Swapping Walking for Writing: Not Your Average Staycation in The Peak District

The Japanese have a practice, which in English is known as forest bathing, in Japanese, Shinrin-Yoku. It’s about spending mindful time in nature, especially forests, with the aim of improving health and well-being. I only learned the name for this practice in very recent years. Mostly thanks to my partner Jake who has a longstanding appreciation for most of Japanese culture, especially Japanese car culture.

But I digress, the point is, while I only learned the name recently, I’ve understood and experienced the feeling for many years. I feel better when I spend time in nature. When I say better, I mean calmer, happier and more content. It’s probably part of why I love Yorkshire so much. It’s easy to escape into nature, and not just any nature, some of what’s in my opinion, the best natural landscapes in the UK. It’s so restorative, it’s one of my favourite things to do.

This weekend, we escaped to another one of my “quirky” Airbnb finds, at Hill Top Farm just outside The Peak District National Park for a staycation.

For five days the plan was to do nothing more than enjoy the fresh air, open countryside and lovely landscapes this part of the country has to offer. To some, that might sound super boring, but for us, it really is indulgent and important, and here’s why…

Sure, it’s true we don’t have kids but in my opinion (and experience) that doesn’t make us any less busy than my friends who do. We both work full on, full-time jobs, we’re both working on keeping fit (not that I’m succeeding much with that at the moment), we both have active hobbies and skills we’re investing in, not least this blog! And we’re both committed to spending time with our friends and family, yes doing nice things, but also pulling our weight with the hard things too.

For context on that, I've spent the last 3 months, yes 3, helping my parents transition from Virgin to Vodafone broadband. Between the complete crap that is Openreach, my Dad’s Fort Knox style cyber security settings that even he doesn’t understand, a Panasonic TV that just can’t connect to the internet and the mystery of MAC filters - believe me, that’s been hard work.

With a “real holiday”, I say “real”, I mean overseas holiday postponed this year as we work on saving for a trip to, you guessed it, Japan, a staycation in the Peak District was in order, to see us through 2025 with preserved sanity. We knew we didn’t want to travel far (because travelling hours in a Fiat 500 or a Honda S2000 with a load of baggage isn't the one). We knew we wanted a place to stay that was comfortable but different to what we have at home and we knew above all else, we wanted peace, quiet and time to unwind (ideally with a good curry place nearby).

A deep dive on my trusty Airbnb app and a short while later I’d found Oak Tree Pod.

Tucked at the end of a long gravel driveway, through the farm entrance gate and past the torpedo tree, sheltered under a huge old oak, is Oak Tree Pod. It’s completely secluded from the rest of the farm buildings, looking out over a grass meadow and towards the private woodland beyond. One of my favourite parts about staying in the space had to be that meadow.

Watching the sunshine turn the grasses golden, or hearing the wind blowing through it, without getting too poetic and or whimsical, was a soothing, enjoyable experience. Just sitting and watching the world go by. And we did have all kinds of weather from glorious sunshine on our first day, to heavy rain on the second and then strong winds on the third and with that came lots of different wildlife too. We had young deer chasing one another through the long grass, to rabbits bouncing about the place and a barn owl surveying the fields at dusk. There were birds of prey, butterflies and the jazziest caterpillar I’ve seen in a while all on the doorstep too.

And all of this set the routine and the pace for our long weekend staycation in the Peak Districts. A 7:30 wake up with coffee saw us watching the larger birds of prey circling the tree tops while a cup of tea at sunset proved to be the perfect time for owl watching. In between we spent our time reading, writing, resting, walking and of course eating.

And speaking of eating, there was one major highlight here. A spot of lunch at the Blue Stoops in Dronfield itself, where funnily enough I enjoyed their small Yakitori skewers (who knew you could get excellent Japanese food in the heart of Dronfield).

By the time we left, I realised I’d swapped walking for writing. Maybe that’s the real secret of forest bathing: it’s less about the forest and more about finding stillness, wherever you are.

Oak Tree Pod at Hill Top Farm

A peaceful little hideaway just outside the Peak District National Park. Tucked beneath an old oak tree with views over open meadows and private woodland, it’s the perfect spot for switching off, slowing down, and soaking up nature.

You can find it on Airbnb here: Oak Tree Pod at Hill Top Farm

If You Go

Bring walking boots, a good book, and patience for the weather, the Peaks have a mind of their own. Lots of tea, a cosy jumper, and a sense of humour won’t go amiss either.