The Bothy or The Nest? Compare Our Dorset Eco-Cabins
Two cabins, one farm. Which is yours?
Both are architect-designed, hand-built eco-retreats for two on our working Dorset farm - same wild setting, same slow pace, same Naturalmat-soft sleep. The real difference is mood: The Bothy is elemental and expansive - wide views, a wood-fired hot tub, a bit of a climb to bed. The Nest is intimate and enveloping - tucked into the trees, warm underfoot, nothing to do but sink in.
The Bothy
The hands-on one.
Light the fire beneath the hot tub, pin up the cinema screen and climb the ladder to a super-king bed in the eaves. Out in the open with the biggest views - a cabin for people who like to get stuck in.
- ✦Wood-fired hot tub on the deck
- ✦Super-king bed on a mezzanine (sliding ladder)
- ✦Open valley views
- ✦Nebia eco-shower - 40% less water
Good to know - the wood-fired hot tub needs lighting ahead of time to warm up, and the bed is reached by a sliding ladder up to the mezzanine. All part of the Bothy's hands-on charm.
The Nest
The fuss-free one.
Sheltered among the trees and warm underfoot, with films at the touch of a button and a bed you simply step into. The countryside with its edges smoothed off - for those who love the idea of roughing it, gently.
- ✦Outdoor sunken bath for stargazing
- ✦King bed at main level - no ladder
- ✦Secluded woodland & copse outlook
- ✦Sunken hammock & underfloor warmth
Good to know - the bath sits out on the deck, open to the sky (that's the joy of it). Everything else is step-free, underfloor-warm and switch-of-a-button simple.
Side by side
The shared comforts, and the things that set each cabin apart.
| Feature | The BothyRed cabin | The NestIndigo cabin |
|---|---|---|
| What makes them different | ||
| In a word | Hands-on & elemental | Easy & sheltered |
| Outdoor soak | Wood-fired hot tub | Sunken outdoor bath |
| The bed | Super-king, on mezzanine | King, at main level |
| Access to bed | Sliding ladder | No ladder - step-free |
| Position | Open valley - exposed & far-reaching | Tucked in the trees - sheltered |
| Cinema screen | Pin-up screen & own seating area | Automated screen - watch from bed |
| On the deck | Swing chair | Sunken hammock |
| Heating | Electric radiator | Underfloor heating |
| Kitchen & bathroom | Compact | More generous |
| Eco shower | Nebia vaporised (-40% water) | Shower & toilet |
| Pizza oven | Gozney Roccbox | Gozney Arc |
| From | £119 per night, off-peak | £124 per night, off-peak |
| Shared by both | ||
| Sleeps | 2 - an architect-designed couples' retreat | |
| The bed | Organic Naturalmat mattress & bedding | |
| Windows | Panoramic picture window with automatic electric blinds | |
| Cinema | Drop-down projector with MUBI | |
| Ventilation | Decentralised MVHR - fresh, warm air gently recovered | |
| Kitchen | Kitchenette with Bad Hand coffee | |
| Outside | Private decking, firepit & Gozney pizza oven | |
| Extras | Books, boardgames & refillable eco toiletries | |
| Setting | Working farm near Milton Abbas, Dorset | |
Choose The Bothy if…
- A steaming wood-fired hot tub under the stars is the dream
- You want the biggest bed, sweeping valley views and a cinema nook with its own seating
- You don't mind a sliding ladder up to the mezzanine
Choose The Nest if…
- You'd rather soak in a sunken bath wrapped in trees, and watch films from bed
- You'd prefer a step-free, underfloor-warm cabin with a roomier kitchen and bathroom
- A deck hammock and deep woodland seclusion sound like bliss
Still torn? Both share the same farm, the same views and the same warm welcome - you can't go wrong. Read the FAQs or drop us a line.