All Things Eco | Devon Dens | Eco-friendly Timber Cabins in Devon

Our Eco Ethos

Devon Dens is a people, planet and wildlife friendly site. We believe we all deserve a holiday, but not at the cost of the earth, so we’ve tried to create a place which is comfy, cosy and welcoming whilst at the same time having a lighter footprint.

This means we use dry toilets instead of flushing loos (they don’t resemble any of those grotty festival toilets, honest! If you don’t believe us, read some of our glowing reviews) and we process all waste on site. The dry toilets get composted and turned into tree mulch and food waste gets turned into excellent enrichment for the raised beds and poly tunnel, which in turn feed guests – a fully circular process! In spring and summer, we have herbs and salad which guests can help themselves to.

The cabins run off solar PV for power, and waste water from showers, dishes and pee goes through our amazing natural water filtration system – reeds clean it then the wildlife pond dilutes it before it then hits the stream.

Our Eco Ethos

Devon Dens is a people, planet and wildlife friendly site. We believe that holidays are essential, but not at the cost of the earth, so we’ve tried to create a place which is comfy, cosy and welcoming whilst at the same time having a lighter footprint.

What we've been up to:

In the ten years since buying the land, we’ve cleared huge areas of willow and bramble, planted hundreds of hedging trees as well as lots of beautiful birch and created an edible hedge, a stumpery, a cut flower bed as well as areas of interesting planting.

We’ve created habitats for wildlife, with bird and dormouse boxes all being used by various feathered or furry tenants! Each year, a bat maternity roost returns to have their babies and in late winter the pond is full of frogs having some sexy time, leading to a mass of tadpoles some months later! We also have two Freedom hives – an alternative approach to bee keeping which just leaves the bees to their own devices.

What we've been up to:

Reed Beds & Pond

An essential part of our eco-system

Reed Beds & Pond

An essential part of our eco-system

Wake up to Birdsong

Tune into nature, listen to the owls and the stream

Wake up to Birdsong

Tune into nature, listen to the owls and the stream

"A friend and I had the most amazing time in this beautiful cabin! The setting is perfect and the babbling brook and birdsong is the best soundtrack ever...Lots of blues guitar on the porch and by the fire! Will definitely return! Highly recommend this beautiful place."

"What a wonderful place to while away a week. Slow down, switch off and listen. We had a relatively rainy week in May, but when you’re here it doesn’t matter. Shelter in the beautifully built cabins, get your coat and get outside, or build a fire in the sauna and just escape! Jo is a lovely accommodating host and so conscious of preserving the natural world which surrounds us, every detail is thoughtfully considered and considerate. Wouldn’t hesitate to return!!"

"We had a wonderful time here. The cabins are absolutely beautiful and the space is so peaceful. You can completely switch off and watch the wildlife from the window. Great sauna and the beach is a 30 minute drive. I recommend the Bude sea pool."

We absolutely loved our long weekend in the den. Such an incredible property in an idyllic location. Perfect for time with our two boys. Jo was so welcoming and helpful and the whole weekend was wonderful. We adored the outdoor space, the attention to detail, the sauna and the wood burner. Long nights spent playing board games and avoiding the rain! We just loved it, could not recommend it more highly.

Fantastic place with a very warm welcome, even in COVID times. We spent a long and slightly damp wintry weekend there with our 1 year old and 3 year old and still had a beautiful time. Very cosy cabin, well-equipped kitchen, comfy beds, excellent books and toys for the children, lovely walks and beach within an easy drive. Couldn't be faulted really. Thanks Jo!