Decadence is, of course, meant to be a bad thing. It did for the bright young things of the thirties and is even said to have caused the downfall of the mighty Roman Empire. However, when you’re receiving a fantastic massage in a yurt, whilst your kids are being entertained at a quiet Devon hideaway, it’s difficult not to wonder whether those youthful aristocrats and the Caesars had the right idea after all.
Several hundred metres down a track off the edge of the village of West Hill, the 30-acre Cuckoo Down Farm is home to a scattering of black-faced sheep, some horses, a pony, a clucktch of chickens, and, at the top of a large open field, three yurts. Each one is furnished with a lovely double bed as well as two convertible sofas, a coffee table, a very efficient wood-burning stove, and various other bits and bobs including a vase of freshly cut flowers. On the floor, large rugs spread themselves languorously across the carpet.
Wander outside and you’ll find not only your own compost loo, but your own kitchen too – a wooden shelter containing all the culinary perquisites you’ll need to knock up something special to serve your family at the picnic table. Showers are a short stroll away in a barn by the farmhouse. Meanwhile, fresh innovations include a communal circus-like tent, a gypsy caravan, a ‘retro’ caravan, and (in a separate field) a couple of safari tents. So whilst the kids busy themselves running about the farm chasing chickens, why not treat yourself to one of Penny’s in-yurt relaxation therapies and truly unwind...