Secluded, beautiful eco-lodge with superb views

A delightful three bedroom, Scandinavian style log cabin in a small wood, overlooking magnificent countryside and 1/2 a mile from the nearest neighbours. It's a wonderful high spec retreat. Enjoy a well-appointed kitchen/diner, comfy beds, log-fired sitting-room, fantastic walks, good pubs, outside BBQ - and tranquillity. There is lots of open space for children to play, plus woods to explore and dens to build. This self-sufficient, luxurious lodge is very special and the price covers 6 people. This self-sufficient Norwegian style eco-log cabin is beautifully crafted and delightfully situated on the edge of a secluded 5 acre wood, which forms part of a working small-holding, with views across the Mendip hills towards Bridgwater Bay. This truly is a secret hide-away in the hills - a perfect get-away. It is ideal for families with children, or groups of adults, who want to experience an eco-environment, where heating, electricity and water all depend on solar energy to keep them working (although there is a back-up diesel generator if all else fails!) Because of the secluded environment, and the woodland surroundings, it is possible for children to have a "Swallows and Amazons" kind of experience - where they can play freely and make the most of the outdoor opportunities for building dens, riding bikes, exploring the wood, collecting wood for fires, and sleeping outside if parents are happy with this (we have tents available). At some times of the year it is even possible to feed lambs and sheep. There are three bedrooms (two have double beds and enough space beside each bed to add an extra single mattress for children, and there is one larger bedroom with a double futon and a single bed), an open-plan sitting room with kitchen and dining space as part of the room, and a wood burning stove in one corner. The bathroom contains toilet, shower and washbasin. There is an entrance hall for coats and shoes. It can sleep 6 adults comfortably, and up to 8 or 9 people if the group includes children who are happy to "bunk up" together - either with their parents (there is space beside each double bed to fit a single mattress on the floor), or in the larger bed room with the single bed and double futon. Fresh bed linen and towels are provided for all guests, and all beds will be made-up. At the end of your stay, after you have gone, we will strip the beds and change all the sheets, which is what the "cleaning charge" of £30 covers. With its top quality solar panels producing electricity and hot water, eco flushing system using rain-water capture, and wood-burner fired radiators, this cabin has a symbiotic relationship with mother nature. Because the cabin is part of a working farm, and used by the owners during periods of intense activity on the farm (e.g,.at lambing time), it is only available for a limited number of weeks during the year. For many guests, the flock of sheep is part of the attraction. We usually have one or two ewes that were fed from the bottle as lambs, so they can still enjoy this experience as a treat if guests have any spare milk they want to share! Hence the references to "Rosemary" and "Carlton" (the sheep) in some of the reviews. The eco-lodge is 1/2 mile from the A38 and accessed by a rough track from the main road. The cabin is part of a working small-holding that has several fields with a flock of sheep, a small orchard with a bee-hive (well away from the cabin!), and 5 acres of woods. You will have sole use of the cabin and surrounding woodland. The cabin is situated next to a small trout pond, which was stocked with trout two years ago, but we think herons may have polished them all off. Recently we have only ever caught goldfish! There will be cut logs provided to keep the wood-burning stove going during your stay to ensure there is sufficient heat and hot water, and there are loads of fallen branches in the woodland that can be used for the outside BBQ. The quoted price covers up to 6 people, which seems the ideal number of adults for the lodge. It is possible to accommodate 2 or 3 more children/adults on futons beds/mattresses, and there is an additional per person charge in this case. We live some way from the farm so, apart from meeting and greeting you at the cabin, you will be left to enjoy your privacy. However, as the cabin is located next to a working farm, we may be around from time to time in the fields where the sheep are grazing, or working in the wood collecting timber. Note: We will always be on hand by phone if you need any assistance. The marvellous eco cabin is beautifully situated on the Mendip hills, giving you front door access to woodland, grassy fields and splendid walks. There are good bike trails as well. Fancy eating out? There are some wonderful country pubs down the hill in both directions. There is even an outdoor activity-centre (including dry ski slope) nearby (10 minutes walk), which offers great opportunities for energetic children or family fun. There is ample space for car parking on spaces covered with bark chippings beside the cabin. Many guests arrive by car and don't use it at all during their stay as it is perfectly possible to walk to local shops and/or pubs, and there are good walking and cycling routes that start at the cabin. It is possible to reach the lodge by public transport because the Falcon coach from Bristol to Plymouth passes through Churchill village on the A38 and the stop is 3/4 mile from the lodge. Likewise the A2 from Bristol Airport to Weston super Mare passes through Churchill. The X1 from Bristol to Weston goes through the village of Congresbury, which is 3 miles away and there is a railway station at Yatton, which is 4 miles away. There are very good off-road cycling routes that pass close to the cabin. This is an eco -lodge which means it relies on mother nature to supply electricity and hot water. On a sunny day there is plenty of electricity and hot water and, even when it's cloudy or raining, some electricity continues to be generated during daylight hours. However, if it is not a particularly sunny day then the solar-powered batteries may not be able to get a full charge, so you need to watch the monitor which tells you how much electricity is left. We will explain all this to you when you arrive! After dark, no solar electricity is generated of course, so you are reliant on the electricity that is stored in the batteries, which should be enough to keep the lights going at night, but means you have to be very careful not to use things that consume a lot of electricity, like toasters, hair dryers, kettles, etc. As a back-up we do have a small diesel powered generator, which is there as a last resort. If the battery drops below a critical level (less than one quarter of charge), the generator needs to be started. Th woodburner provides a cosy focus to the sitting area, as well as heating the hot water very effectively. This is especially good news in the winter when the solar energy doesn't add much to the water temperature. The hot water store feeds the radiators in all rooms, as well as providing hot water for showers and washing up.