Simon Dickson thinks there’s nothing like seeing a nuthatch on the branch of a 100-year-old oak right outside your window. For Jason Thawley, the best view is the dappled shadows of a tree canopy over your bed. And the treehouse designers are finding that tourists agree with them.
Treehouses are fast becoming the UK’s most sought-after holiday destinations, as travellers look for something special to help them tune out and immerse themselves in nature.
Established hotels, glamping companies and letting agencies are adding treehouses to their portfolios. Britain’s first treehouse hotel, TreeDwellers, opened in the Cotswolds in March, and the first tree tent campsite opens in West Sussex next month.
Travel company Canopy & Stars, which specialises in luxury glamping (glamorous camping), found that sophisticated cabins and treehouses now generate 70% of its revenue, according to its 2024 market report, and represent more than half of its property collection. Six of its 10 most booked spaces in 2023 were treehouses.
Liz Simpson, co-founder of Kip Hideaways, which specialises in nature-focused, self-catering holidays, said: “When we did the original research for Kip five years ago there were very few treehouses, and they tended to be super expensive, or booked up for months if not years in advance, as they were so unusual.
“But want – and need – of nature-based retreats exploded after lockdown, and treehouses are the ultimate rewilding experience; you’re fully immersed in a tree canopy.”
The growing popularity of treehouses is part of holidaymakers’ ongoing love affair with glamping. The post-lockdown ban on overseas travel saw many holidaymakers try camping or glamping for the first time, with an increase in demand for holidays that connect travellers to nature.
“A key appeal to holidaymakers comes from the childlike whimsy of being among trees,” said Thawley, who is the founder and design director of Tree Tents, a company that produces specialist structures that can be installed in the canopy.
“There is also the positive effect that nature, and trees in particular, has on our mental health and wellbeing. The UK woodlands, full of life and colour, bring us peace and consistency in an ever-changing world.”
In 2023, the value of the UK glamping market was estimated at more than £150m. It is expected to rise by 10.7% between 2024 and 2030.
There has been a shift from the yurts, teepees and safari tents of the first wave of glamping to more permanent accommodation, such as shepherds’ huts, deep in natural environments. This is partly because sturdier structures can be fitted with amenities such as electricity and plumbing, making them attractive to even the most faint-hearted glamper.
With proposed laws around short-term lets, which could take holiday homes off the market, treehouses and cabins could also fill that gap.
In the UK, treehouses often evoke a sense of nostalgia, with cultural depictions such as JM Barrie’s Peter Pan and the Lost Boys, who made their home in the forests of Neverland. Even Queen Victoria played in the treehouse at the Pitchford estate in Shropshire, which has nestled in the branches of a lime tree in the grounds since the 1600s.
Much of the holiday accommodation plays to this sense of adventure. The Fish hotel in the Cotswolds offers treehouses on the Farncombe estate which can only be accessed by a rope bridge. They have luxurious touches such as double baths on the outside deck and room service.
“The Fish sits on a 500-acre estate in wonderful countryside and the treehouses make the most of our brilliant setting,” said Tom Aspey, the executive general manager.
Dickson owns two Scottish woodland properties – The Treehouses at Lanrick, Perthshire – and also runs Mallett, the specialist design and build company that created the structures. He said building around complex and sensitive tree root systems is particularly difficult. “We start by selecting a specific tree and then design the house to tie into the space. Part of the fun is to have the trees decide how the design needs to be: their size, shape and location determine everything. They are the boss, ultimately.”
Mechanical engineer Thawley believes his Tree Tent – an orb that dangles from a tree – offers something unique. “It provides more ‘fluidity’. Instead of smothering the trees, you are experiencing their majesty and movements.
“You are aware of what’s holding you, and gently rocking you, which is an amazing experience. Many campers say they’ve had the best sleep of their lives.”
