Lowick glamping site building romantic heart-shaped treehouse for grown-ups

Dave and Harvest Harris-Jones set up Laverock Law Cottages and Glamping 11 years ago on a two-acre site at Lowick, near Berwick-upon-Tweed, after restoring three semi-derelict cottages, which they now offer alongside a handcrafted shepherd’s hut made from local timber.

As part of the next stage of the business’s development, the couple are building a heart-shaped treehouse in a secluded location on the site which will sleep up to four people and which is scheduled to beavailable before the end of September.A £25,500 Small Loan Fund investment secured through regional fund management firm NEL Fund Managers is enabling them to complete the fit-out of the treehouse’s interior, which will include a wood-burning stove, oak flooring, a fully-fitted kitchen and bathroom and locally-sourced artisan crockery.

Laverock Law Cottages and Glamping has won a range of national and regional awards for its commitment to sustainability, including golds in Visit England’s Sustainable Tourism Awards, the North East EnglandTourism Awards and the Northumberland Tourism Awards.The cottages, which are powered by renewable electricity, all have low carbon heating and hot water systems, while the wider site offers abundant wildlife habitats, wilding areas and electric vehicle chargingpoints, with bikes available to borrow to minimise car journeys in the local area.Bespoke joinery firm Northumbrian Woodworks in Rothbury was commissioned to build the treehouse structure, which will be available to book via the Airbnb and Canopy & Stars websites, as well as directly from theowners, from mid-September.

Mr Harris-Jones said: “There’s nothing in Northumberland like our new treehouse and we’re now putting the finishing touches to what’s going to be a wonderful addition to what we offer our visitors.

“The space we’ve chosen to build it offers amazing views across to the Cheviots and is well-shielded from the rest of the site, meaning guests will be able to get the seclusion and privacy they’re looking for.“Getting NEL’s backing has enabled to bring the completion date for this project forward by at least six months and we’re confident that the treehouse is going to help our business thrive even more through thecoming autumn, winter and beyond.”