The weekends are a perfect time to have a mini break and explore more of what’s right on our doorstep, here in the UK. As I am not originally from the UK I absolutely love discovering new places and experiences, and with crazy weekdays of running around, a weekender is so ideal for me, plus means not having to take time off!
A memorable stay I absolutely loved recently was in a shepherd’s hut in Hambledon, a gorgeous village in Surrey, at The Merry Harriers pub, which was organised by Weekend Candy, who have curated a collection of amazing stays, unique experiences and destinations in the UK, ideal for weekend breaks!
The Merry Harriers pub, a 16th-century red-brick inn, is really popular with the locals having topped best pub charts for the area, and is set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty amongst the Surrey Hills, just an hour’s drive away from London! It is dog friendly, family friendly, and serves a large selection of local ales, ciders and spirits and very hearty and wholesome food, which I thoroughly enjoyed during my stay.
When it comes to accommodation, you can opt to stay in one of the inn rooms or in one of the 5 shepherd’s huts, sat just across the road in a pretty pond-side meadow, and we stayed in hut number one, that had a hot tub (which you can request if it’s free at the time).
The interiors are quirky and gorgeous with dark woods mixed with bright colours and a llama theme running throughout. The bathroom is spacious and the double bed is so comfortable – I actually had an incredible night’s sleep here!
There is a wood-burning stove for the colder nights (there’s also underfloor heating), a couple of chairs and a table, and a kitchen area with a fridge, sink, coffee machine and various complimentary treats including a bottle of wine, marshmallows for toasting and crisps.
There were thoughtful touches throughout the hut such as a full-sized backgammon set, a booklet of local walks and a hot water bottle and blankets in the cupboards, and it was lovely knowing the pub was just nearby if you needed anything but far enough away so you felt like you were really getting away from it all.
Each shepherd’s hut has its own fire pit, outdoor seating and you can park right next to them, making it easy to bring all sorts of stuff for your weekend away.
Pre-dinner we loved sitting outside, wrapped up in the blankets around the fire pit, toasting marshmallows and having some wine, whilst just enjoying the slower pace of off grid life, which is sometimes very much needed, especially if you live in London.
We then had dinner at the Merry Harriers pub and it was such fantastic food. I had really fancied soup, which was delicious, and baked camembert, which was heavenly!
After dinner we retreated back to our hut and watched Netflix on the TV inside the hut before drifting off to a peaceful slumber.
It was amazing waking up in the hut to nothing but the sound of birds chirping. We opened the windows, wore the cosy robes hanging in our hut, made some coffee and enjoyed the peace and tranquility before heading for our complimentary breakfast at the pub.
At home I usually skip breakfast so it was a really lovely treat to enjoy a full English as we had an exciting activity planned that I had to fuel up for! There were so many options for breakfast from Greek yoghurt and fruit compote, cereals, pasties, croissants and cooked breakfast dishes too.
The Merry Harriers pub has some intriguing and adorable residents, who are infectiously cute and with whom you can have a superb experience, also bookable as part of the stay with Weekend Candy – llamas and llama trekking!
The 12 llamas are all such fun characters! This is Champagne, one of the older llamas of the group.
However, my favourite, and the llama I walked, was a 4 year old called Lorenzo. He was so well behaved and I was smitten with him!
Llama trekking takes approximately 2 hours and you take the llamas to some scenic spots through the Surrey hills, with them stopping every now and then to nibble on leaves.
It was such a wholesome experience and a big tick off my bucket list as an animal lover! Highly recommend it!
After such a wonderful morning, we were back just in time for Sunday roast at the pub, which was a 10/10 from me!
As well as the llama experience, the Merry Harriers also offers six alternative overnight packages, perfect for a mini weekend break, all of which can be booked on Weekend Candy:
- Hygge Holiday
- Overnight Ginfluencer Experience (with the brilliant Village Spirit Collective)
- Taste of Surrey
- Romantic Hideaway
- Surrey Staycation
- Merry Bikation
Find out more here: https://weekendcandy.com/directory/merry-harriers-pub-hambledon/
I’d recommend having a look at all the incredible venues and experiences available on Weekend Candy. I already have my eyes on my next weekender!
My stay was complimentary but all views and photos are my own.
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