Our Story: How Treetop Hideaways Was Built

My story began with a dream….

We’ve had this beautiful piece of woodland in our family for generations.

It has always been special to us.

It’s a stunning woodland with mature oaks, silver birches, pines and amazing 30ft rhododendron bushes.

Rhododendrons flowering among birch trees in the woodland at Treetop Hideaways

The lake fringed with flowering rhododendrons, reflected in still water

The meandering lakes with their hidden islands are breathtaking.

It’s a special place to relax, unwind and take in the abundance of wildlife and birdlife it has to offer.

It’s always been our favourite place to go for a morning stroll with our dogs, picnics with the children and the occasional, rustic family camping trip!

Then 10 years ago the dream began….

It all started with a combination of our trip to South Africa and being blown away by the amazing treehouse structures we saw in the remotest of locations in the African bush and a few years later watching a TV series with my three teenage sons called “Treehouse Masters in the US”. We were fascinated and in awe.

‘Wouldn’t our woodland be the most perfect location to put a treehouse……?’

‘It would be the most fitting and natural structure which would look like it belonged?’

‘It would be a structure to enhance the beauty of the woodland and we could sleep and live amongst the nature – a little haven/retreat….’

And so, it started….

Our planning application was well received by the local and district council. They were very happy to grant us planning permission due to the unique style of accommodation which was offering something different and special to Lincolnshire.

So, we began….

We were so excited to get started.

Firstly, we had to work on the 17 acres of woodland and lakes. It was still in its very natural, rustic and untouched form and required a much-needed bit of TLC.

All our family got involved, my three sons (now grown up, strong and very capable), my husband, mum, dad, brother, uncles and cousins. It was very much a family affair.

Two people in waders working in the lake during the creation of Treetop Hideaways

The build team taking a break on a log in the woodland

Cleared ground in the woodland with a digger, at the start of the build

Fuelled with lots of tea and biscuits and many memories made along the way we got a lot of tidying up done!

We found a brilliant and very talented builder, Christian Lomas, to take on the challenge of the treehouse build.

It was all getting started and going well “then Covid hit” ……

We all had to stop, tools were down, and we closed the site.

Looking up at the radial timber roof frame of a treehouse under construction

A treehouse under construction on its stilts, with scaffolding around the deck

PAUSE…

Thankfully it wasn’t too long before construction was able to reopen, and our site was the perfect workplace for the building team to spread out and work safely apart from each other.

However, little did we know the complications that Covid would bring to the build with limited supplies, delays, soaring costs and shop/manufacturer closures.

Christian Lomas was amazing and navigated his way through this uncertain time. He not only continued to successfully lead his building team, but he also managed to gain the limited and scarce resources and managed to readapt where necessary.