Winter warmer in the woods: a sizzling sauna and cool, cosy cabin deep in a Sussex forest | Sussex holidays
I sat stock-still on a bench fashioned from a fallen silver birch, scanning the woods for a sudden movement or a flash of blue. Deer and kingfisher visit this secluded copse and its stream, and I hoped to spot at least one of them. There was a rustle in the undergrowth, but it was only a more familiar winter visitor: a cheery robin.
It was a chilly day for wildlife-watching, but that didn’t matter to me – I was inside a sizzling sauna, gazing out of a large picture window. In fact, I was soon sweating so much, I nipped out to the icy-cold shower to cool off. The next time I overheated, I braved a plunge in the cold-water tub.
Later, I couldn’t believe that I’d been merrily sitting in a cold bath in the woods. Only that morning, Storm Benjamin had swept through this corner of East Sussex. But, as Scandinavians and those in the Baltic countries have long known, bad weather is no reason to stay indoors. And it’s easy to embrace the elements if there’s a sauna on hand. Since lockdown, the UK has got the outdoor sauna bug too: according to the British Sauna Society, the number of “wild” saunas on beaches and in forests doubled from 104 in May 2024 to 213 in May 2025.
The design of this particular sauna, the Drying Shed, was influenced by traditional Japanese buildings, and resembles a little rust-coloured temple. It is fuelled by logs from sustainably managed local woodlands. A sauna session lasts three hours in total, including lighting the stove and an hour or so for the room to heat up, plus stoking the fire to maintain the temperature (an average of 85C, although it can be anywhere from 60-100C).
It was easy enough to light the stove and keep it going, even though my main experience of fire-lighting is confined to barbecues and campfires. There are detailed instructions and plenty of tinder, kindling and seasoned logs. The key is time and patience – the temperature builds steadily, so it’s best not to overload the stove with too much wood too quickly. Equally, it’s better to wait until you feel too hot before popping outside, rather than opening the door and letting all the heat out. The sauna can be booked by groups of up to four people, from 10am-1pm or 1pm-4pm, Tuesday to Sunday.
I shared the ritual with my boyfriend, who is a sauna sceptic. I expected him to get bored after five minutes and leave me to it, but we both stayed for the duration, going in and out several times. It was almost sauna by stealth – he was captivated by the view, only belatedly noticing that alternating between extremes of hot and cold makes you feel bracingly alive. He did stick to the shower, though, rather than the bath, no matter how I much I rhapsodised about the benefits of cold-water immersion. Maybe my chattering teeth put him off!
When the sauna was over, we walked the five minutes to Hill Cabin, our home for the night. This simple former farm building has been given a contemporary update with black cladding. The open-plan kitchen/living space and bedroom have a Scandi vibe, with lime-washed wooden floors, timber panelling and vintage furniture, made cosy with lots of rugs, floor cushions and throws, a log-burner and scented tea lights. The outdoor patio has a wood-fired hot tub, fire pit and a shelter with a table and chairs.
The cabin is gorgeous, but as with the sauna, the view steals the show. As the name suggests, Hill Cabin is perched on a rise with a valley unfolding below. A few friendly sheep, two horses and Mavis the donkey enliven the foreground; rolling fields, russet-coloured trees and a far-off village form the dreamy backdrop. We soaked up the scene from the comfort of the hot tub, our faces pink from the cold but our bodies toasty warm.
Hill Cabin is one of two cabins available to rent on Great Park Farm, a 10-hectare family farm in Catsfield, near Battle. Cabin X is in a similar style, though tucked away in the woods. But farmer’s son Will Gowland, who grew up here, has grander plans. He is an architect – he and his practice, Built Works, designed and made the Drying Shed and are now building two more cabins, due to open in spring, with another three at the design stage.
Will gave us a tour of the two half-built properties and they are on a different scale altogether. Yogi’s Cabin will have its own natural swimming pond, a wraparound deck and a yoga studio. Bather’s Cabin will include what is essentially an indoor-outdoor private spa, spreading on to the roof terrace. They will be followed by Musician’s, Chef’s and Explorer’s cabins. All will be handmade from sustainable materials, from local larch to British hemp for insulation.
“It costs five times as much to build this way, but we want to be genuinely sustainable,” Will said. He is a certified Passive House designer, and Built Works is a member of the Association for Environment Conscious Building. While the existing two cabins are a real treat, the five new ones will offer five-star luxury, with prices to match.
There is a long-running farm shop, cafe and plant nursery on site. We went in for carrot cake and left loaded with chutney, bedding plants and the orange and cinnamon tealights that made our cabin smell so divine. Guests can stock up on ingredients to cook dinner in their cabin, or pop to the village pub, but we decided to brave the 45-minute walk to Battle. It was pitch-black and drizzly, but there is a footpath almost all the way, and Will lent us much-needed head torches.
We emerged at the imposing gatehouse of Battle Abbey, the site of the 1066 Battle of Hastings, and warmed up over dinner at Chequers, a 15th-century coaching inn. As well as burgers, steaks and pies, the pub serves some imaginative veggie dishes – I had the lion’s mane mushrooms with bean cassoulet and crispy leeks (£16). We didn’t even mind splashing across streams on the walk home, knowing there was a fire to light when we got back, and a stock of books, games (and wine).
Ours was a flying visit, but if we’d had more time, we could have headed to Hastings, a 25-minute drive away. As well as the old town, fishing quarter and art galleries, its attractions include the Samphire Sauna on the revamped pier.
As it was, we ended our stay where we had started: by a huge picture window, gazing at the view. This time we were sitting at the dining table in the cabin, eating a breakfast of homemade granola and freshly baked bread. The morning looked bright, crisp and cold – and just as enticing as any summer’s day.
The trip was provided by Architects Holiday; cabins sleep two, from £242 a night B&B (or three nights for the price of two until the end of March). A three-hour sauna session at the Drying Shed is £45 for up to four people; there are discounts and extended opening hours (7am-10pm, seven days a week) for cabin guests
