ETHICAL TRAVELLER:
CATHERINE MACKon responsible tourism
AS I SIT on the verandah of this wooden Ecocabin, with freshly-brewed coffee in hand, listening to the Shropshire chorus of serenading songbirds, I realise I am living a Waltons moment.
This is probably not something anyone under the age of 35 might appreciate, The Waltonsbeing a 1970s TV series about a huge American family living a simple and sickeningly sappy-happy life during the Great Depression in the 1930s.
The only thing missing at the Ecocabin is the gaggle of Walton children, and macho woodcutting men. What’s left are the good old-fashioned simple beauties of natural living and, unlike Ma Walton, I have the chance to enjoy them all alone for a whole weekend of pure me-time.
The Ecocabin (ecocabin.co.uk) was built by Kate Grubb, a young mum and farmer, in the south Shropshire hills. It is a timber-framed cabin, with two bedrooms, and an open-plan kitchen with parlour-type sitting room, the heart of which is a state-of-the-art wood pellet burning stove which heats the whole building.
The natural building techniques started with the Douglas Fir frame, and Larch cladding, sheep’s wool insulation, reedboards and hemp plaster. The sofa and armchairs are upholstered with hand-dyed organic cotton, all paints are natural, and curtains are hand-tinted organic poplin. All that’s missing is grandma’s rocking chair with a bit of quilting draped over the side.
Colours have been carefully chosen to reflect the garden outside, where wild flowers and grasses abound, all meticulously designed to look as if it hasn’t been designed at all.
The Ecocabin has a frugal yet feminine feel to it. There are no kitchen gadgets, telly, Wi-Fi or CD player. Just me and a small solar-powered radio, and it is bliss. This is a place to read, relax and fall asleep, letting nature wake you up when you are good and ready.
When I do wake, I am immediately drawn out to the verandah, an OS map spread out in front of me, working out which hill or woodland to take on. Shropshire is one of those “Whereshires?” – it has no big obvious tourist attraction, so it’s not really pushed by the national tourist board, and yet its cup runneth over.
The good side of the lack of promotion is that it isn’t falling down with hikers and bikers all wanting to bathe in its beauty. So don’t tell too many people, but it’s one of the border counties with Wales and so very accessible for Irish visitors who are travelling by ferry.
I hire a bike from a local cycle tour company (wheelywonderfulcycling.co.uk) and explore sleepy lanes, where the grass still grows in the middle of the road, sit on river banks and watch fathers teach sons to fly fish, struggle with some tough hills – but enjoy the ample supply of downs. I am even tempted to swim in the River Tern, but didn’t think to bring my togs, although this area is so quiet that a bit of skinny dipping would only have turned the heads of a few sheep.
Indeed, there is something about the naked purity of the Ecocabin which allows me to completely switch off. Its stripped back simplicity is rare in a world of gimmicks and gadgets. Grubb believes that the secret of sustainability is to cut out excess in our lives.
This policy also means she can keep the place affordable for guests. She has dropped her prices by no longer supplying posh organic toiletries and treats, and you have to bring your own sheets and pillow cases, although duvets are provided. She is happier with the business now, as a result.
As a busy working mum, she found she couldn’t sustain the business as she spent her whole time doing laundry. She also believes that her clientele is more “real” now, the Ecocabin attracting people who want a genuine ecobreak in the country, where they can count the birds and bees not just the GSMs in an organic cotton sheet.
Judging by the repeat visits in her impressively full guest book, this back-to-basics philosophy is now not only sustainable for her, but also a huge hit with wandering Waltons like me. I go home inspired to plant more wildflowers, make elderflower juice, nettle tea, and bake bread. My first step: ordering The Waltonsbox set for Christmas.
* Ethicaltraveller.net, twitter.com/catherinemack