The Magical Faraway Tree at Deer Park Country Hotel

I have longed to spend the night in a treehouse ever since Enid Blyton captured my imagination with The Faraway Tree; a magical tree inhabited by fairy-folk, standing in the middle of the Enchanted Wood. Its topmost branches lead to ever-changing magical lands above the swirling clouds. When I discovered Deer Park Country House luxury treehouse, it went straight to the top of my wish list.

As you drive through the quintessentially British grounds, the first thing that hits you is the serenity. The hustle and bustle of the town faded away, only to be replaced with chirping birds and the civilised sound of tea cups clinking. Taking in the majestic view of the house and grounds, we breathed in the fresh air and instantly felt as if we’d arrived in paradise.

A charming receptionist greeted us with a heart-warming smile and handed us the keys to discover our new home in the treetops.
Giddy with excitement, we followed the narcissi edged path to the treehouse and climbed up the stairs to see what was waiting in store for us.

The luxury treehouse was bursting with life’s greatest pleasures, from the chilled champagne waiting on ice, to the wood-burning stove that had been thoughtfully lit to welcome us in from the cold.

And the view? Oh the view! Fields and woodland stretch out as far as the eye can see, with no one overlooking our hideaway. With the treetop canopy bursting into blossom and teaming with life, we took our seats on our own private balcony to revel in the fresh spring air, watch the countryside play and lap up the sunshine we’d missed all winter.

Through our dreamlike haze, it felt as though the great expanse of sky had become a piece of ever changing art. Every shift in light, every cloud that sailed by, every bird that darted and weaved over-head became part of the exhibition. Our to-do lists and email alerts had been long forgotten; in the peace of our balcony, we had found clarity. Feeling as relaxed as melted butter, we peeled ourselves away from the view and headed back inside.
In my book, champagne tastes best while shared in the bath. The treehouse boasted a spectacular freestanding bath tub that was waiting to be filled up with deliciously scented bubbles. We popped open the bottle of bubbly and played our favourite songs through the DAB wireless.

Before we knew it, the hours had melted away and we only had moments to prepare ourselves for dinner. Admittedly there are worse problems in the world. We took the torch from the sideboard (they really had thought of everything) and headed out down the lantern lit path to the main house.

Head Chef Andy Storey and his team of talented chefs treated us to the most exquisite meal, prepared with the best local, seasonal ingredients.

Best end of lamb, braised shoulder, tomato fondue, smoked aubergine puree, basil jus. The lamb was so well rested, I’m sure it too had spent a night in the treehouse beforehand.

Walled garden salad – freshly plucked from their very own kitchen garden.

Followed with caramelised peach, raspberry granola, almond ice cream – conversation-killing good.

Heading back to our treehouse, our eyes were drawn up to the heavens as we saw the stars come to life. Utterly thrilled with our new home, we were counting our lucky stars as we enjoyed a night-cap on the balcony.

We lit a crackling fire and hunkered down on the sofa, where we talked late into the night.

As dawn broke, so did our sleep. The moment our eyes opened we were keen to see what nature had instore for us in the trees. With hot cups of tea in hand, we bundled ourselves up in blankets and sat out on the balcony to watch the sun rise. The hills were bathed in the most sensational light, with a coating of sparkling frost and a sheen of haze over the field.

Before long, our tummies were rumbling and neither of us could wait to discover what the team could rustle up for breakfast.

Revived by coffee, the fluffiest scrambled eggs and smoked kippers, we explored the grounds, taking in the famous kitchen garden, the newly completed orangery and Mediterranean quarter complete with wood fired pizza oven.

Needless to say we have made a pact with ourselves to return. We truly had an unbelievably romantic adventure, and no passports required!