Esme’s Escape

View prices & book 9.9 7 reviews
Space to relax in the fresh air
Space to relax in the fresh air
Shepherd's hut exterior
Exterior
Exterior
Exterior
External view of the shepherds hut
View of the log-fired hot tub from the bed
Log fired hot tub
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Shepherd's hut exterior
Exterior
Exterior

  • Vintage-styled shepherd's hut in the village of Haselbury Plucknett
  • Jurassic Coast and Fleet Air Arm Museum within a half-hour drive
  • Ensuite bathroom, wood-fired hot tub and pizza oven included
A nostalgic glamping stay inspired by a 1940s love story – doesn’t that just sound like a very fabulous thing? That’s what you’ll get at Esme’s Escape, in the Somerset village of Haselbury Plucknett (about 10 minutes’ drive from Crewkerne). This place is named after a young lady who came to the village as a 19-year-old land girl in 1943 after joining the Women’s Land Army to help with the war effort. There she fell in love with local boy Fred and set about building a family home at this property, where they stayed until their dying days. When the current owners moved in 12 years ago they were keen to keep the spirit of Esme and Fred alive through this 1940s-styled hut, which even has pictures of the devoted couple themselves (donated by the family). The decor is likely to make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time, but the hut is actually full of modern luxuries including a comfy bed, an ensuite shower and a kitchen corner with coffee maker and induction hob. Outside, there’s a private garden area with a wood-fired hot tub and a wood-fired pizza oven, along with a chiminea to help you keep warm on an evening of stargazing (which is usually excellent around here, as the village has no street lighting). A lot of effort has gone into the luxury element of this hut: guests can expect fluffy towels, fresh flowers, a freshly baked welcome cake, marshmallows for toasting, and locally sourced ingredients for your first morning’s breakfast. Dinner is likely to be pretty tasty too: the local pub is listed in the Michelin guide, and it’s only five minutes’ walk away…

Campground type

Lodges, cabins, pods or huts 1
Open all year
Opens
Please note

Admission

  • Guests under the age of 18 are not allowed on site.

Dogs

  • The park only allows dogs up to 15kg.

General

  • Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.

Safety

  • If making a fire, the fuel, logs and coal have to be purchased on site.

Languages spoken

English

No availability here for your search criteria

Reviews

9.9

Overall rating from 7 Pitchup.com customers

  • 85%
    10
  • 14%
    9
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    1
Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10

100% would recommend this campground to a friend

100% would stay here again

What customers say

Guests rave about the warm welcome, fantastic hospitality, and thoughtful touches. Accommodation, amenities, and the beautiful setting are top-notch. Many loved the hot tub and breakfast provisions. It's a relaxing spot, perfect for exploring. One guest found it warm but appreciated extra amenities.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 8/25/2026

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Reviews page 1 of 1
Arrival date (latest first)

The hospitality and the hot tub!…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Shepherd's hut (hot tub)

Liked The hospitality and the hot tub! And the tour when we arrived it was very kind

Recommend to friends Visit again

Fry up provided as well as…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
Anonymous

Shepherd's hut (hot tub)

Liked Fry up provided as well as the home baking.

Disliked It was very warm but so was everywhere else.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you. I’m so glad you enjoyed the breakfast ingredients and welcome cake. What a shame your stay coincided with the hottest days June ever. I hope the additional provisions (ice cubes, chilled water & fan) went some way to reduce your discomfort.
I look forward to welcome you back sometime in the future.

We really enjoyed our stay, you…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
Anonymous

Shepherd's hut (hot tub)

Liked We really enjoyed our stay, you are made to feel welcome and they have thought of everything to make your stay perfect, ideal for relaxing and is a great location for exploring Somerset and beyond.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you so much! I’m delighted you enjoyed it so much.

The whole set up was very…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 7
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
 Nicholas S. 1 review

Shepherd's hut (hot tub)

Liked The whole set up was very good indeed. A very nice place, very relaxing. Which is what we were looking for.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you Nicholas, I’m so glad you were able to relax and recharge fully and enjoyed the whole set up so much.

Everything! The warm welcome, the…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
 Robert H. 34 reviews

Shepherd's hut (hot tub)

Liked Everything! The warm welcome, the excellent facilities, the beautiful cabin, the entire setting and especially the important back story which the owners are doing a fantastic job of keeping alive. We will definitely be back!

Disliked Nothing.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you so much. What a fab review and I’m so glad you appreciate the back story. Looking forward to welcome you back

Cannot recommend Esme’s Escape enough - will definitely be revisiting!

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 7
 Corinne H. 1 review

Shepherd's hut (hot tub)

Liked The friendly and warm welcome
The way every little detail had been thought of
The wonderful hot tub!
Fab breakfast ingredients- lovely sausage!
Relaxing and private atmosphere

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you Corinne, we try to think of everything our guests will need during they stay and are thrilled you appreciated that. Looking forward to welcoming you back sometime.

Everything. Hosts were lovely and the…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
 Thomas E. 1 review

Shepherd's hut (hot tub)

Liked Everything. Hosts were lovely and the hut and facilities were first class.

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you so much! We’re delighted you enjoyed your stay and look forward to welcoming you back sometime.

Features

Dogs allowed

Adults only

Campfires allowed

Leisure on park

Bar or club house Covered terrace area Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Hot tub Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Playground Recreation room/arcade TV room Takeout Tennis Watersports

Amenities on park

Bath available Car parking by site/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Free wifi Grocery store Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundromat Parent & baby washroom Payphone Pick-up from public transport Picnic table Portable toilet Pub toilets Restrooms Shower available Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Adults only Barbecue grills allowed Barbecue provided Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Luxury Peaceful

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump station Electric car charging point(s) Propane/gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby

Type

Tiny (1-10 sites)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Cycling nearby Golf nearby Indoor pool nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Watersports nearby

Location

Esme’s Escape

Winterburn House

Church Lane

Haselbury Plucknett

Crewkerne

Somerset

England

TA18 7RE

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London +0100 (GMT+01:00)

GPS

50.89491°N
2.75322°W

Route directions

If approaching the village from the west, sometimes sat navs will direct you down a neighbour's drive. To avoid this, continue on the road until you reach the crossroads at the centre of the village. From there turn left, then after around 150m (opposite the red telephone box) turn left again into Church Lane. Esme’s Escape is clearly signposted opposite the church.

Nearest transport

Bus
6.4 mi Yeovil Bus Station
10.9 mi Greenhill
11.1 mi Coldharbour
Rail
1.8 mi Crewkerne Rail Station
6.5 mi Yeovil Junction Rail Station
7 mi Yeovil Pen Mill Rail Station
Ferry
20.1 mi Bridgwater Ferry Terminal
23.9 mi Weymouth Ferry Terminal

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

This is a good base for a varied break, as it’s within easy reach of both the Somerset Levels and the Jurassic Coast, and just outside the Dorset National Landscape. There are plenty of walks to follow nearby, or you could visit places like Forde Abbey and Gardens (20 minutes’ drive), Montacute House (20 minutes) and the Lytes Cary estate (25 minutes). For something a bit different, maybe you’d like to meet the big birds at Sharandys Birds of Prey (25 minutes), visit Europe’s largest naval aviation museum at Fleet Air Arm Museum (25 minutes) or keep the vintage vibe going with the vehicles at Haynes Motor Museum (half an hour). Getting down to the coast is a great idea, as well – perhaps to the soaring cliffs of West Bay (half an hour), the fossil-hunting hotspot of Charmouth (35 minutes) or the cute town of Lyme Regis (40 minutes) for fishing and RIB boat trips. The sandy beach in Weymouth (50 minutes) is a popular pick, too.

Food and drink

  • The White Horse 0.1 mi
  • Cedric's at the Swan 1.9 mi
  • Tucker's Fish & Chips 1.9 mi
  • Mint Lounge 2 mi
  • New Farm 3.7 mi
  • Lopen Raj 4 mi
  • Farm and Field Cafe 4.4 mi
  • The Old Bakehouse 4.5 mi
  • Holm 4.5 mi
  • The Hollies 4.5 mi

Groceries

  • Lidl 2 mi
  • Waitrose 2 mi
  • Co-op Food 4.2 mi
  • The Co-operative Food 4.4 mi
  • Asda 5 mi
  • Co-op Food 5.3 mi
  • Morrisons 5.3 mi
  • Lidl 5.6 mi
  • Co-op Food 6 mi
  • Tesco Extra 6 mi

Parks and play

  • Easthams park 1.4 mi
  • Bincomb Beeches park 1.8 mi
  • Henhayes park 1.9 mi
  • Happy Valley park 2.1 mi
  • South Perrott & Chedington (Millennium Green) park 2.8 mi
  • Doble Farm park 3.6 mi
  • Mosterton Play Area Playground 3.6 mi
  • Mosterton Park 3.6 mi
  • Ham Hill Country Park 3.9 mi
  • Yew Tree Park 5 mi

Family days out

  • Brympton House Castle 4.1 mi
  • East Lambrook Manor Gardens Visitor attraction 5.6 mi

Public transport

  • Over Stratton Royal Oak 3.6 mi
  • Watergore Harp Road 3.9 mi
  • Watergore Ashlyn Cottage 3.9 mi
  • Lopen Head The Lopen Raj 4 mi
  • South Petherton Junior School 4.1 mi
  • Mason Lane 4.3 mi
  • David Hall Arts Centre 4.4 mi
  • opp Prigg Lane 4.4 mi
  • Yeovil Court Hotel 4.4 mi
  • St Michaels Church 4.5 mi

Local services

  • Valero Fuel station 1.7 mi
  • Boots Pharmacy 2 mi
  • Texaco Fuel station 2.1 mi
  • Crewkerne Hospital 2.2 mi
  • Crewkerne Pharmacy 2.2 mi
  • South Petherton Service Station Fuel station 3.9 mi
  • Hamdon Medical Centre Doctors 3.9 mi
  • Day Lewis Pharmacy 3.9 mi
  • Murco Fuel station 4.1 mi
  • West Yeovil SF Connect Fuel station 4.3 mi

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Must see

Montacute House 4.3 mi

Mapperton House & Gardens 7.3 mi

Fleet Air Arm Museum 9.7 mi

Haynes International Motor Museum 13.2 mi

Clarks Village 16.1 mi

National Trust

Montacute House 4.2 mi

Tintinhull Garden 5.8 mi

Barrington Court 6.6 mi

Priest's House 9.1 mi

Lytes Cary Manor 10.3 mi

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

HINTON HOUSE 3.7 mi

Montacute - Ham Hill - Norton sub Hamdon - Montacute 4.1 mi

BRYMPTON D'EVERCY 4.2 mi

MONTACUTE HOUSE 4.2 mi

WAYFORD MANOR 4.9 mi

Local events

  • Dorset County Show (Saturday, September 5, 2026 – Saturday, September 5, 2026)

    Dorchester, England 18.6 mi

  • Glastonbury Festival (Wednesday, June 23, 2027 – Wednesday, June 23, 2027)

    Glastonbury, England 19.7 mi

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Want to know more about camping in Somerset?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Esme’s Escape have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Esme’s Escape dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Esme’s Escape? This is a good base for a varied break, as it’s within easy reach of both the Somerset Levels and the Jurassic Coast, and just outside the Dorset National Landscape. There are … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Esme’s Escape?
    On-park accommodation
    Arrive:  4 p.m. –  9 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Esme’s Escape? From $339.71 (for 2 nights, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.