished with granite worktops and a fold-away dining table that seats four.
* Upstairs, reached by a fold-down staircase, a landing holds three full-sized single beds — which is what makes a twenty-foot house work for a family of five.
* There is a private shower room and flushing toilet inside the house, with hot running water. Not a shared block, and not a walk across a field in the dark.
* Central heating as well as the indoor log burner, so it is genuinely comfortable whatever the season. This is not a summer-only place.
* Outside, a South African-style stoep runs the length of the house with a gas barbecue and an outdoor wood burner, so the evening carries on out of doors in most weathers. The wood-fired hot tub sits alongside it, in the open rather than under cover.
* Maximum five guests. Up to three dogs are welcome. A non-refundable charge of £25 per dog applies.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
* Wood-fired hot tub (the hot tub is filled with fresh water before every arrival)
* King size bed and three full-sized single beds, with bed linen provided for all five
* Private shower room and flushing toilet inside the house, with hot water
* Central heating and an indoor wood burning stove
* Kitchen with granite worktops, a gas cooker and hob, and a sink with hot and cold running water
* Crockery, cutlery and kettle
* Small fridge with a freezer compartment
* Fold-away dining table seating four
OUTSIDE you will find…
* A covered stoep running the length of the house
* Outdoor wood burner and a gas barbecue
* Wood, briquettes, lighter fluid and a gas torch — logs at no extra charge
* Private parking right next to the house
Not included: towels. Please bring your own.
FACILITIES ON SITE
The Majic Barn Café is a short walk away on the same site, and is run by the owners: coffee, ice cream, refreshments and something to eat at lunchtime, in open countryside. Opening hours are posted on Instagram, @majicbarncafe.
THINGS TO DO NEARBY
* Warwick is a short drive and the obvious day out with children — Warwick Castle fills a whole day between the ramparts, the birds of prey and the trebuchet, and the town below has the medieval Lord Leycester Hospital and a compact historic centre that is easy to walk.
* The Grand Union Canal runs through Long Itchington, with the Stockton flight of locks nearby and flat, traffic-free towpath in both directions. The disused railway line into the village is the same story, which makes this an easy place to walk or ride with a mixed-ability group — bikes earn their place in the car.
* Royal Leamington Spa is about fifteen minutes away and the one for a wet afternoon — Regency architecture, the Jephson Gardens along the river, and a good run of independent shops, cafés and restaurants.
* Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare’s birthplace, is around half an hour: the birthplace itself, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and the riverside.
* Tinywood sits close to the northern border of the Cotswolds, which open up beyond Stratford for a longer day out. Coventry and Birmingham are both reachable if you want a city.
EATING AND DRINKING NEARBY
Long Itchington is known locally for its six pubs — the “Long Itchington Six” is a pub crawl in its own right, and every one of them is walkable from the house, which is a rare thing to be able to say.
* The Green Man — a cosy real ale pub in a converted 1690 farmhouse. They don’t serve food, but a chip van calls on a Friday and the chips can be eaten in the pub with your drink. Closed Mondays.
* The Harvester — excellent pizza, eat in or take away.
* The Two Boats — a quaint canal-side traditional pub with good bar food.
* The Cuttle Inn — family-run free house on the Grand Union Canal, with extensive gardens, a patio overlooking the water and a children’s play area.
* The Buck and Bell — 17th-century village pub with a good selection of beers and a large outside patio.
* The Duck on the Pond — a handsome pub with a beer garden, now home to Cinnamon Arch, serving Indian food to eat in or take away. Closed Mondays; opens at 4pm.
Just outside the village:
* The White Hart at Ufton — a 16th-century coaching inn worth the trip for the hilltop views alone.
* Hilltop Farm Shop and Café — on the Fosse Way, with a first-rate butcher selling top-quality locally sourced produce, and breakfast and lunch in the café that come highly recommended. A sensible stop on the way in when you are catering for five.
* The Long Itch Diner — a British-style diner in a converted petrol station on the Southam Road, and great value if a fried breakfast takes your fancy.
GOOD TO KNOW
• No Wi-Fi and no television. That is the appeal, not an oversight.
• Five guests maximum, in one king size bed and three singles.
• Bed linen is provided for all five beds. Towels are not provided.
• The hot tub is wood fired and is not under cover — it sits in the open.
• Upstairs is reached by a fold-down staircase, worth knowing if anyone in the party is unsteady on steep steps.
• Arrival from 2pm, departure by 11am. Arrival days are Monday, Wednesday or Friday, with a minimum stay of two nights.
• Up to three dogs, at £25 each.
The house sits beside a working arable field, and this is a family site — guests are asked to keep the noise down after 11pm and to leave the house clean and tidy.
PRICES
From £175 per night, with a minimum stay of two nights
Dogs – £25 per dog
Breaks are booked by arrival day — Monday, Wednesday or Friday — with midweek stays priced below weekends, and Christmas and New Year priced separately.
More glamping accommodation at Tinywood Homes available in this link