COMPLIMENTARY NIGHT GIFTED | At the beginning of 2019, my boyfriend and I said we’d like to do more smaller UK breaks throughout the year. One a month if possible. I can’t speak for him but I absolutely love a staycation. The UK has so many wonderful things to offer and I want to explore as much of it as I can. With that in mind, I hopped onto Twitter one day and saw the West Stow Pods account, a company in Suffolk who offer glamping experiences in their sweet little woodland in West Stow.
Being a Lord of the Rings fan, I was instantly drawn to Pod Hollow – their halfling inspired subterranean dwelling (as they call it) – a cottage based off of the Hobbit homes you’ll find in the Shire. Upon emailing the owners at West Stow Pods, we were kindly offered one night of our stay free, in exchange for this review.
The pod itself was, well, spectacular is the only word to accurately describe it. They did an absolutely incredibly job with making it look authentic, old-worldly but also cosy and charming at the same time. It sleeps 4, has 2 bedrooms, a sitting area with a TV, a huge kitchen and a lovely bathroom with a walk-in shower. With plenty of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit inspired nick-nacks scattered around that any fan will really appreciate.
We were only at the pod for 2 days, so we didn’t actually go out anywhere (although there are plenty of lovely woodland walks and things to do and see in the surrounding areas!) instead opting for a relaxing few days, a The Lord of the Rings marathon and good food! We also had some fun with the Gandalf get-up and Hobbit feet which were hanging by the front door!
There was also something very special in the woodlands, a stones throw from the pod, which although not Lord of the Rings related, was probably my favourite thing I saw whilst I was there. There’s a special Scots pine tree there, which is named Peter Pan’s Roots. This magical looking tree has roots growing up and out of the ground, leaving a magical maze-like feature underneath.
And not only that, in the 1890’s, J.M Barrie, author of Peter Pan, was visiting the headmistress of the schoolhouse on site (which is still there now and where the owners of West Stow Pods live!) and on his journey, he came across this magical tree and inspired him to include an illustration of it in the very first edition of Peter Pan.
It felt magical to be standing where J.M Barrie once stood, looking up at the same tree. The man who is behind my favourite film, behind my tattoo, behind my email address and blog name and one of the most magical stories ever told. So I couldn’t help but mark that moment with some photos, my favourite story and the boy behind it all…
We had an absolutely lovely time at West Stow Pods, it’s a cute, quaint and quiet place with plenty of accommodation options and things to do and see. The owners were incredibly lovely and welcoming, everything in the pod worked perfectly and I honestly don’t have a single complaint. It was something a bit different and being in the gorgeous Hobbit house literally made me forget about everything for a few days!
Are you a Lord of the Rings fan? If so, would you like to stay here?
* One night of our stay was complimentary in exchange for this review. Everything else was fully paid for by us and all thoughts and opinions are my own.