Somerset Blackdown Hills Shepard’s Hut

This week it was my wife Jen’s Birthday, and a couple of weeks before present ideas weren’t forthcoming. Having a Birthday a few weeks after Christmas annually presents gifting challenges and this year was no different. We decided to seek a relaxing night away. Hotels were uninspiring so Jen went in search of something a little different. We settled on a Shepard’s Hut in Somerset as the perfect solution. This came in the form of Dimpsey Shepards Huts in the Blackdown Hills, Somerset. Jen had been in contact with the owner of the enterprise with three Shepards huts all with different shapes, layouts and features. ‘Dapple’ was available and they were willing to do us a one night stay, all while throwing in pizza ingredients for the on site pizza oven and local bacon and eggs for the morning. A few days before Jen’s Birthday it was booked for that weekend.

Having dropped the poodle at my parents early on Saturday morning and loading up the VW van with a bottle of fizz or two, we headed to the coast. Not Somerset just yet, but The Hive Beach Cafe in Dorset. Jen had expressed a hankering for the sea. Being based in landlocked Oxfordshire, we miss the sea and try to get there as often as we can. Fish and chips at the Hive Beach café, less than an hour from our final destination seemed like the perfect solution, and we weren’t disappointed. This wonderful beach café is as delightful in January as it would be on a glorious English summer’s day. The waiting team buzz around the busy eatery, filled with customers being served delicious looking plates. Their fish and chips was most definitely the meal of choice for the majority of patrons when we visited so that was our choice. I like to think of myself as a bit of an expert in this staple of British cuisines and I was not disappointed, perhaps only marginally beaten by the same dish produced by Michelin star chefs in the far South West. £24.00 a piece is on the expensive side, but it was light yet filling, washed down with local gin and beer.

We took a stroll on the beach before locating Dimpsey Farm on google maps and jumping in the van to continue our journey, suitably satisfied by good food and sea air. On the way there we past a sign for Lyme Regis, and couldn’t resist a detour. I was keen to explore somewhere I’d never been and Jen had visited long ago. We parked up and spent an hour wandering along the sea front and the local independent shops. We stopped in a bookshop and picked up some reading and an outdoor store where I happened across some Opinel knives, so picked one up for an upcoming expedition later in the year. We jumped back into the van to make sure we arrived at our final destination for the day before the sun went down.

We pulled up, unloaded and explored the place we’d be spending the next 12 hours or so. Some snow was still on the ground and it surrounded the two huts interlinked by a glass walkway. On entering the hut to the radio already softly playing Classic FM (our go to station when away for a weekend) we found everything we needed for a relaxing evening and more, with quirky touches and all the home comforts. The Shepard’s hut was beatifully styled with cozy living area, table, kitchen, bedroom and shower room, and an outdoor slipper bath. Without further ado, the wood burner was lit and afore mentioned fizz popped to start celebrating Jen’s Birthday. Although the sun was beginning to set and the temperature rapidly falling well below zero, Jen was drawing a bath straight away, while I set up my camera for some night sky photography.

I’m pretty new to night sky photography and certainly don’t have all the best gear for it, but with a clear night in such a dark sky area, I couldn’t resist giving it a go. After a few dodgy attempts, mainly trying to get my manual focus right and fiddling with shutter speeds and iso, I managed to get a shot I was pleasantly surprised at. Next time I’ll look at focus staking to bring the foreground more into focus, but after getting it into Lightroom on my iPad Pro the following morning I was pleasantly surprised at the results. The amount of stars in areas where there is little light pollution was simply astonishing and it left me wanting to get out with my camera at night much more in the future.

Awakening annoyingly early the following morning (a habit I can’t break!) I re-lit the wood burning stove, put the kettle on and opened the blinds. I was welcomed into the new day by an other worldly purple sunrise that made me so glad my body clock refused to let me lie in. Dimpsey Shepards Huts are truly a wonderful place to relax and unwind, a perfect Sunday morning. If you’re looking to get away, even just for a night, and just chill, I couldn’t think of anywhere better. We wondered the mile down the road to the Candlelight Inn for a delicious Sunday Roast (Broccoli Cheese, Genius) before setting off for home, thoroughly refreshed.