There’s nothing like disappearing into the countryside for a weekend, especially when it’s the Lake District, and especially when your escape is taking place in a multi-storey, luxury treehouse.
Three huge bedrooms, two bathrooms, a hot tub, a full kitchen, three balconies, a cosy lounge, and a slide that will zip you down to your very own den filled with games and a bar.
Welcome to Silva Treehouse, a beautiful bolthole near Penrith that might be one of the most well-designed pads we’ve ever been blessed to clap eyes upon.
The whole ‘digital detox’, screen-free movement has become a bit of a thing in recent years, with a whole company dedicated to making cabins where you lock your phones away for the weekend.
Silva Treehouse offers no such novelty lockbox – but one look out of those gigantic windows at the rolling countryside and you’ll drop your phone willingly.
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There’s no telly, no Wi-Fi. In fact, there’s only about four buttons in the entire building. It’s just a radio, a few board games and those staggering views, and you won’t want anything else.
From sitting on a plush sofa with the log burner kicking out heat, watching the sun set over the fields, to getting up early and watching deer and hare frolicking in the dawn mist, there’s way more to soothe your soul here that you could ever get from Netflix.
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The layout of the treehouse itself is remarkable. Guests head up a short flight of stairs to a huge deck, which is home to a large dining table and the hot tub.
The stunning views from the Silva Treehouse loungeThe master bedroom in the Lake District treehouseThe hot tub with countryside views
Inside on this level is an open-plan kitchen/dining room/living space, kitted out with all the equipment you need to keep yourself fed and not having to leave the house for days (the hosts also left us dozens of eggs from their chickens).
Up another short flight of stairs you’ll find the master bedroom, with a four-poster bed and its own whimsical balcony, plus the smallest (but still double) bedroom, where you’ll wake up to one of the best views in the place.
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Then in the very rafters of the treehouse is bedroom number three, a huge mezzanine space where you can sleep surrounded by wood.
This is a very grown-up and sophisticated treehouse, but whoever said that can’t be loads of fun too? This place has got all sorts of entertainment to help you switch off, relax, and be a bit silly too.
And that’s where the coolest feature comes in, accessed via the second deck – a metal slide that plummets you back down to ground level, and to your very own den.
A bar, a ping-pong table, a dart board, a fire pit (complete with marshmallows for toasting), a pizza oven, hammocks, an extra bathroom, and loads of seating too, all tucked down beneath the main accommodation.
The bar in the denThe den beneath Silva Treehouse
If you can get down that slide without squealing “Weeeeee!” and regressing back to your childhood, we don’t want to know you (there is a door if you don’t want to brave the slide).
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If you can tear yourself away, there’s prime countryside on your doorstep, from the Lake District itself to the SSSI of the River Eden, including sandstone caves, hidden waterfalls, mountain views and riverside strolls.
It’s taken the family behind Silva Treehouse 15 years to painstakingly construct it from homegrown timber amongst the trees, with the ambitious project growing bigger as the couple behind it, Lucy and Grant, had more ideas.
It’s really, really been worth the wait.
See more pictures below and book your stay with Canopy & Stars HERE.
Silva Treehouse in the Lake District
The firepit beside Silva TreehouseEnjoying the viewsSilva Treehouse has a slideThe smallest of the three bedroomsThe living room at Silva TreehouseThe balcony off the master bedroomThe wood-fired hot tub in actionThe mezzanine bedroomEnjoying the viewsA log burnerBathroomSilva Treehouse has a slideSilva TreehouseSilva Treehouse kitchenThose views again…The log burner in actionSilva Treehouse comes with binocularsLooking up at the balcony
Featured image: The Manc Group
Travel & Tourism
Heaton Park’s historic tramway will be back up and running this summer after major funding secured
Emily Sergeant
Historic trams are set to run through Heaton Park once again from this summer thanks to some major new funding being secured.
For just over a year now, trams have been unable to run through Manchester‘s largest suburban park as the electrical substation which powers the Heritage Tramway needed an overhaul to bring it up to current safety standards – but now, some substantial funding has been secured to enable the essential restoration work to begin in the spring.
The trams operate on the only remaining section of the original tramway in Heaton Park, and offer locals and visitors alike a real glimpse into the past.
This piece of local history is operated by the volunteers of the Manchester Transport Museum Society (MTMS) on behalf of the Manchester Tramway Company Limited (MTCL) – a joint venture company between the Manchester Transport Museum Society and Manchester City Council.
This major investment into the existing infrastructure will ensure operation of the trams can continue for many years to come.
The £481,000 funding investment – which has been secured from Manchester City Council – should mean the tramway can restart in summer 2026, which just so happens to coincide with the 125th anniversary of Manchester’s first electric tramways in 1901, so it’s a big deal.
“Our support of the much-loved Heaton Park Tramway not only preserves an important piece of local heritage, but a piece of living history,” commented Councillor Lee-Ann Igbon, who is the Executive Member for Vibrant Neighbourhoods at Manchester City Council.
“The vintage trams hold a special place in the hearts of many people.”
Heaton Park’s historic tramway will be back up and running this summer after major funding was secured / Credit: David Dixon (via Geograph)
Geoff Senior, who is the Chairman of the Manchester Transport Museum Society, called the securing of funding ‘wonderful news’.
He added: “It represents a huge vote of confidence in the hard work and dedication [volunteers] have shown in the last 50 years of working to build, develop and run this vital piece of Manchester’s transport heritage, not only for the citizens of Manchester but those who travel to the park from wider afield.”
As mentioned, upgrade works to the Heaton Park Tramway will begin this spring – with the hopes trams will be back up and running again in the summer.
Featured Image – Adam McKendrick (via Wikimedia Commons)
Travel & Tourism
Transport Secretary commits to ‘transformational’ rail deal with Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
The Transport Secretary has signed a ‘transformational’ rail deal for Greater Manchester.
The Government has formally agreed to work with Greater Manchester and Mayor Andy Burnham on plans for a new railway connecting Liverpool and Manchester, via Warrington, as part of Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR).
The new Liverpool-Manchester line is said to underpin the Northern Growth Corridor – which is a bold strategy to drive growth from the Mersey to the Pennines, stretching into Yorkshire, Lancashire, North Wales, and beyond – with a key connection at Manchester Airport.
Local analysis has suggested that the new line could generate around £90 billion in additional revenue by 2040.
Also, as part of the major investment of up to £45 billion – which was announced a couple of weeks back, and is tipped to transform rail travel across the North – the Government has also said it will work with Greater Manchester partners to explore an underground option at Manchester Piccadilly station, recognising its potential as a ‘catalyst for growth’.
Local leaders say they are keen to demonstrate how an underground station could turn Piccadilly into a ‘Kings Cross of the North’.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander met with Mayor Andy Burnham last week to sign the formal agreement.
The agreement recognises the potential for an underground solution at Manchester Piccadilly, while also acknowledging the need for further ‘testing’ to make sure it will deliver value for money, and additionally sets out how the Government will work with Greater Manchester on the wider NPR scheme – which will be delivered in three stages, with the Liverpool-Manchester line to be built in the second phase.
The Transport Secretary has committed to a ‘transformational’ rail deal with Greater Manchester / Credit: TfGM (Supplied)
A formal review of the underground option at Manchester Piccadilly is to be lead by local leaders and senior civil servants.
“I’ve strengthened this Government’s clear and unwavering commitment to Northern Powerhouse Rail by signing an agreement with Mayor Burnham on the next steps for transforming connectivity in Greater Manchester,” explained Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander.
“With a new line between Manchester and Liverpool at the heart of our plans, alongside new stations at Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport, we will unlock new opportunities, more jobs and more housing for thousands of people.
“By providing early clarity on scope and phasing, we are giving Greater Manchester the certainty it needs to plan ahead and unlock the full economic and social benefits for its people.”