Short stay: The Treehouses, Dittisham Hideaway, Devon, UK

In the famous 19th century children’s book, when the shipwrecked Swiss Family Robinson have the opportunity to leave their treehouse on their isolated island, many of the family choose to remain. And they didn’t even have the designer luxuries of Dittisham Hideaway’s toe-warming under-floor heating, fresh herbs growing next to the front door, Nespresso coffeemaker and table-football on the balcony.

Four timbered treehouses are part of an idyllic rural Devon escape that make-up the Dittisham Hideaway. In addition, there is an American Dream of a silver-gleaming 1956 Airstream caravan and five larger-than-average, artisan-crafted Shepherds Lodges.

Forget any notions of inelegantly clambering up rope ladders and hanging out in the branches.These four tree houses – Buzzard, Pheasant, Woodpecker and Owl – are not perched in the branches. They are high-end residences curling and curving through the trees. The Pheasant, Owl and Woodpecker tree houses are all dog friendly.

Loosen the paws on a circular walk of the Hideaway estate, before heading for South Hams’ hill walks and beaches.

The welcome

Three days before arrival, we receive an e-mail with the code to the estate’s electric gate and a second code for the key box by Buzzard’s front door.

A welcome catering pack of bread, cereals, crisps, jam, orange juice and sachets of hot chocolate await us. Butter and milk are chilling in the fridge too.

The room

Open plan, under a domed yurt-style ceiling, the kitchen flows into the lounge and the lounge flows into the master bedroom. Sun ray wooden struts lead upwards to the glass centrepiece of a roof that gives views to the stars. Cream, green and flashes of arboreal brown make up the pastoral palette.

Above the cedar wood flooring, textiles range from the soft natural wools of the throws, through bronzey hare sculptures, to the nautical rope piping. A five-foot wide bed is dressed in an eco-friendly, Devon Duvet handcrafted from the wools of the southwest. Thoughtfully designed bedrooms have reading lights, bedside tables and plugs for phone-charging on both sides of the bed. Each treehouse is potentially a romantic Hansel and Greta retreat for two.

Or turn right from the entrance hall into family time. Under a smaller yurt dome, there is a triple-bunked bedroom next door to a family bathroom.

The bathroom

Sinuously curving and apostrophe shaped, shower rooms feature in both the family bathroom and…