My luxury Hideaway retreat in the heart of Sherwood Forest

When I was invited to spend the weekend at Sherwood Hideaway I was naturally excited about experiencing a break there. I had briefly visited the site a few years prior and I was looking forward to spending time with the family and truly experiencing it. The main purpose of the stay was to participate in a Wildlife Photography Course, a new event coming to the Hideaway in the autumn. I’ve written about the course separately here but I was so overwhelmed with our stay there that I wanted to share my thoughts. We arrived at Sherwood Hideaway around 6pm on the Friday night and was warmly greeted by Alan at reception. I believe he runs the site and he was expecting us, along with a few more later arrivals. He provided us with all the information we needed for our stay before we headed down to our 3 bedroomed Woodland View Lodge (there are only around thirty lodges here, each overlooked by beautiful woodland or towering pine trees). Needless to say, we were not disappointed as our lodge was stunning in every aspect. I often feel the word luxury is too loose a term but for Sherwood Hideaway it is more than deserving. Our lodge was beautifully furnished and in keeping with the forest surroundings. It was spacious with three good sized bedrooms, one en suite, and had everything we could possibly need for a weekend escape. We excitedly explored the lodge noting all the delightful extras dotted about. We each had our own bath robes and slippers, including mini sized versions for our 9 years old boys – they felt like kings! Both bathrooms were kitted out with Molton Brown toiletries and in the living room there was a lovely welcome message accompanied by luxury chocolates and champagne. After our tour, the family indulged in our private hot tub as I drew the short straw and prepared dinner. I secretly enjoyed the novelty of working in my new kitchen but I wasn’t going to tell them that. The hot tub was a real treat and in such seclusion there was nothing more for us to do after dinner but indulge in the bubbles as we watched the sun set. The next day I was joining the photography course so I prepared lunch for the family and off they went for the morning to ride the Family Cycle Route at nearby Sherwood Pines and an adrenaline fuelled afternoon at Go Ape! Tree Top Adventure. On Sunday morning we explored the area a little and even tried our hands at quad biking and go karting. Then following a gorgeous Sunday Roast in the pretty village of Laxton we headed over to Thoresby Courtyard, just a few minutes’ drive away from Sherwood Hideaway. We browsed the gallery and lovely artisan shops there where, and watched a glass blowing demonstration while indulging in locally produced ice cream and fudge, before paying a visit to the Queens Royal Lancer’s & Yeomanry Musuem, housed in the Courtyard.  Everybody was itching to get back to enjoy our lodge for the evening but I insisted we first attempt to burn off a few calories with a brisk walk around stunning Thoresby Park. Monday and our last day, we were all so sad to be leaving our ‘retreat’. The boys still had some energy to burn off so we spent the morning exploring nearby Rufford Abbey Country Park before a dirt buggy adventure. All in all, we had such a wonderful weekend, the lodges at Sherwood Hideaway are simply stunning and a perfect example of ‘you get what you pay for’. Once you drive through the entrance, the Hideaway feels a million miles away. It makes for a perfect away from it all break and is as far from an all action site as it gets. If you do want a little adventure though or places to explore there is an abundance close by.  I think we did a pretty good job of enjoying the tranquillity and luxurious surroundings of our cabin with a few trips out to make the most of the beautiful surrounding areas. For your next break away give Sherwood Hideaway a try – I promise, you won’t regret it.