I stayed in the beautiful English treehouse in the middle of nowhere with pub walks and Finnish saunas

IF my algorithm is anything to go by, Gen Z love nothing more than a bit of #selfcare because #selfcareisntselfish and #metime matters.

And as a semi-perennial singleton (and geriatric millennial), I don’t really have much say in the matter.

So it came to pass that, after booking a last-minute week off work, I went on my first ever romantic mini break for two — the “two” being me and my miniature Dachshund, Dora.

After scouring Instagram for options, my non-negotiables — as Gen Z like to say — were: Dog-friendly, remote, not a hotel and, ideally, with an outdoor roll-top bath.

The plan was also to have a digital detox after my screen time had crept up to an abhorrent ten hours a day.

Enter HappenOak Treehouse. Yep, an actual treehouse in rural Cambridgeshire.

If I couldn’t shut off the world from a giant oak tree in the middle of nowhere, there really was no hope for me.

On a quiet Wednesday afternoon, I made the drive to the pretty village of Balsham for my unique stay for the next 48 hours.

It took two and a half minutes of strolling through beautiful, signposted woodland for Dora and me to spot our arboreal home-from-home.

Tucked away in the delightful Le Creuset-stocked kitchen was a huge loaf and some homemade banana bread. A nice touch.

The highlight, though, was the location. I quickly decided to ditch my iPhone and go for a sunset stroll.

As a tractor ploughed its patch, and birds tweeted, I felt my shoulders drop.

That evening I did some yoga on the decking, and then ran a piping hot bath. It’s hard to explain just how magical this bath felt.

But soaking in bubbles, as fairy lights twinkled and the branches swayed above, I could have stayed in there forever. Well, an hour or so.

Instead, draping myself in one of the fluffy white robes provided, I opted for the outdoor, Finnish-style sauna, managing to last about six minutes before, dripping in sweat, I came out again to cool down.

It is the kind of treat I steadfastly ignore at my gym, insisting I never have time. Here, however, I had all the time.

After, Dora and I decided the best move was to cuddle up in the giant swing chair, watching the world (and the hard-working farmer still on his tractor) go by. No phones, no TikTok, no WhatsApp, no Spotify, no nothing. It was bliss.

That night, I slept like a well-rested baby, waking beneath two skylights showing gently falling leaves.

After breakfasting on homemade muesli provided by the owners — supplies like coffee, milk, olive oil, free-range eggs and seasoning are all included, and there is a farm shop a few miles away for anything else — it was time for a hike.

A gorgeous 12km round trip took me via gastropub The Black Bull, where we nipped in for a replenishing pint and a bowl of water.

Then it was off to the local shop for some pasta and cheese for an easy dinner.

I’d been so bowled over by my stay that by the evening I found myself hunting for homes in rural Cambridgeshire online, with grand visions of handing in my notice and starting a new life off-grid, in a tree.

My sleep on the second night was slightly restless, which I put down to slightly “flat” pillows. Literally my only complaint of the entire stay.

Otherwise, HappenOak is the perfect getaway for those who need to, well, get away.

In a world that runs at 100mph, it is a place to simply switch off. Who knew? #selfcare isn’t actually selfish.