A-List Cotswolds hangout The Lakes by Yoo has new cabins – here’s what they’re like
THE WEEKEND: The Lakes by Yoo offers the chance to get back to nature without sacrificing creature comforts, just 90-minutes from London. Spend days roaming woodlands, swimming in freshwater lakes and cycling for miles, but there’s no need to rough it by night. Think gourmet breakfast deliveries, spa treatments and alfresco cocktails. You’re on holiday after all…
WHERE? The Lakes by Yoo is a seriously exclusive 850-acre estate in Gloucestershire, close to Lechlade-on-Thames. Once a quarry, it was transformed by property entrepreneur John Hitchcox into a gated country commune for celebrities, hedge fund managers and London’s megawealthy, with nearly 150 multi-million-pound holiday homes scattered around nine lakes. Some of these were originally designed by the likes of Philippe Starck, Kate Moss and Kelly Hoppen and a handful have long been available to rent for a minimum of seven spendy nights. However from summer 2022, the estate has unveiled nine twobedroom lakeside cabins and 18 three-bedroom apartments available to rent for just three nights.
THE STAY: There’s nothing rustic about these cabins. Mine sleeps four and has an open plan, double height living space with a wood burner, a freestanding bath and a large deck hovering over Marley Lake. There’s a surprisingly comprehensive kitchenette tucked magically behind a dresser, oversized lamp shades made of locally woven willow, Cotswold stone walls and masses of Conran cushions everywhere. If you want, you can hunker down and be left entirely alone for the weekend to watch the ducks glide by from your deck. Your personal concierge can also arrange almost anything you fancy, whether you want a mixologist to serve drinks in your living room or a personal chef to whip up a lakeside barbeque.
THE FOOD: Opt for a breakfast hamper delivery and still-warm pastries, smoked salmon and farm-fresh eggs appear on your doorstep. Generously-portioned dinners can be delivered from a local private caterer too – don’t miss the outstanding chocolate brownies – while a fairy-lit tepee serves toasties, coffee and wood-fired pizzas. If you prefer to cook yourself, stroll to the main gate each morning where heritage vegetables, eggs and even jars of honey from the estate’s own farm and beehives are left for guests to collect. Off-site, nearby, The Double Red Duke serves oysters and loaded burgers in a picture-book pretty beer garden, while 18th century inn Five Alls is the place for hearty pub classics and local ale. If you fancy a waterside picnic, pick up homemade sourdough and cakes at Blake’s Kitchen and traditional pork pies at Lechlade’s Cutler & Bayliss.
DON’T MISS: Though the estate’s hub – with a spa, 17-metre indoor pool and vintage gin van – is steps away from the cabins, The Lakes’ real charm lies away from its manicured pathways. Hire a bike and explore wild meadows, shaded woods and a gurgling stretch of the River Coln. If you have kids in tow, it’s paradise for denbuilding, tree-climbing and lake splashing. Elsewhere, there’s a high ropes course, tennis courts, kayaking, paddleboards and tiny, tucked-away slivers of beach where you can wade straight into the lake.
NEED TO KNOW: Cabins cost from £650 a night. Reservations@thelakesbyyoo.com or visit the website