Unplugged: The Ultimate Digital Detox
Fancy staying in a cabin in the countryside with no access to technology? Unplugged is the perfect notification-free staycation, just an hour from London. The founders, Hector and Ben, started Unplugged in a bid to encourage us all to embrace the slower life. You’ll lock your phone in a box for the duration of your stay and only get it back when you leave.
Getting to Unplugged
Unplugged has 8 cabins, all within an hour of London. They’re easily reached by car or a train journey followed by a short taxi ride. If you don’t have a car, don’t let it put you off. Despite being in the middle of the countryside, all of the cabins are within walking distance of a pub.
First impressions
We arrived at Unplugged on a sunny Saturday afternoon after a short drive from Surrey to West Sussex. Our cabin, Gruff, was located on a farm in the sleepy village of Thakeham. After making our way down the bumpy farm track, we parked up and unloaded our luggage into a trolley (not the supermarket kind). We (Conor) wheeled the luggage down another muddy path until we stumbled upon a gate that led the way to our home for the next few days. As we rounded the corner, we caught a glimpse of Basil (our neighbouring cabin) in the distance. Although the cabins were next to each other, the beauty of Unplugged is that whilst you’re inside and around your hut, you won’t see anyone else. There’s separate gates for both cabins, so the views is completely uniterrupted.
The cabins
In line with the ethos of slowing down, the cabins are off-grid. They run on solar power and you’re encouraged to switch everything off when you aren’t using it. The inside is basic but perfectly cosy. There’s a kitchen and seating area, a comfy double bed and a small bathroom. The fridge space is small so don’t bring all the food you need for your stay. The star of the show here is the vast window beside the bed, offering far-reaching views across the countryside. We spent many hours gazing out of it. By day, expect to see birds and foxes amble by. If you’re there on a clear night, you’ll feel as though you’re in a planetarium. The stars here were the best I’ve seen on any UK stay. We fell asleep with the blinds open, drifting off with the night sky as our backdrop. I’m usually a blind firmly shut kinda girl (too many horror movies), but there’s a real sense of calm that embodies this place.
If you find yourself wondering how to pass the time, there’s plenty of books, games and jigsaw puzzles to help. We got great use from the cassette player, which eased the silence that’s very apparent when you’re not scrolling through TikTok. In the evenings, we turned the volume up, poured ourselves a gin, and had a dance party to the Guardians of the Galaxy playlist. The cosy fire kept us warm by night as we settled down to our 10th game of Monopoly Deal. In the summertime, the outside table and seating area would be the perfect spot to enjoy dinner.
Things to do near Unplugged
This isn’t a staycation you book with an extensive list of activities to tick off. Unplugged encourages you to slow down and do nothing. Set off on foot to explore the countryside, or make your way to the local pub for a drink. All of the cabins have a pub nearby, so even without a car, you get a night off from cooking. If you fancy venturing further afield, Gruff and Basil are a short drive from Kinsbrook Vineyard. Book a tasting tour for £25 pp, or grab a bite to eat at The Kin Bubble wine bar & café. On Sundays, they run “Sunday Sessions”, featuring live music from original artists. No tickets needed!
Unplugged price
You can only book Unplugged as a 3-night escape, and prices start from £390.
Can I bring my dog?
Most of the cabins are dog-friendly, so your furry pal can benefit from the slow life too.
What if I need my phone?
Before my stay, I wondered how this worked. You lock your phone away yourself, and the key is sealed away in an envelope ready for when you leave. If you really wanted to, you could get your phone, but where’s the fun in that? In case of emergencies, there’s an old-school Nokia, snake included! I used it once to send a text to the customer support team who are on hand if you need anything (we couldn’t find the spare batteries for the radio). Apart from that, our stay was technology-free.
Book a stay here if…
You want to experience something completely different. I was apprehensive at the thought of being without my phone, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Time seemed to slow down, but not in a “has it only been 20 minutes” kind of way, in a “look how much you can achieve when you aren’t distracted by a screen” kind of way. We came away feeling truly connected and vowed to make no screen time part of our routine.
My stay at Unplugged was kindly gifted, but all opinions are my own. If I wouldn’t recommend somewhere to a friend, I wouldn’t recommend it to you.
