Tucked away on an island just 50 miles south of London is Elmley Nature Reserve, a 3200-acre expanse of marshland on the low-lying Isle of Sheppey in Kent.
Wishing to broaden the appeal of the reserve, the Fultons invested in a handful of secluded shepherds’ huts, giving visitors the opportunity to stay overnight on the reserve and become fully immersed in the languorous rhythm of the landscape.
The expansive landscape of Elmley Nature Reserve, the UK’s only nature reserve you can spend the night on.
The landscape, which is riddled with human-made waterways, attracts rare endangered species, including breeding wading birds such as avocets, owls, marsh harriers, hares, water voles, and dragonflies.
It is something about being immersed in nature, the sounds of the wildfowl on the water, waking up to the call of the birds—the visual and sound effects of the reserve.
Dusk at Elmley Farmhouse, which had stood derelict for 60 years before being transformed into a luxurious bed and breakfast. The 18th-century farmhouse was restored in 2020 and is now a luxury six-room B&B that is also available for group bookings.
The moody-hued snug at Elmley Farmhouse.
They went from the glorious pinks and yellows of the sunrises and sunsets to the dark moody greys, greens, and blues of the coastal storms rolling in.”
The interiors take inspiration from the rosy dawn skies.
“Nature, the landscape, and the outdoors are again referenced, and are the inspiration for the changes that have been made.”
Samphire: one of two traditional shepherd’s huts at Elmley.
A tub with a view in The Elmley Room.
The Ferryman’s is one of the larger huts, with room for up to two adults and two children under 10.
Guests are advised to sleep with the curtains open so that they are attuned to the gentle awakening of the marsh.
The Damson: “The larger huts and cabins have floor-to-ceiling glass fronts from the foot of the bed to offer minimal interruptions to the views across the marsh,” explains Georgina.
Bathing under big skies at the Vanellus hut, which is named after a genus of wader bird.
The shingle-clad Roost hut is one of Elmley’s latest additions.
Guests are invited to eat in either in Kingshill Barn, a cavernous converted grain barn, or in the courtyard garden.