REVIEW: Wren treehouse at Nest in Wingate, County Durham

Having started with a holiday cottage at Red Hurworth Farm in 2016, owners Claire and Hugh Carter recently launched four lodges and treehouses promising gorgeous views of the rural surroundings and its wildlife. The Echo went along to try it out.

Arriving at Nest on the first weekend of August, I’d hoped to spend the one-night stay enjoying a warm summer’s evening watching the sunset from the veranda with a glass of wine in hand.

Read more: See inside stunning treehouses and luxury lodges at new rural retreat

Instead, the weather was grey and mizzly, with the sun only just visible through a thick blanket of cloud – but I wasn’t going to let the Great British summertime ruin our stay. 

Pulling off the winding country road and following the farm track up to our treehouse, it was impossible not to be overcome by the holiday buzz. Emerging from the northern downpour, my accommodation for the night loomed into view. 

The treehouses at Nest. (Image: PR)

There are two treehouses at Nest situated about fifty meters apart with parking just outside your door. Surrounding by farmland views and having worked out how to retrieve the key from its lock box we climbed the stairs into our treehouse.

I always find taking a short break close to home gives you a new appreciation of where you’re from. It’s safe to say, as Northerners, we don’t shout about the beauty of our region enough – although we should maybe, selfishly, keep it a secret for ourselves.

Opening the door, I was overcome with the chic interior which has been finished to an incredibly high standard, topped off with that unbeatable smell of ‘new’. Reluctantly, not wanting to make a mess, I went back to the car to retrieve my luggage.

The view as we stepped into our treehouse. (Image: DANIEL HORDON)

The all-purpose living area boasts a comfy super king bed, sofa, table for two, and a well-equipped mini kitchen with a fridge, dishwasher, oven and boiling tap.

Though there’s a chest of drawers to keep your travelling accoutrement, it’s worth noting you’ll have to do without a wardrobe. It should be fine for shorter stays, or if you’re a light packer.

The bathroom has a shower, sink and loo with a view. I did go outside to check if you could see in through the huge floor-to-ceiling window next to the toilet, which was tinted but translucent, although no one is going to be walking past so you may as well appreciate the view while doing your business. Just in case – there is a blind you can pull down.

The bathroom. I sadly forgot to get a picture of the loo with a view, although you can just see it in the reflection of the shower screen. (Image: DANIEL HORDON)

Huge bi-fold doors (which I didn’t open fully, as it felt more like April than August) unfurl onto the balcony that’s equipped with two chairs and your own hot tub, all kept private from the other treehouse with an end wall. Other fancy touches include a sunlight with remote-controlled blind, tablet, Sonos speakers and underfloor heating.

Nest is fully self-catered and as you’re in the middle of nowhere it’ll be a bit of a drive to the nearest pub or restaurant, but there’s ample facilities to cook for yourself. A few supermarket picky bits and a bottle of wine was quite enough self-catering for me.

Attention to detail runs like a thread throughout Nest. From the pre-arrival welcome email giving you the lowdown on your accommodation to the little touches in the treehouse itself – be it a tray for your wet shoes, cards and dominoes for entertainment, a little welcome hamper, separate towels for the hot tub or sanitary products in the bathroom.

After unpacking and scoffing some Sainsbury’s antipasti, it was time to try out the hot tub. With the tub’s jets burbling away, it was easy to forget how naff the weather was.

The view from the hot tub (Image: DANIEL HORDON)

15 minutes later, the jets stopped, the motor stopped its whirring, and silence fell across Wingate.

There is no better sound than the tranquil quietness of the countryside. The occasional bird’s tweet or crunch of an animal treading through the reeds below was all I could hear. This is the bread and butter of a rural retreat.

Having spent a likely-inadvisable two hours in the tub as the tips of my fingers turned prune-like, it was time to head back inside.

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In the winter it would be lovely to fall asleep looking out at the night sky and wake to the sunrise, although in August a 5.30 am sunrise start isn’t what you want on a relaxing night away, so I drew the curtains and got tucked in with the thick duvet and fluffy pillows.

Before long I was out for the count, only to wake to the sound of rain hammering down on the roof about eight hours later. Even in the awful rain, it was warm and cosy inside our treehouse. The waterside lodges also benefit from a log-burning stove for added that cosiness.

I woke to the train hammering down on the roof of the treehouse. (Image: DANIEL HORDON)

You know you’ve enjoyed somewhere when you don’t want to leave, start thinking of an excuse to return before you’ve even packed up, and have a moment of disappointment when you step back through your own front door on arriving home. Nest achieved all three of those.

If you’re looking for a peaceful getaway not too far from home, but where feel like you could be hundreds of miles away, Nest is well worth a visit.

Sadly, it doesn’t come cheap. A one-night stay in the Wren treehouse we visited will set you back £270, or £295 on a Friday or Saturday. That said, you get what you pay for and if you’re after a treat night away, it’s an investment worth making.