A deceptively luxurious Dorset treehouse was long-listed for the RIBA House of the Year award – narrowly missing out on being short-listed. 

Woodman’s Treehouse is nestled in private woodland and has a rope bridge which crosses through the canopy of trees leading to the submarine style front door.

Built around an oak tree, the 35metre square space is glamping at it’s finest. Capped off with a rooftop terrace, there’s a pizza oven, a sauna and a hot tub – the later being a must-have for holiday rentals.  

A woodland fairy tale, the treehouse is not only a secluded and relaxing space, but elements of fun have been built into the £120,000 build. There is a slide connecting the top floors with the forest floor and a window in the floor through which you can see a stream running by.

Grand Design’s presenter Kevin McCloud described it as a “glamorous woodland funfair”. Indeed GQ magazine said the treehouse “works very hard to make your stay very, very easy, allowing you to strip life right back to the simple things: the woods, the weather, fire, local Dorset coffees and teas – mixed in with some not-so-simple things: bubbles and bubbly in a hot tub after stints in a sauna.”

Stays at the treehouse with use of the hot tub and sauna are from £390 per night in low season.