Bentley's Frenchmoor

Sheep? They’re so last year. The world of wool has moved on. It’s all about alpacas now. Come to this eight-acre smallholding in rural Hampshire and you’ll see the two species grazing side by side. How fitting it seems, then, that just as livestock has gone up-market so too has the traditional shepherd’s abode. For here, edging the vast green swathe of Bentley Wood, you’ll find a modern shepherd’s hut that even top hotels will envy.

Set at the end of a private gravel track, with views across a paddock to the woods beyond, this wood-clad, curved-roofed wonder is a masterpiece of design. Sympathetic to it’s surroundings, the hut is full of sheep-like tradition – a split stable door, cast-iron wheels and a log-burning stove – but pairs it all with alpaca-esque modernism – there’s a powerful en suite shower, mains electricity and water, plus a giant curved window above your bed so that you can stargaze all night long. The large double bed folds back into the end wall, providing extra space during the day, while, outside, designer furniture and decking awaits. The real treat? A luxurious Scandinavian hot tub, where you can simmer away with a glass of bubbly.

While headline features like the hot tub or the hut’s wood-fired pizza oven certainly stand out, the real beauty of Bentley’s Frenchmoor is the smaller touches and the acute attention to detail. The three Ts are provided – towels, toiletries and Twinings tea – and, along with a local map, there are books, games and a radio. A complimentary breakfast hamper lies in wait for your arrival – think Dorset cereals and artisan bread – and a beautiful Victorian wooden wheelbarrow sits in the car park to help you take your luggage from car to hut. Combine that with friendly owners Peter and Georgie, who are happy to recommend a local pub or point you in the direction of a scenic footpath, and you’ve everything you need.

The first footpath you should take, in fact, is across and into Bentley Wood itself, a 1,700-acre space originally owned by Lady Colman of Colman’s Mustard and a delightful place for a stroll (particularly in bluebell blooming spring). There are a handful of country estates nearby, too, as well as the historic cathedral towns of Salisbury and Winchester and the, too often overlooked, Romsey, a the beautiful medieval market town clustered around a magnificent Norman Abbey.