KENTSTAYCATION
Cosy Cabins and Homestays
WHEN WINTER’ S CHILL SETS IN AND THE KENTISH COUNTRYSIDE SLOWS TO A GENTLER PACE, THERE’ S NO BETTER TIME TO RETREAT SOMEWHERE COMPACT, STYLISH AND FULL OF CHARACTER. FROM GLASS-FRONTED WOODLAND HIDEAWAYS TO COASTAL CABINS WHERE THE WIND WHISTLES THROUGH THE DUNES, THESE STAYS PROVE THAT COMFORT DOESN’ T ALWAYS NEED TO UNFOLD ON A GRAND SCALE AND THAT GREAT DESIGN AND WARM INTERIORS COMBINED WITH THE BEAUTY OF STILLNESS CAN FEEL LIKE A LUXURY IN ITSELF.
RASPBERRY COTTAGE
Raspberry Cottage, Ripple, sleeps 4 keeperscottages. co. uk
With its blush-pink façade and thatched roof, Raspberry Cottage looks lifted from the pages of a storybook. Tucked into the quiet hamlet of Ripple, near Deal, it’ s been in the same family since the 1980s and feels genuinely lived-in and loved. Inside, oak beams, flagstone floors and two bright bedrooms sit alongside a modern kitchen and a cool shower room that gives an unexpected element of edge, while outside a spacious garden and patio lend open countryside views exposing footpaths that lead through farmland to the village pub. Just a short drive and you’ ll reach Deal’ s pebbled beach and pier- not a bad shout for blowing away the cobwebs on a bracing winter walk.
Mount Ephraim Glamping Pods Hernhill, sleeps 2 mountephraimgardens. co. uk
Tucked within the pretty orchards and green space of the Mount Ephraim estate, these glamping pods are a peaceful way to experience one of Kent’ s loveliest manor gardens. Each heated pod has a double bed, en-suite shower and small kitchen, plus a private terrace with a firepit for sunset suppers. Wander the formal gardens and carp ponds, then walk five minutes to The Red Lion in Hernhill- a 14th-century pub beloved for its seasonal food and local ales, or hop in the car for 10 minutes to reach a rewarding dose of Whitstable’ s sea air and osyters.
Romney Marsh Shepherds Huts Romney Marsh, sleeps 2 romneymarshshepherdshuts. co. uk
Framed by the wild stillness of the Marsh, these handcrafted huts blend rustic charm with contemporary comfort. Each hut sits amidst wide skies and quiet grazing land- a place where the only rush you’ ll feel is the wind through the reeds. New for 2025, winter stays( November to February) they now welcome one well-behaved dog per hut while the sheep graze elsewhere, making it perfect for fireside evenings after bracing beach walks at Dungeness or fresh coffee in nearby Rye. The very definition of the simple life, this is probably Kent at its calmest so pack wooly socks for slow mornings over long coffees.
www. insidekent. co. uk • 69