Sitting in its own walled garden, Poplar Shepherd’s Hut is a little glamping getaway in the Shropshire countryside. This traditional-style, tin-clad hut sleeps two and is dog friendly but the private garden setting offers the opportunity to pitch a tent for extra guests or older kids so up to four can be accommodated here. The option makes this exclusive-hire glamping site as good for families as it is for couples – and the location, just five miles from Ironbridge, will appeal to both too. The history of the area will fascinate adults and the family-friendly attractions which explain it will keep the kids entertained. And everyone, including the dog, will enjoy long walks in the lovely countryside surrounding this glamping garden.
The setting is the village of Willey. It’s part of a privately-owned country estate that’s been in the same family for hundreds of years. They’ve given over their walled garden for your holiday. You leave your car in one section of it, then enter through an arched gateway in a brick wall to the next, where the hut is permanently parked. The shepherd’s hut is a simple space; a bedroom with a log burner to keep it toasty as well as a table and chairs. There’s a limited electricity supply from solar panels – enough to power lights and charge phones but not much more than that. The facilities; a shower shed and compost loo, are a few steps outside the front door. A barbecue and outdoor seating are also provided here.
You can head straight out on a walk in this area and it’s equally good for cycling and horse riding. Ironbridge – the town, the bridge itself, and the gorge it crosses – is a World Heritage Site that celebrates the birthplace of the industrial revolution, just over a 10-minute drive from here. It’s a similar distance to the medieval town of Much Wenlock and about half an hour's drive to Church Stretton, in the heart of the Shropshire Hills. All this makes Poplar Shepherd’s Hut not just a lovely little bolthole, but one that’s very well located too.
Escape the hustle and bustle, come to relax and unwind leaving technology behind in our beautifully restored shepherd hut, situated within historic walled gardens in a peaceful and picturesque Shropshire village. Poplar hut was restored in 2021 and boasts a wood burning stove to keep you cosy and warm, and a comfy double bed as well as space outside to host a tent where children can enjoy their freedom, yet you know they are safe within the walled garden. This off-grid rural retreat has power to charge small electronic devices through a bank of solar panels. Not quite ensuite, there are two smart wooden huts which house a private compostable toilet and a gas fired shower. Outside there is a fire pit come BBQ and a table and chairs. Poplar hut is positioned within the middle of 3 historic walled gardens in the charming small village of Willey. Situated a few miles from Ironbridge, Much Wenlock, Broseley and Bridgnorth. The Hut is accessed through a track which approaches the walled garden through the village, as you open the double gates to the first walled garden there is ample parking. Another gate opens into the idyllic middle walled garden, giving you a private spot to enjoy nature.Poplar Shepherd’s Hut is in the rural village of Willey. There are footpaths into the surrounding countryside and the Jack Mytton Way, a 100-mile bridle path, passes close by. Ironbridge, where the world’s first iron bridge was built in 1779, is five miles from site. Its creation sparked the industrial revolution and the area is recognised as a World Heritage Site. The whole area here, around the River Severn, is a wooded gorge dubbed the Valley of Invention where lots of industrial activity took place from the 1600s. A series of museums celebrates the different industries and you can buy a pass to visit them all including the Coalport China Museum, the Jackfield Tile Museum and Blists Hill Victorian Town. Even closer to site is Benthall Hall, an Elizabethan mansion house and gardens (four miles away), open to the public thanks to the National Trust. For animal lovers, try Frankly Alpacas (also four miles) where you can meet and walk alpacas. The Medieval market town of Much Wenlock is six miles from the shepherd’s hut and a pleasant place to explore with a small museum in one of the historic buildings in the town and the ruins of Wenlock Priory on its outskirts. The edge of the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is a short drive away with the area’s only town, Church Stretton, just over a 30-minute drive from Willey.
The closest place to head for both a shop or for somewhere to dine out at is Ironbridge itself. Try D’Arcy’s at the Station for dinner from their seasonal menu (Weds-Sat only) or La Casita for tapas. There ‘s also The Swan for more casual dining, local ales and a kid’s menu. There are plenty of cafes and shops where you can pick up picnic supplies too – don’t miss Eley’s Pork Pies. Much Wenlock (five miles) also offers a good range of places to eat out including pubs, The Talbot Inn and The George and Dragon, and has a better range of general convenience stores if you want supplies for cooking on the barbecue back at your hut.
