Little Lesquite in Cornwall with Unique hideaways
Tucked away in a remote corner of North Cornwall, Little Lesquite is the perfect place to get away from it all.
As the end of a very busy year approaches, one that saw me leave my 9-5 to go full time with my travel blog, visit countless new places, and make the decision to leave Barcelona for a 3 month adventure to Asia, I found myself desperately seeking a trip where I could switch off and recharge.
So I teamed up with Unique hideaways to find the perfect property to do exactly that. They have over 150 luxury glamping accommodations across the UK, with everything from yurts to houseboats, making it really easy to find somewhere unique to stay.
After finding an idyllic shepherds hut surrounded by countryside, we packed our bags and headed to one of our favourite parts of the UK – Cornwall. Famed for its white sandy beaches and picturesque seaside towns, it’s not often a destination associated with a cosy winter break.
But what’s better than being curled up next to a roaring fire, with endless views over the Cornish countryside to marvel at? Read on to find out more about my stay.
This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Unique hideaways, but all views are my own.
Who are Unique hideaways?
Whenever I’m searching for somewhere to stay, I’m always seeking out properties that have a story to tell. And that’s exactly what Unique hideaways helped me find.
They offer a collection of unique places to stay, with over 150 luxury glamping properties to choose from across the UK.
With shepherd’s huts, yurts, cabins, houseboats, and even safari tents, their focus is on one-of-a-kind properties.
You can easily filter your search to find the perfect stay for you, like whether it allows pets, has an outdoor hot tub, a wood burner, sea views, or if it’s eco friendly.
We knew we wanted to escape to Cornwall and we wanted somewhere with a hot tub or outdoor bath, so we filtered our search to only show luxury glamping accommodation that met those criteria.
Little Lesquite
We chose Little Lesquite mostly because of its idyllic location, cosy interiors, and amazing outdoor bath tub overlooking the countryside.
The booking process was really easy, and Unique hideaways kept in touch even throughout the stay. A quick email to ask how everything was going reassured us that they were there if we needed anything.
Location
Little Lesquite is located in North Cornwall, about 2 miles from Bodmin.
Although you’re only a 10-minute drive from the nearest town, the shepherd’s hut is tucked away down a winding country lane that makes you feel as though you’re in the middle of nowhere.
Your only neighbours are cows and sheep, so it’s the perfect place to switch off and unwind.
Getting there
Whilst its remote location is what makes it special, Little Lesquite is a little tricky to reach, but I promise it’s worth the trip.
It’s a 5 hour drive from London, or you could take a 1 hour flight to Newquay, followed by a 30-minute taxi journey. And a train to nearby Bodmin Parkway will take you around 4 and a half hours from London Paddington.
However you get here, I’d strongly recommend hiring a car for your stay. There’s no shops or pubs within walking distance, so having your own car will make it much easier to stock up on the essentials.
There’s a designated parking space just outside the hut, so you don’t need to worry about leaving it far away.
First impressions
Our long journey quickly became a distant memory when we pulled up to Little Lesquite. We’d left behind a bustling city and arrived to the stillness of the countryside, with only the chirping of birds to break the silence.
Our lovely host, Prue, greeted us on arrival, and quickly pointed out the important information before leaving us to enjoy the hut. She lives in the farmhouse next door and let us know she was only a text away if we needed anything.
For me, this is the perfect way to check in to a property – a chance to quickly get to grips with the essentials before being left to enjoy it.
Inside the hut
I’ve stayed in a number of shepherd’s huts over the years, and Little Lesquite is up there with one of the most luxurious.
At one end of the hut is a comfy king-sized bed, with bedside tables either side and fresh flowers in vases.
Underneath the bed is a large drawer that comfortably accommodated all of our luggage so it wasn’t in the way, and there’s hanging space to the side of the bed for coats.
The kitchen is excellent, with an induction 2 ring hob, electric oven, a fridge, kettle, toaster and everything you need to cook with. Many shepherd’s huts I’ve stayed in have a hob but no oven, and it made a huge difference having one.
There’s a small fold out table and chairs perfect for enjoying meals inside the hut, and an additional two comfy chairs perched next to a wood burner.
The bathroom was a good size, with a large shower, toilet and sink and even a heated towel rail.
There’s an electric radiator that keeps the hut warm, which was very welcomed on the chilly December nights.
I’ve found other shepherds huts I’ve stayed in very cold, and it’s really clear a lot of thought has gone into getting the basics right here. These seemingly small things made a huge difference to our stay.
Outside the hut
The outside is what really drew me to book Little Lesquite. There’s a large garden surrounding the hut, complete with a table and chairs, fire-pit and barbecue.
Although we didn’t get much use of it during our stay, it would be amazing in the warmer months.
The star of the show though is the incredible outdoor bathtub big enough for two, benefiting from uninterrupted views over the countryside.
Having an outdoor tub made our stay so much more special, as we could spend the evening watching the sunset, glass of wine in hand.
Is anything included?
Little Lesquite is a self-catering property, so make sure you bring food with you if you plan to cook.
Prue will make sure you have the essentials though – we arrived to a gorgeous hamper filled with freshly baked scones, cream and jam, eggs, butter and milk.
There’s nothing quite like the taste of Cornish clotted cream, there’s a reason they’re so well known for their cream teas, so I was very pleased to see it after a long drive down.
Prue even messaged ahead of time to check if we were vegan, so she could adjust the hamper for us (we aren’t, but it was a very thoughtful touch).
Shops and pubs
The village of Lanivet, about an 8-minute drive away, has a small shop for stocking up on the essentials, or head to Bodmin for a larger supermarket.
We ordered from a brilliant Indian takeaway, called Moonlight Tandoori in Lostwithiel. They didn’t deliver but it was only a 10-minute drive to collect it.
For breakfast, we headed to Colwith farm shop where we found some delicious local sausages and bacon, which we cooked alongside our eggs.
The hut is large enough that it doesn’t feel cramped when you’re cooking a meal, there’s plenty of space to prepare everything.
Things to do
Although the main reason we came to Little Lesquite was to switch off and not do much at all, it’s in a great location for exploring.
You’re ideally located just a 15-minute drive from The Eden Project, and only 5-minutes from the magnificent Lanhydrock, a late-Victorian country house, both of which make great days out.
The charming harbour town of Fowey is a 25-minute drive away, and one of my favourite places in Cornwall, Padstow, is 35-minutes in the car.
The nearest town, Lostwithiel, is known as the antiques capital of Cornwall, and is a great place to spend a morning.
If you prefer to set off on foot, Bodmin Moor is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with plenty of walking routes.
Final thoughts
I’ve stayed in a lot of shepherds huts over the years, and our stay at Little Lesquite massively exceeded our expectations. It felt more like a boutique hotel than a hut, and it’s clear a lot of attention has been paid to the finer details.
We wouldn’t have found the property without Unique hideaways, their focus on luxury, high-quality accommodation means you can trust that whatever place you choose, it’ll be incredible.
