Since recovering from his mast cell tumour removal and being given the all clear, we were desperate to get away with TJ, and couldn’t have chosen a better venue than the serene, secluded surroundings, super dog (and hooman) friendly, Dittisham Hideaway.
Dittisham Hideaway is located in Devon, UK, and is made up of a combination of beautifully curated accommodations for families and pets of all sizes. We stayed in ‘Willow’ a stunning shepherd hut which was the equivalent of Mary Poppins bag – small on the outside but packed with absolutely everything and anything you could possibly want from a dog friendly stay. As well as Shepherds Hut’s, DH have four treehouses (3 of the 4 are dog friendly, so make sure you check before you book!), plus a super cool American Airstream providing a super unique experience for all.
I genuinely claimed multiple times that they had ‘thought of everything’ – from the small details of electric wheelbarrows to cart your belongings to and from the car park (which had EV parking too!), to the welcome basket and milk in the fridge so you could make a cuppa after a long drive. TJ was very happy he had his own warm welcome as we arrived – his own bed, bowls, jar of treats and poop bags plus holder (for mum and dad of course..!)
Willow was made up of an open plan space, complete king-sized bed, smart TV, fold-away bench seating, speedy Wi-Fi, mid-century leather chairs and table, log burner (but also central heating) and kitchen – which had everything from measuring spoons to champagne glasses! There was also bags of storage for such a tiny home, they’d made the most of every nook and cranny whilst still managing to make the interiors cute and airy. Plus the bathroom with a giant shower, super fluffy towels and extra towels for hot tub usage!
Outside the space include a wood-fired hot tub – which was trickier to master than we thought (despite the detailed instructions in the guide book.. user error!) – top tip, get this going a few hours before you intend to jump in! Also a BBQ, fire pit, table & chairs and sun loungers too.
After our initial exploration of the Shepherds Hut, we couldn’t wait to check out the surroundings and headed off on the ‘circular woodland walk ‘ – we embraced the rainy weather and strolled all the way down to Dittisham, stopping on the way to let TJ check out the cows and sheep we also checked out the pub Ferry Boat Inn which overlooked the River Dart.
The heavens opened on our walk home, that combined with the steep hills meant that getting back to Willow was that bit sweeter. We gave TJ a quick shower and set him up in front of the fire – his favourite spot. We cooked a storm up in the kitchen, fed TJ and played a couple of games of dominoes (without really knowing the rules..) and solitare whilst the food was in the oven. TJ enjoyed some well earned rest while we took a soak in the hot tub, whilst watching the Rugby World Cup before heading to bed.
We woke up to a view of fields and sounds of birds and the stream, and enjoyed some fresh air and the views whilst drinking a cuppa in bed. We made a huge breakfast, complete with OJ provided for us, plus coffee overlooking the fields and valley. Our plan was to head back to Dittisham, wander down to the jetty and hop on a boat to Dartmouth. TJ eagerly awaited his first boat ride, and was surprisingly calm throughout, sitting on dad’s lap and checking out the surroundings as we headed down the River Dart.
In Dartmouth, there was an amazing food festival taking place the weekend we visited – we both had a fancy hot dog, and sampled some of the best gluten free flapjacks going (shout out Flapjackery!). We checked out a few of the shops and pubs – so many places were dog friendly including Rockfish, Embankment Bistro and The Sail Loft, so there’s plenty to choose from despite it being quite a busy area. We headed back on the Dittisham Ferries boat – make sure that you pre-plan your trip, you can also prebook a slot on the Dittisham Ferry to ensure you get a space – they run less frequently during the winter months and this isn’t easy to find out until you’re actually there.
Once back at our car, we headed to Kingsbridge Rugby Club – only a short 20-minute drive away – as Dad’s old Cornish Rugby team were coincidentally playing there. A breezy game was saved by our new DryRobes (TJ included) – a god-send to make rainy/windy trips almost unnoticeable.
We headed back to the hideaway ready to make something delicious for dinner – sausage and mash followed by s’mores – expertly toasted over the fire pit (a must!) TJ chose to comfy up on his bed by the fire inside whilst we mastered the knack of the hot tub which happened to be much more predictable as it retained heat still from the previous day. The night drew in again, we were able to check out the amount of stars overhead in this unspoilt (+ unpolluted) part of the world.
After reluctantly packing our things away to head home, we decided to stop off in Totnes for a few hours to check out the high street, this was only a 25 minute drive from DH – it had a huge array of dog-friendly shops – predominantly local stores and independent coffee shops which always serve up the best treats.
We can safely say that this was one of the best weekend breaks we’ve had – it was so incredibly serene and easy to relax at Dittisham Hideaway. We didn’t see a soul the whole weekend and TJ loved being able to adventure around the valley. We will most definitely be booking another stay – we’re desperate to return and probably try out one of the treehouses, plus there was so much we didn’t get a chance to do. We would hugely recommend this stay for anyone looking to really chill and escape and what makes it even better is that your furry friends can join you and have a super fun time too!
If you want to find out more about staying at the Dittisham Hideaway you can head to their website https://dittishamhideaway.co.uk/
You can check out the video of our stay below: