Foxwold Huts and Camping

Dogfriendly Magazine Review

Read our comprehensive review of this listing printed in our bi-monthly magazine.

The Garden of Eden, Eden Valley
Review by: Tracey Radnall

Cumbria is Britain’s best-loved national park for many good reasons.

Accessible from the south with great walks among the fells and lakes, the two combining to form the quintessential English landscape as described by Wainwright and Wordsworth. The Eden Valley away from the bigger fells and lakes attracts far fewer folk – the area has little of the celebrity status of the lakes too. It offers the visitor a more peaceful alternative as well as being adjacent to the North Yorkshire Dales National Park too. All in all, an ideal location or stop-off when traversing the length of the UK.

Kat Thomas and Andy Askins run five individual Shepherd’s Huts among spacious fields on their farm on the eastern edge of the village of Newby in the beautiful Eden Valley. Their small farm featuring crops, sheep, chickens and domestic pets is located on a quiet lane. From the gated parking area there are walks in all directions, one that crosses a small river below connecting neighbouring villages. The field in which they are based features clumps of wildflowers and trees so attractive I saw not just one, but two bullfinches one afternoon.

My visit coincided with meeting up with a friend from the south, while I travelled from the opposing direction in the Scottish Borders. My travelling companion, Bertie, a working Cocker Spaniel, immediately took to the spacious field location, while his mum took-in the peaceful surroundings.

The other four huts were booked too on what happened to be the night of the Eurovision Song Contest last May.  Like a couple of kids, we decided to make a fire in the pit provided with wood available from the on-site barn – for a small additional cost. We cooked sausages, burgers and sweetcorn washed down by a glass or two of red.

Our neighbours happened to have a three-month-old chocolate working Cocker Spaniel called Robbie – after Robbie Fowler, the famous Liverpool footballer. Bertie always travels with his teddy and a ball.

As the evening developed little Robbie became more and more bold until he became brave enough to run across to our hut, nick teddy and scarper back to his hut while my easy-going lad was watching the sausages cook (of course). Robbie decided this was enormous fun and repeated the sortie several times collecting Bertie’s ball too – his mum, naturally had her eye on her Prosecco – so little Robbie’s escapes remained largely unnoticed until bedtime when his haul was redistributed among the neighbouring campers.

Inside Betty, Kat had provided a complimentary basket full of local goodies such as shortbread, chocolate and dog treats as well as handy pooh bags. The unique folding bed opened and was large enough for our sleeping bags and a spaniel.

The huts are off-grid, so lit by solar -operated wall and fairy lights, plenty bright enough for a little light reading before bedtime.

The next morning was a tad wet, but no bother under the covered cooking area to get a brew on. Frying up the left-over sausages with eggs and bacon, we were all set for a day walking the dales from the campsite.

On-site there is a unique open-air shower. I marvelled at the industrial design of bent copper piping punctured and welded to form a shower head, surrounded by corrugated steel. After turning on the Calour gas valve and the pilot switch (think motorhome-style plumbing) the shower fired into a powerful stream of hot steamy water with a handy foot/ shoe/puppy washing feature too.  Kat provides a little handy bottle of Aesop shower gel in case you have forgotten yours. I quite honestly admit this was my favourite part of the entire weekend – so invigorating and liberating.

The genius design inspiring me to create one in my own back garden. Chatting to Kat, she explained that when the plumber came along and made it in-situ over a couple of days of welding, paving, and plumbing – he messaged a short video of him actually using it to confirm the work was complete. Sounds like my kind of plumber!

All-in-all a relaxing break en-route to Dumfries and Galloway for a further few days, ideal when travelling with your best pal too.

The Garden of Eden, review by Tracey Radnall and appears in DogFriendly magazine issue 70. For more information on the DogFriendly magazine visit https://www.dogfriendly.co.uk/magazine